From food and wine to vibe, Bandra's Salt Water Cafe gets a new avatar

It is a sweltering afternoon in September when we walk into the space that was once the Salt Water Cafeacute It takes a while for our eyes to absorb the revamped interiors with its graffiti hip design and bright neon sign that reads Bandra Born Chef Gresham Fernandes culinary director and coowner has been working on the final details of the menu before the launch The new space titled Bandra Born opens today mdash a month after the team decided to end the 15yearlong run of Salt Water Cafeacute on September 8 With design studio Bombay Duck stepping in to shape the new space it is a clear departure from the old vibeChicken liver pota fryNot an easy decision when it comes to a Bandra landmark we say ldquoWe changed because we wanted to evolverdquo admits the chefrestaurateur whose journey spans from the kitchens of The Leela in 20002003 to Copenhagenrsquos Noma and back to Mumbai This 12weekpopup allows the team to showcase their creativity ldquoWe restaurateur Riyaz Amlani and I have been in this business for over 20 years and did not want to play it saferdquo the chef addsWhile the new space offers only post 8 pm dinner service for now the idea is to offer lunch and dinner service catering to a diverse clientele ldquoI want families to have fun while they lunch here but evenings are for conversations over a drink at the barrdquo Fernandes says The vibe for both the spaces will be different he promisesGraffiti on the interior right Neon signThe beers come from Great State Aleworks including the speciallybrewed crisp lager nimble girl Rs 400 in a snazzy customised can for patrons to take home after use The crispiness is enhanced by the bar nibbles from the bars of Bandra Rs 170 with chickpeas reminiscent of old haunts If it were not for our impending work in the newsroom we might have ordered a few pints and spent the afternoon listening to Dire StraitsldquoNone of the dishes are cuisine or ingredientcentric It is about a feelingrdquo reveals Fernandes who will be sourcing local products with emphasis on sustainability The feeling he seeks to replicate is that of Bandra as a village For him the suburb meant afternoons at skateboard parks with BMX bikes or of a whole village teaming up to prepare meat for sorpotel for a weddingChef Gresham FernandesAnd we can sense these stories in Patriciarsquos pussycat Rs 625 mdash a citrusy cocktail named after the legend of Ms Patricia who would walk her pet leopards through Bandrarsquos bylanes Or the buzz bazaar Rs 750 named after Bazaar Road The menu is diverse with a focus on flavour and fun We start with the the shippyrsquos sandwich Rs 510 mushroom tart Rs 575 and beetsrsquo meat Rs 425 The bitesized sandwiches come from the sailorrsquos workmanlike repast fashioned anew with fig jam and brown butter easy on the palate like the mushrooms with porcini in the tartVenus jam cake right beetsrsquo meatWe particularly love the combination of beets with crispy chilli oil in the beetsrsquo meat They make for ideal starters to a lunch of chicken liver pota fry R425 and the quirkily named kamina karpaccio R675 The pota fry is one to dig in with your hands It has the right balance of spice protein and bread for a latenight binge The carpaccio is a sophisticated tenderloin treated delicately with truffled ponzu It is hearty enough to make us rethink workPatriciarsquos pussycat and kamina karpaccioldquoYou donrsquot often get a chance to radically change the menu We have 40 new dishes a new wine selection and viberdquo says Fernandes ldquoI love to observe peoplersquos expressions and enjoy that excitement when they discover the new flavoursrdquo he proudly admits As we dig into the joyous sweetness of the Venus jam cake with its mixed berry sorbet R375 we understand exactly what the chef means Even as we take our leave there is a palpable excitement about the place We look forward to exploring more of this Bandrahued experienceBandra BornOn Today 7 pm onwardsAt Annexe Chapel Road Reclamation Bandra WestCall 8657738778