Food Review: This new all-day coffee house in Bandra introduces Asian coffees

There is a growing interest in Oriental and Pan Asian culture in Mumbai And one of the areas where it is noticeably visible is the food and drink sector Apart from restaurants that feature traditional dishes from the region there is also a rise in country cuisinespecific eateries like Japanese Korean Indonesian and Vietnamese Adding to the list of influences is Mokai a unique cafeacute in Bandra that seeks to introduce Asian iterations to Mumbairsquos coffee aficionadosBanana chocolate breadWe reach the jampacked venue on a Sunday afternoon which happens to be the first weekend since the allday cafeacute opened A vibrant duplex that houses the cafeacute stands out in a narrow gully on Chapel Road The founder Karreena Bulchandani is hopping from one table to another taking and serving orders alongside two women staff members The male staff members are behind the counter actively brewing coffees cooking and heating up breads When Bulchandani spots us standing at the door she quickly approaches us ldquoWe are completely packed We were not expecting such an overwhelming responserdquo As there are no empty tables and wouldnrsquot be for at least another hour we park ourselves at a community table in the centre of the spaceThe space has private and common tablesThe main menu has many varieties of regular cappuccinos espressos mochas and vegan coffees But wersquore here for their special menu that boasts of coffees inspired from seven countries in Asia The first one is coconut malai cold brew from Malaysia R330 which becomes our natural choice given the soaring temperatures of Mumbai We expect something along the lines of a coconut punch but this drink is nothing like that neither in taste nor in appearance Tiny pieces of coconut fill the bottom of the glass and a dollop of honey slips down from the straw when we lift it up to stir And despite the seemingly generous amount of honey the dark browntinted drink tastes like a bitter shot of espresso We need more helpings of honey to truly savour it Meant strictly for black coffee fans people who prefer milkier and sweeter coffee should skip this oneThe exteriors of the cafeacute is painted by local artists of the cityNext up is taro boba fromTaiwan Rs 250 The bubble tea we learn is made from the Taiwanese root vegetable taro It comes with blueberry popping pearls and makes for a refreshing summer sipper Lastly we order the Japanese blueberry matcha R300 This is clearly a popular pick given that most customers around us had ordered it The matcha Bulchandani informs us while serving us the drink is imported from Japan While they also offer a hot version of this drink we opt for the iced variation The hot matcha comes with a cute bear crafted on the foam If you enjoy artsy aestheticlooking drinks this is as pretty as it gets The cold coffee on the other hand is a simple green drink with a layer of blueberry syrup settled at the bottom of the glass The first sip is a burst of blueberries but therersquos very little matcha The next sip is a contrast We realise that we sucked up all the blueberry syrup in one go and request for some more which is served without a fuss Pro tip mix your drink well before trying itCoffee done we must leave on a sweet note with a slice of banana chocolate bread R160 While this Asian cafeacute will draw in fans initially time will tell how much this experimental novel menu will continue to pique the attention of the Mumbai coffee drinkerMokaiAt St Sebastian ColonyChapel Road Bandra WestTime 7 am to 8 pmCall 9820062166Also check out1 Noa by The NutcrackerAt Kamal Vishranti Kutir opposite St Theresa School 24th Road Plot 104 D Bandra West2 Cafeacute by The St Regis MumbaiAt Ground floor Palladium Mall Lower Parel3 Stand by CoffeeAt Thadani Marg opposite Baskin Robbins B Wing Worli4 Emrsquos CafeAt Lily Cottage Girgaon Chowpatty44 Exceptional 34 Excellent 24 very Good 14 Good Average Mokai didnrsquot know we were there The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals