Mumbai food review: All you need to know about this new restaurant in Bandra

Ahead of their official launch on Thursday evening we stepped into Vario a concept restaurant on Bandrarsquos 33rd Road where chefs run the show from helming the kitchen to taking orders and even serving it The 7000 sq ft space has been cleverly mapped out mdash large round tables for bigger groups open live kitchens and ample space for private parties mdash all under a sustainable ceiling decor of paper stripsChefs work in rotation to handle prep workVario means variety in Esperanto an artificial language devised in 1887 But what we found interesting was that staying true to the word panAsian the menu has 100 dishes from 48 countries segregated into five Asian regions Planned like an Asian food bazaar and amidst the cacophony of live teppanyaki grills and sushi counters we sample dishes that narrate tales of the regionrsquos culture heritage and culinary finesse The idea is to bridge the gap between Asian countries that are distinctly unique in character and culinary prowess however there are safe dishes like dimsum and sushi optionsChef Sarthak Malap serves a Sri Lankan gotu kola sambol PicsShadab KhanChef Rakesh Talwar with over 40 years of experience and having helmed restaurants across Dubai Hong Kong Lagos Zanzibar Qatar and Orlando is at the helm of the idea that has been in the making for two years now He would often discuss with cofounders Gaurav Chowksey and Sneha Nagpal that chefs the real stars at a restaurant are never in the forefront and that we would like to give a platform to them to interact with the diners ldquoI donrsquot think there is anything better than a chef getting direct compliments from patrons It makes a chef love their job morerdquoMach patouriAt Vario more often than not the chef who creates the dish will serve it so the food wonrsquot be left at the counter waiting for a server to take it to the diner ldquoItrsquos showing respect for foodrdquo explains Talwar who has brought together a team of 45 chefs to run the entire service and operations ldquoIt has never been done before and I am told it could be a logistical nightmare but I am confident A fluid roster Talwar maintains will be his mantra For billing and cleaning of tables there is a cashier and clearance staff respectively however the chefservers available on the floor bring the cheque to the tableThe 7000 sq ft space is segregated into zones with plantsThe allchef team hail from culinary colleges or as part of their apprenticeships and take us through the dishes These chefs come with varying levels of experience but can explain flavour profiles better than someone who isnrsquot a trained chef We start with chef Ajit More who serves us ezogelin Rs 345 a hearty Turkish soup from red lentils and bulgur plated with tiny strips of lavash that could have been slightly crispier Chef Sarthak Malap brings us the next few courses including Sri Lankan gotu kola salad Rs 345 a herby coconut salad dressed with green chillies and lime Itrsquos a break from the monotony of leafy salads that wersquove had so far but not necessarily something we would reorder Shuba Rs 595 from Kazakhstan mdash a cold salad of root vegetables thatrsquos topped with salmon chunks grilled halloumi R475 from Cyprus and the dak kochi Rs 575 from South Korea mdash a marinated chicken skewer dish get our vote However the salmon chunks in the Kazakh dish could have been coated some more with the dressingRakesh TalwarOur favourite was the mach patouri Rs 525 from Bangladesh a steamed fish and homemade pickle preparation We liked that chef Malap added a personal touch by suggesting that we eat the pickles to elevate the dish which it did For mains we tried the Thai green curry with steamed buns Rs 575 This coconut milkflavoured dish with Thai spices wasnrsquot unusually green we relished the twist of steamed buns instead of rice Prawn amok Rs 795 from Cambodia was another winner because it came close to what we tried while at AngkorThe desserts created and served by pastry chef Saumya Choudhary included Indian baked curd Rs 455 served with nutty crumb fresh fruits a tangysweet fig sauce and mango gel The Vietnamese CheThai Rs 335 served with assorted tropical fruits jellies sweet milk passion fruit boba and edible flowers is like the desi falooda only healthierVarioAt 33rd Road Bandra WestTime 12 pm to 4 pm and 7 pm to 1230 am Call 7710020084