Mexican eatery Pompa arrives in Mumbai

The legacy of the Tham family takes a turn towards Mexican fare with their new restaurant and bar Pompa that opens on Sunday Siblings Ryan and Keenan Tham established Foo and Koko and the nightclub Trilogy and take their rich culinary heritage forward courtesy SoBorsquos Kamling and Mandarin helmed by their grandfather Tham Mon Yiu and the eponymous restobar by their father Henry Tham We sat with the brothers partner Saamir Chandnani and chef Jason James Hudanish a MiamiturnedMumbai boy tasting our way through the menuThe bar takes up the highlighted central area of the spacious restaurantWith few notable Mexican joints Pompa has much room to set trends across the cityrsquos FampB landscape And with a sprawling over 100seater floor in Bandrarsquos Linking Road below Foo theyrsquove got the space to do so The brothers share ldquoMexican food in Mumbai has a distorted view we wanted to offer a range and an experience based on food drink and music to set the atmosphererdquo Spanish for flamboyant Pomparsquos interiors greet you with colour and playfulness Inside yoursquoll spot fringes on chairs and lampshades reminiscent of those on buckskin jackets walls adorned with Mexican textiles and a fresh coat of bold reds and greensFrom left Saamir Chandnani Ryan Tham Keenan Tham and chef Jason James Hudanish PicsAnurag AhireWe begin with blue corn chips that are served with the salsa flight Rs 300 with seven inhouse salsas or a chunky and creamy guacamole Rs 550 prepared in a molcajete mdash the Mexican mortar and pestle Chef Hudanish nails the balance of sweet sour earthy and smoky flavours while catering to desispice levels We love that the heat holds its own alongside tangy profiles The salsas flirt from nutty to smoky mixes with the macha mdash a Mexican sauce of dried chillies and a fresh green tomato verde It builds the intensity with the earthy and fruity mango habanero banana habanero and a floral hibiscus habaneroPrawns al veracruz and Pompa palomaThere are plenty of vegetarian options too Tacos are the highlight but donrsquot sleep on the small plates The butterbasted and panfried lobster tails Rs 795 come with a creamy smoky chipotle sauce Another winner dish is the prawns al veracruz Rs 475 marinated with a paste made from the South American annatto seeds that give it an earthiness Itrsquos placed on a mini tostada and with the spice from the mango habanero it is like a chic prawn sev puriThe ceviche de salmoacuten Rs 650 is a refreshing bite shuffled with thinly sliced avocado in a citrusbased marinade called ceche de tigre ajiacute amarillo mdash a Peruvian chilli and rice paper for added texture The lamb birria Rs 650 mdash a Mexicanstyle of cooking lamb mdash in blue corn tortilla would have been a favourite if its vegetarian taco with shiitake mushroom didnrsquot steal the show The lamb is perfectly cooked and the mushroom taco is a bite full of crispy cheesy costra ginger and a spicy toreados made with green chillies The crusted sea bass Rs 2200 is a miss the beacutearnaise was too tangy while the sea bass was slightly overcooked The polenta on the plate was greatSalsa flightVineeth Krishnan works his magic with the bar menu The pomparita Rs 680 a margarita with a smoky mezcal and a kick of tequila was balanced with the sweetness of sherry Sweet senorita R680 a horchatainspired creamy dessert drink with pistachio liqueur and tonka beans is an acquired taste The desserts R450 onwards were tres leche with cream cheese and a feuilletine cracker churros with a hot chocolate drink and traditional Mexican popsicles called paletas Along with the savoury plates the desserts leave us wanting morePompaOpens December 17 7 pm onwardsAt VN Sphere Mall Bandra WestCall 9930507673