ITP Indian Travel Places: Food, Travel, Tourism Business Events and Trade Shows
Phone: 022 30151877
Address: 4126, 1st Floor, 30 K.Dubhash Marg, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Time: 12 Noon – 1:30 AM
Meals for two: Rs. 1,800
Cuisines: Asian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Malaysian, Korean
Facilities: Home Delivery, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Non Veg, Full Bar Available, Smoking Area, Live Sports Screening, Free Wifi, Brunch, Nightlife, Table booking recommended, Wifi, Valet Parking Available
The rise and the rise of Asian cuisine; that’s the one trend that continues to dominate our restaurantscape. Not only have I tracked it over the past three decades in Mumbai but also have recently watched it internationally, too. Asian flavours everywhere from Bogota, (last month, where I attended Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards) to Berlin (where I was researching for my TV show).
So, when Asian Town opened quietly in Kala Ghoda, there couldn’t have been guests than the globetrotting Sajjid and Laveena Mitha, who keep their finger on the pulse of international dining trends. This Diwali was in Budapest, followed by Laveena’s birthday in Vienna and a few days before that in Istanbul, not just to dine at the best but to attend the launch of the European headquarters of Polymerupdate, which Sajjid has founded along with Asia’s largest and most credible, market intelligence service for the global petrochemical industry. The svelte Laveena, an educationist, runs SoBo’s most popular after-school activity classes. Together, they share their invaluable experiences in their hugely popular travel food blog. Our review follows…
Asian Town, Fort, Mumbai: Decor
Walk up the first floor of the Kala Ghoda building into a cheerfully done up space. Origami, Buddha wall art, leather couches. Distressed table tops, et al.
Asian Town, Fort, Mumbai: Food
Sushi to Sacher, Baos to Brûlée. We nibbled our way through the meandering menu. Zeroed in on the creamy Khow Suey made zestier with condiments and crunchies. Infused with the perfect punch, the tasty green curry ladled onto the steamed rice made for a satisfying meal.
The moist filling of the Vegetarian Bao, the nutty notes of the Teriyaki Chicken delighted. Though the Avocado and Shrimp Tempura made for a fresh crunchy jugalbandi in the sushi; the rice was too soggy.
France wed Asia, and the Crème Brulee infused with five spice made for a fitting finale.
Asian Town, Fort, Mumbai: Minus Points
My biggest disappointment was the Vietnamese Pho. Not only was it inauthentic, lacklustre and tasteless but also tucked under the Ramen subhead. Soggy sushi, overcooked tenderloin and oversweet Sacher. It’s an overambitious menu. Also a very lengthy one. Needs to be pruned.
Asian Town, Fort, Mumbai: My Point
“Location, location, location” thundered the famed restaurateur Sir Terence Conran when he was asked to list the top three essentials for a successful restaurant. Asian Town, located in the bustling Kala Ghoda strip, definitely has an advantage, even though it’s on the first floor. That it swims with the popular tide of Asian food is another plus point. The issue is its lengthy crowd-pleaser menu, which is dotted with inauthentic dishes that need to be edited out or substituted. Happily, it manages to stir in taste in many of the other dishes, ensure plenty for vegetarians, keeps the average dish pricing moderate. And it has a well-stocked bar with many innovative cocktails, too. A welcome new arrival to the Kala Ghoda restaurantscape.
