Food Review: Why you can visit Bandra’s new vegetarian eatery

Building a garden in the city where you can come chill eat clean food and take a nap if you like is an idea only restaurateur Suren Joshi could come up with ldquoKeep your phones on the side donrsquot take pictures and I am happy to give a 15 per cent discount on the billrdquo entices Joshi ldquoitrsquos my invitation to disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with the serenity that Sukoon encapsulatesrdquo Hersquos talking down to us from a 10 feet tall ladder that he has climbed up to adjust the projector thatrsquos beaming black and white Dev Anand songs on mute on one of the untreated walls Hersquos a perfectionist who loves dogs known to drive around the city in his GMC truck loading an abandoned tree trunk into it without a second thought to give it a home in this gardenJackyrsquos waffleldquoWherersquos the green in the cityrdquo he asks rhetorically ldquoor the peace We are all moving forwardmdashin hastemdashtowards our endrdquo He is as philosophical of this vegetarian garden dining space serving satvik delights in the heart of Bandra that opens today ldquoI am told not to say this but itrsquos a place where my dogs can run aroundmdashitrsquos petfriendlyrdquo he laughs cringing at the term lsquoInstagramable restaurantsrsquo ldquoThis is anything but thatrdquo he addsChickpea halwa TiramisuSoft music from yesteryear movies provides a nostalgic soundtrack to the peaceful rustle of Bandrarsquos bylanes The natural stone bar and the bare walls are interspersed with potted trees and fresh grass that add a touch of green elegancemdashthe atmosphere is serene and harmonious a reminder of how the world was meant to beKichu chatServed in elegant kansa bowl sourced from a dealer in Zaveri Bazaar sat corn chivda made in house Crispy and flaky it reminded us of simpler days when 4 pm chai parties were unpretentious and came with a side of chivda and farsan Joshi remembers having it as a kid ldquoItrsquos addictive rightrdquo he asks us with a childlike twinkle in his eyes Next comes the cassava fries with a side of kimchi mayo ldquoThe kimchi is fermented for a month to bring out that rich wholesome flavourrdquo says Chef Tanvi Shah the creative force shaping Sukoonrsquos culinary landscape under the guidance of Chef Richard Drsquosouza ldquoThe idea is to keep it clean and gutfriendly not following a fad but truly honouring ingredientsrdquo says DrsquosouzaSabudana thalipeethAlongside came a boba sol kadi a balance of tart and sweet The boba added a third dimension of texture to the silky smooth coconut drink The kichu chaat was next Steamed rice cake doused in a medley of chutneys topped with sevmdashthe textures take you by surprise because the palate is expecting a tikki of potatoes or its cousinsSomewhat similar to it was the water chestnut and edamame chaat salad This one was crispier and more robust due to the firm ingredients playfully balancing with the liquid chutneys it was paired with The jowar bhel with millet pearls cucumber tomatoes in date tamarind chutney and avocado cream reminded us of ponk bhel the fresh winter delight served by vendors on daily down trains from Surat sourced straight from their farms The rainbow noodle salad with peanut dressing was a burst of refreshing flavours Drsquosouza explains ldquoWe wanted to offer clean eating options from international favourites as well to ensure that there is something for everyone on the tablerdquoRagi dosa with sambhar creamThe persimmon on a bed of sourdough cashew cream and drizzled with maple syrup is a dream The ragi dosa with chutney and a sambhar cream was our favourite Simple nonmessy and an absolute delight to the tastebuds We even suggested they bottle the sambhar cream for retailmdashit is made by reducing the familiar curry to lock in the flavours before blending it with cream Also Arate was the sabudana thalipeethmdashsoft on the inside crispy on the outside These sumptuous desi treats were soulsatisfying The namkeen berry was another memory in a glass three berries with a dash of kala namakAll this while we were washing down the meals with shot glasses of gut shotsmdashthe green apple was our favourite The array of kombucha we tried on the keg was sharp and crisp For dessert we had the chunky waffle and I need coffee a take on classic tiramisu If we werenrsquot informed beforehand wersquod never have been able to guess that it had a chickpea halwa filling Most of Sukoonrsquos food is an reassuring trip down memory lane and it is riveting to bite into nostalgiaRichard Drsquosouza Tanvi Shah and Suren JoshiInterestingly Sukoon aspires to redefine dawn in the city welcoming guests from 6 am with yoga and meditation sessions in the garden and a healthy hearty breakfast to start the day Finally something for early risers like us ldquoOr those like me who sometimes go to bed at that hourrdquo laughs JoshiAs we discuss the changing pace of the cityrsquos dining scene a want for open spaces and the problems that come with it we look around to say ldquoHey a few butterflies would be lovely here rightrdquo Next thing we know Joshi is on his phone trying to figure out if he can reach out to breeders for this ldquoThat would be a nice touchrdquo he agrees and we sign out for the nightWHERE Noorie house 4 Rajan Road Off Carter Road Bandra West