Nksha, Churchgate, Mumbai North Indian Cuisine Restaurant

Nksha, Churchgate, Mumbai: Restaurant Name
Phone: +919820475555
Address: ADCB Rehman Manzil, 1A / 1B, Veer Nariman Rd, Churchgate, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400020 India
Time: 12:30 Noon – 15:30 PM and 19:00 PM – 23:30 Midnight
Meals for two: ₹1,000
Cuisines: Continental, North Indian
Facilities: Takeaway Available, Indoor Seating

Nksha, Churchgate, Mumbai: Profile

Yeh hai Mumbai ka naya “Nksha” meri jaan! Kya Nksha (map) hai! It takes within its sweep and distils the heritage art deco precinct of Bombay. It locates itself in the Churchgate restaurant street, redolent of the nostalgia of the 60s and that too in the location of the legendary French Gourdon and company. So far so good. And then this map spans out to encompass North India in its menu, adding a gutsy tweak along the way. Can such an overarching ambitious encompassing of contrary concepts really work? Nostalgia with modernity. Chandnichowk chaat, kansa thaalis in art déco ambiance. Salmon with chaat? Or will one need a compass to find ones way in this brand new Nksha? Or atleast a “map key” to explain the symbols and contours? We check it out.

We barge in unannounced on a rainy night, accompanied by the legendary PR guru Ameer Ismail, his accomplished wife Rubeena (who cooks brilliantly too), articulate oenophile and gastronaut (no better word) Vikram Merchant and his buddy who prefers to remain anonymous. We order across the menu with wine and drinks (I pay a bill of ₹21,296). In Arnold Schwarzenegger immortal words “we’ll be back”. Our review follows…

Decor:

You’ll either hate it or love it. You just can’t be indifferent to the bright hues. Coral walls and ceilings offset by deep forest-green floors and antique brass and patina arches in the 46 seater restaurant. Tiered chandeliers, geometrical shapes. Kudos to Shruti Jalan and Neesha Alwani for the in depth research and execution of the art deco motifs resonant of Churchgate and Marine Drives’ art décor heritage. We love the details: embossed porcelain tableware from Adelaide, kansa ware from Old Delhi too.

Nksha, Churchgate, Mumbai: Food

I call it a unique jugalbandi. It’s in almost every dish. Notes of modern ingredients sparkle authentic Indian flavours.

Flavours of old Delhi, Lucknow, Kashmir, Rajasthan and Punjab distil into our kansa thalis. Space constrains me to list the dishes. A sampling of the best: the creamy dreamy, tangy crunchy Chandni Chowk “Dahi Bhalla Papri Chaat,” pops with blueberries and other berries.

Norwegian Raw Salmon chaat delightful with jamun sirka, mirchi, peanut crunch. The toothless nawab would’ve been over the moon with the melt -in-the mouth luscious galawati kabab. Kulcha plump with truffle, cheese and mushroom, tasty even though a bit of a cliché in modern Indian restaurants.

In the mains depths of flavour and the perfect texture of the mutton nihari. Kalonji added the perfect taste to the brinjal. Earthy satisfying bajra roti with ghee on my request. Coin size crisp jalebis, rich, intense and delicious moong dal halwa. Not only did the wine list impress our oenophile Vikram, but also the moderate pricing and decanting.

Minus Points:

Nksha wobbles from time to time and the prices for a few dishes are rather high in relation to the portions. It slips up with too much batter in the Palak and betel leaf chaat. Tasty but overcooked chicken tikka. The biggest disappointment is the lacklustre biryani.

My Point:

The four-month-old Nksha places itself very squarely on SOBO’s map. Diagonally opposite the Churchgate station, it occupies a building with palpable history, which housed the iconic Gourdon and company. Here, the brilliant chef Vikram Arora’s North Indian fare retains its soul, is multidimensional, nimble and surprising. Thankfully not gimmicky. What matters is the bigness and seductiveness of the taste achieved. Ameer Ismail has the last word “Even though I’m not a fan of Indian food with a twist, this experience was different and definitely worth it.” Kudos to Pranav Rungta and Chef Arora for once again putting the Churchgate restaurant row on the foodie map!