bpb Review: Umame, Churchgate - BPBWeekend

Here?s a case for the gunna lobby: lobs of herb-flecked lamb skewered onto a fresh sugarcane straw, which when bitten into yields exhilarating, astonishing contrasts: soft and crunchy, sweet and savory, fleshy and fibrous. It is one of the best things to eat at Umame, Chef Farrokh Khambata?s new Pan-Asian restaurant at Eros building, where Valhalla used to be. And don?t let the upscale vibe here, bolstered by wooden walls and liquid bar-lights, fool you ? gnawing on leftover, meat-soaked sugarcane is not only acceptable but also encouraged.

Starters & More

The abovementioned dish appears on the appetizer section of Umame?s exhaustive menu, brought over from its predecessor restaurant Joss. Other revived favorites include delish sea bass, charred on the outside and meltingly tender within; green Thai curry, the loss of which this Scouter mourned for months; new potatoes with cracked pepper; and most desserts.

But let?s go back to appetizers, for they deserve more of our attention. Like prawns, for instance: smoked and spicy, these wear a sheer film of Sriracha, elevating the sauce from college staple to cuisine couture. Vegetarians, bypass bland crystal dumplings and focus instead on fried tempura chueng feng, which requires some tending (the crispy vegetable wrapped in dim sum dough is to be doused with sauce and cut at the table), and causes our newbie waiter to stumble, but is ultimately worth the confusion.

Greed is Good

In truth, you could make a grand meal out of starters alone, but fuelled by greed and many drinks - tamarind-infused Bloody Mary; subtle Grey Goose appletini; and a sweet berry and booze mixture that comes garnished with a jam-filled lemon skin - we forge on to mains. We pick highly recommended General Tso?s chicken and Massaman curry, which, our waiter promises us ?will make us forget the green curry in a hurry?.

And he is half right, ladling earthy, funky, coconut-infused gravy onto fluffy white rice, making sure we get good spoonfuls of tender root vegetables and greens, smiling knowingly as we take our first bites. The chicken, however, is less successful, rubbery and bland, something you expect to find at your corner Chinese joint.

It?s a Date

Dessert includes chocolate Kahlua souffl?, which we greet like an old friend, warm, dependable and comforting; and poached pears with nubby walnut compote and ice-cream, brought over from Amadeus, interesting but not earth-shattering. Perhaps the biggest disappointment of our meal is Matcha tea tiramisu, the only new dessert on the menu ? a sickly, pasty green, it has the sweetness and texture of condensed milk.

But despite the weak ending, we roll out of Umame happy; we have eaten well here and will be back often, for an upcoming family birthday and on an easy Friday, when we knock off work early and want Bloody Marys and that chueng fung. See you there?

Getting there: Eros building, first floor, Churchgate, call 61110303, approximately Rs 2,500 per head, including alcohol.

Source: http://bpbweekend.com/food-and-drink/bpb-review-umame

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