Foo Bandra, Linking Road, Bandra West, Mumbai

Restaurant Name: Foo Bandra
Phone: +919321915408, +919321915409
Address: 301 – 304, 3rd Floor, VN Sphere, Navchandra Niwas CHS, Opposite Shoppers Stop, Linking Road, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Time: 12:00 Noon – 01:30 AM
Meals for two: Rs. 1,800
Cuisines: Chinese, Asian, Desserts, Sushi, Beverages
Facilities: Home Delivery, Takeaway Available, Full Bar Available, Valet Parking Available, Outdoor Seating, Romantic Dining, Bulk Orders Accepted, Kid Friendly, Gluten Free Options, Vegan Options, Brunch, Desserts and Bakes, Indoor Seating, Table booking recommended, Available for Functions, Family Friendly, Serves Jain Food

Foo Bandra, Linking Road, Bandra West, Mumbai: About

“Foo-dies rejoice!” was my verdict on the very first Foo when it opened in 2018. Since then, Foo has continued to span the city. Today I review the seventh outlet of this restaurant. It is in Bandra and is buzzing. Along with Kainaz and Kalyan Karmakar, the fab-foodie couple, we eat our way through the menu.

The Bad News

This third-floored Asian Tapas restaurant has caught the fancy of the Bandraites and is packed. Is that the reason the service is patchy? Our server takes half our order and disappears, till we have to flap our arms (like windmills) to get him back. Maybe he can’t hear us because the music is too loud and he can’t see us because the lights are too dim? Fortunately, this doesn’t affect our delicious dinner. A few dishes need fine tuning, like the Black Sesame Marble Cheese, which tasted superb in Foo, Palladium but was limp and lack lustre here.

The Good News

I’m a dimsum addict and also a Nikkei cuisine fan. So, I’m happy with Foo’s small and large plates. I’m the happiest to catch up with the passionate and brilliant award winning food writer and author Kalyan Karmakar. Several years ago, I met him over a foodie blind date and have followed his work with admiration, be it his food blog, vlog, podcasts, pioneering home cheffie award programme, his food consumer insights, brand consultancy and of course, all his food columns in national and international publications. The globe trotting gourmet couple share a passion for food and are cat parents too.

Soft spoken, dynamo of creativity, Kainaz Karmakar, chief creative officer of an international ad agency, has won over 40 coveted global awards, been on international juries and commended for ‘Iconic Work of the Decade’ too. Our dinner is sparkled with great conversation and it’s the well made Tuna Nigiri and the oozing succulence Haka Roast Pork which comes up tops for Kalyan.

For me, it’s the thin-skinned steamed dimsum, especially the ones which pack a wallop and heat of the Nikkei flavours. Slim Prawn Cheung Fun hits bulls eye with its well balanced texture and flavour. Plenty of choice of dimsum like the mushroom dimsum or the sriracha chicken. Plenty for vegetarians too like the sweet potato black bean sauce, sizzling aubergine, wok-tossed Cantonese greens and curries too (velvety Veg Water chestnut Yellow Curry is a must try) Vibrant, sweet and spicy Thai Me Up Salad, equally robustly spiced Foo Chilly Chicken Sushi Charcoal Uramaki, is recommended. Try their innovative cocktails like the Foo brew Japanese rice beer, made in-house too.

Foodies Rejoice: Foo Bandra, Linking Road, Bandra West, Mumbai

Mellow Cantonese notes, bold flavours, spicy notes, racy whiffs of Peruvian chillies sparkle the small and big plates. Foo brew Japanese rice beer made in house, vegan, gluten free and Jain menus are their other USPs. All served in a sprawling 4000 sq ft stylish space. Indoor and outdoor seating, airy, cheerful, colorful ambiance (cherry blossom tree installation et al). The award-winning Sumessh Menon strikes again “Trendy, buzzing, exciting food and drinks. Aimed at the young and the young at heart,” shares Kalyan. For us old fogeys, the music is too loud, lights too dim, but the well-made food, moderate pricing, great ambiance hit the sweet spot.

Foo translates to ‘fortune’ and ‘Goodluck’ From the brothers Ryan and Keenan Tham comes yet another Thamping success (excuse the cheap puns). Foo-dies rejoice!