Navi Mumbai shows fine taste

The cheese comes from Pune, the Arborio rice for the risotto from Italy, the freshest catch from reputed suppliers and our guests are from all over Navi Mumbai and Mumbai,” says Rakeysh Chandan of the upscale Continental eatery Rockville in Navi Mumbai. His pioneering efforts have transformed the satellite city’s CBD-Belapur lane from a one-restaurant destination to a bustling Pub Street with a string of cool cafes and trendy bars. Regulars at Rockville include the likes of singer Shankar Mahadevan, a Navi Mumbai resident for over 15 years, who has witnessed first-hand the transformation of its culinary landscape. “From the good old days of wada-sambhar and masala dosa at Navaratna, today Navi Mumbai has every dining option. And it’s getting better by the day,” says Mahadevan, an avid foodie.

Until even ten years ago, Navi Mumbaikars venturing out for a bite had few choices beyond the idli-dosa-upma fare at Navaratna or the butter chicken and naan at Golden Punjab or Shikara. Today, not only have the quintessential ‘Udupis’ serving south Indian food gone modern, boasting even ISO certification, there are also several speciality restaurants in all the nodes of the satellite city.

Mexican tortilla wraps, Lebanese falafels, Burmese Khao Suey and Chinese Peking Duck vie for the increasingly adventurous suburban taste buds. Besides the half-a-dozen five-star hotels here that regularly introduce new cuisines and international food trends, standalone restaurants such as Pot Pourri, Soy Street and Rockville offer the finest of global food ina chic ambience.

“The changing eating-out scene is reflective of the changing demographics,” says software professional Malvika Nangia, a CBD-Belapur resident, pointing out that while Navi Mumbai was a pensioner’s paradise until 15 years ago, with hardly any concept of eating out, today it is a city of young professionals working in new economy enterprises, and boasting high disposable incomes and a lifestyle to match.

The well-travelled local resident doesn’t think twice before dropping in at a neighbourhood five-star hotel for international fine dining and a host of speciality food festivals.

Asian Kitchen, at Four Points By Sheraton, recently hosted a Mexican food festival after tasting success with Lebanese prior to that. “We specially flew down chillies and spices from Mexico to offer our customers authentic fare,” says the General Manager, Sumit Kant. He observes that the satellite city has come of age in recent years and it is a continuous challenge to raise the bar to meet rising expectations. Not surprisingly, the trendy restaurants of Navi Mumbai have caught the fancy of even Mumbaikars, who drive across the creek to sample them.

The Continental fare at the Park’s West1 café, for instance, is a hit with Mumbai’s Hashers and Harley Davidson clubs, says General Manager Swarup Datta. The Park also has a speciality Chinese restaurant Bamboo offering authentic pan-Asian fare. “Besides international guests, we have many Asian expats working in or visiting the city, and they are regulars for our signature dishes such as Peking Duck and Salt Chicken,” says Datta.

The standalone restaurants are not far behind either in the popularity stakes. While Continental eateries such as Pot Pourri and Rockville have redefined benchmarks in Navi Mumbai’s eating-out scene, a recent addition is Moshe’s, a chain that has eight restaurants all over Mumbai. “The time was right to enter Navi Mumbai, as the market is now mature and people here appreciate international cuisine,” says its celebrity chef Moshe Shek. Yoko Sizzlers has set up shop in Sanpada and is hugely popular. Complementing the restaurants are a string of chic cafes and luxurious lounges — from the bright Brew House cafe at Kharghar and F5 at Vashi, to the rocking Rude Lounge at CBD and the Vikings lounge on the 18th floor of a Sanpada highrise. “Until five years ago, we used to go clubbing or lounging to places like Bandra or Juhu in Mumbai. Today, there’s a reverse rush of Mumbaikars to the nightspots of Navi Mumbai during weekends,” says marketing professional and Nerul resident Amrit Chopra.

Alongside international cuisine, regional food too is gearing up for the sea-change in dining preferences. Sensing a strong demand for pure vegetarian fare, Tunga By Regenza, a five-star property, has opened Café Vihar; it’s exclusive seafood restaurant, Something’s Fishy, is no less popular — the prawns gassi and neer dosa are a hit with diners. Ethnic culinary experiences that are in the limelight include Shorshe Maach and Malai Chingri at Bong Adda to Malwan Katta’s Konkani-fare served in plush decor and brass utensils. And, in a nod to the changing mores, even the renowned biryani chains of Jafferbhai and Ahmadbhai from the heart of South Mumbai now have outlets in Navi Mumbai.

COMMENT NOW