Worth its salt

When Mumbai shuttered in March last year Bandrarsquos Ahuja family which runs a business of dutyfree goods was lucky to be locked in at their Karjat property Oleander Farms Lucky not just to be blessed with 170 acres of hilly green environs but also because the family got some muchneeded bonding time to put together a restaurantbarandcafeacute Saltt an extension of their 30yearold home and the many memories it holdsGhosht nihariDirector Aaliya Ahuja tells us that the original idea to open a restaurant was her father Virenrsquos but it eventually became a family project We settle into the restaurant thatrsquos dotted with wooden furniture and with a stunning 360degree view thanks to woodenglass panels that are reminiscent of a grand yet homely living roomTres lechesldquoWe wanted to create a getaway experience for peoplerdquo she explains elaborating that patrons can step in for a meal and then lounge around the farm where young ones can run free like she did as a child ldquoSit down for a quiet coffee at the cafeacute hang out at the upcoming nursery or check out my fatherrsquos vintage car collection which has a 1937 Morris 8 that belonged to MF Husainrdquo she informs as we sip on a pleasantly bitter coconutey gin cocktail named Dutch nectar Rs 810Bajastyle beer battered fish tacosConsidering Karjat doesnrsquot have too many eating out options Salttrsquos menu features a diverse mix of Indian European and Asian fare along with family favourites and wood ovenfired pizzas We begin with a smooth mac and cheese arancini Rs 375 elevated by a yummy bed of bell pepper sauce Next up is the bharwan aloo ki chaat Rs 375 thatrsquos a row of sweet and spicy stuffed tandoori potato towers a family hit While the panfried basil chilli chicken Rs 475 and bitesized galawat ke kebab Rs 575 fail to stand out full marks for the plate of fluffy mini kulchas Rs 375 onwards available in aloo paneer and blue cheese stuffing and crispy tangy bajastyle beer battered fish tacos Rs 495Spicy plumYou know that moment when yoursquove eaten too much and want to break for a walk Thankfully thatrsquos something you can do at Saltt like we did traipsing around their lawn and car collection While they plan to introduce golf carts to ferry visitors we felt that a few benches on the lawn would be nice to picnic outside tooAaliya AhujaBack to the table we dig into the main course of which prawn zafrani Rs 675 stands out for that heady aroma of saffron and kewra The butter chicken and kukkad biryani both Rs 575 are basic but we polish off the ghosht nihari Rs 725 and spicy Amritsari chole and kulcha Rs 475 thatrsquos peppered with a secret masala sourced from Delhi This is washed down with a few botanical cocktails of which spicy plum Rs 900 a bourbon concoction is our favourite Skip the regulars and try their cocktail reccosThe interiors of Saltt PicsSameer MarkandeWe head to the cafeacute to finish off with desserts mdash Saltted caramel mousse Tres leches and a strong coffeeflavoured panna cotta all Rs 475 As we sit leisurely indulging in several helpings of the Tres leches while soaking in the view wersquove made a mental note for our second trip After all which Mumbaikar wouldnrsquot long for an escape from the cityThe restaurant cafeacute and bar are located inside the 30yearold Oleander FarmsOpens Saturday 12 pm to 12 amAt Saltt Oleander Farms Pvt Ltd Karjat Chowk Road Vavarle village KarjatCall 9967725518