Co-partner at Mahesh Lunch Home targets BKC's executives with a smorgasbord of marine-inspired flavours
Ginger Wine Crab
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"MY home in Kundapur faces a beach. So, every morning, we would head to the sea to catch fish and have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner," laughs NT Poojari, regaling us with nuggets from his growing up years in a coastal town of Karnataka as we sip on a refreshing ginger laced gin cocktail they have called Brick (Rs 450). We're sitting at Fish N Bait, the restaurateur's latest venture under Shiv Sagar Food & Resorts banner that opens next week in BKC, in the very building that houses Hemant Oberoi and Toast And Tonic.
That the outlet is in stark contrast with the popular vegetarian chain, Shiv Sagar, is evident in the choice of cuisine and decor, with plush sofas glowing under sunlight streaming from a glass wall, ceiling covered with fish nets, photographs that pay homage to the men at sea, a screen projecting marine life on loop that acts as the bar's backdrop, and a giant fish tail that protrudes from a wall, hypnotising you with its slow pendulum-like movement.
But how different is it from the seafood haven Mahesh Lunch Home, where Poojari is co-partner? "The menu is definitely an upgrade. Except for a few Mangalorean items, most of the menu is different."
Prawn Massaman Curry. Pics/Datta Kumbhar
Getting crabby
The menu offers sections based on oceans of the world, from the Pacific and Gulf Of Thailand to Arabian Sea and The Bay Of Bengal. Each section is subdivided into two parts - above sea level (read: chicken and lamb) and below sea level. From Red Snapper and Pink Salmon to Rawas (Indian Salmon), Bangda (Mackerel) and Pomfret, a variety of fish share space with crab, lobster, squid and prawns on the menu.
Pomfret Tawa Fry
More than the exotic marine life, what reflects on plate are the flavours corresponding to the regions surrounding these water bodies. Like, the Squid Chilli Pepper (Rs 375) that is part of East China Sea is a sweet and spicy rendition with fried-till-crisp squid rings coated with Sichuan peppers and honey batter. Another dish that we enjoy from this section is Ginger Wine Crab (APC) where the crustacean sits on a bed of ginger-garlic sauce cooked with lemongrass and bamboo shoot, with a hint of tartness from the wine. Unabashed, we use our hands to break the shell and scoop the extremely soft crabmeat and relish it with the sharp flavours from the sauce.
Squid Chilli Pepper
Mangalore to Massaman
Then, we navigate our ship into the Pacific Ocean to try Tequila Herb Scented Lobster (APC), which is doused in a creamy, herb-laced sauce. However, we miss the hint of tequila.
Instead, we comfort ourselves with familiar flavours of Pomfret Tawa Fry (Rs 770) where the whole fish, so soft that it falls off our fork, is coated with a spicy marinade. Other favourites are Mangalorean Fish Curry (Rs 600) and Sukkha Chicken (Rs 600). We mop up the former - chunks of tender fish dunked into a thick, coconut-laced spicy curry - with fluffy appams. The Sukkha Chicken, comprising tender meat chunks coated in a spicy, dry coconut-specked masala, is polished off with Neer Dosa. Surprisingly, it goes well with a variety of Red Wine that we're offered from a large section of wines housed in a cellar. Each is listed on the menu with the recommended meat.
Next, we park ourselves by the Gulf Of Thailand to indulge in a pre-plated meal of Prawn Massaman Curry (Rs 770), with a portion of rice. The creamy curry packs a punch with its herby flavours of galangal, kaffir lime and lemongrass, soaked in by the tiny, succulent prawns floating in it.
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