ITP Indian Travel Places: Food, Travel, Tourism Business Events and Trade Shows
Address: Unit GO 1A, Ground Floor, Parinee Crescenzo, G Block, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Time: 12 Noon to 1 AM
Meals for two: Rs. 1,900
Cuisines: South American, Brazilian
Facilities: Home Delivery, Full Bar Available, Valet Parking Available
Brazil in BKC? Would the cuisine be authentic? I was sceptical. And then the globetrotting foodie family of the Mehrotras pointed out that they’d dined at Brazilian Chef Guto Souza’s restaurant ‘Go With The Flow’ in Goa and that it was deliciously on point. And that he was behind BKC’s Boteco, too. I was excited to dine there, but all good things take time. So, I had to wait for Seema and Jaideep Mehrotra to return from Bahrain from a hugely successful art show. Globally acclaimed Indian contemporary artist Jaideep had been invited by the Royal family to exhibit his innovative gamut of artwork that melds together the physical and the digital. Fellow food connoisseur and globetrotter Seema, who acts as Jaideep’s manager and consultant, enjoys Brazilian food. As does their daughter, formerly NYC based Anushka, who is currently writing for a television series in Mumbai. We have a warm, happy evening, fueled by plenty of well-made authentic Brazilian cocktails. ‘Boteco’ means togetherness, and it sure lives up to its name.
Boteco, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai: Decor
Cheerful. Bursts of colour, graffiti et al. Green-tiled bar. Wooden tables, exposed brick wall with musical instruments hanging from it. And of course, football murals. Plenty of green plants. If only they weren’t artificial…
Boteco, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai: Food
Who’d have thought that warm, tiny round cheese buns would taste this comforting or be so addictive? They’re Pão de queijo, made of tapioca. You can ask for them with or without pork sausage stuffing. Either ways, we love their nutty, salty kiss. Plenty of red meat on the menu; we’re told that the pork is imported from Belgium, lamb from New Zealand. However, the Seabass and Chicken are local and the Tapioca and Cassava from Kerala.
Must ask for the Escondidinho. Velvety Pumpkin Cream, Mascarpone and Parmesan Cheese tango deliciously with the homemade dried beef. Don’t miss (Leitao a Pururuca) the perfectly cooked, juicy Belgian Pork Belly, roasted in a wood-fired oven, deliciously paired with apple puree.
Not as good as the red meats, the traditional dish of grilled fish and prawns Peixe ao molho de Camarao is delicious in a mildly spiced sauce. Plenty for vegetarians — from Risotto de tomate to Curry from Bahia. Lebanese platter, too. Pick your favorite meats (there’s paneer and chicken, too) from the Churrasqueira (charcoal grill), it’s great value; the meats are charred at the edges and juicy within. Served with robust side dishes.
Boteco, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai: Minus Points
Sadly, the traditional chicken dish Galinhada is overcooked, Brazilian sushi is an avoidable mishmash. The coconut Brazilian custard, Quindim is over sweet. Desserts disappoint. And the profusion of artificial plants jars.
Boteco, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai: My Point
Black magic… Is this lusty, big, bold-flavored, meat-driven Brazilian cuisine under a black magic spell? Brazil is well-known for its Black Magic, Macumba. “Black magic is evil”, explained my Brazilian co-chairperson of ‘The World’s 50 Best Academy’ and adds warningly, “Black magic is like a boomerang. It returns to the person who sends it.”
Happily, Brazilian cuisine is the opposite. It sends out robust joy and comfort. Kudos to Boteco for taking this bold step, flouting conformity and introducing Mumbai to an authentic Brazilian menu that is sagely balanced between curiosity-piquing surprises and comforting favorites. It ensures plenty for vegetarians, but remains a red meat lovers’ mecca. I raise a toast to it with Brazil’s national cocktail… Caipirinha, of course!
