Review of Arola

This must be my year for meeting chefs with Michelin stars. Chef Sergi Arola, a well-known face abroad might need an introduction here in India. His food speaks of the Spanish Catalan area from which he hails. While looking at images of his restaurant on his website, one can see that clear white walls and minimalism in the dining area are his favoured design choices.

So it was with some anticipation that I stepped into Arola, the newest restaurant to be launched at JW Marriott’s Juhu Property. The restaurant has been designed by a Singapore based company and is quite unlike what one would expect of a Mediterranean restaurant especially features like the use of dark colours, vivid paintings and a wall dedicated to different brands of gin at the long bar counter.Despite the choices of colour scheme, which in my opinion don’t match that of a Mediterranean restaurant, the aura of the place is good. With a seating capacity of just 48, there is plenty of space to be shared, so the table next to you won’t be able to hear your conversation! An outer deck extension to the restaurant is also present where, if need be, one can get some additional privacy or can just lounge about. With two small private dining rooms for private dinners, the place has all the trimmings of style and luxury for entertainment at a higher level.

Spanish setting

What makes Spanish cuisine different? Well Spain is a country full of Celtic, Jewish and Moorish traditions, so the cuisine has imbibed a lot of spice and herbs from its conquering sprees. Set slightly apart from Mediterranean styles of cooking, the Spaniards love pork and seafood. Olives, butter, saffron also play a vital role in the dishes created. From paella to fish baked in salt or roast lamb with potatoes and plenty of tomatoes, the menu has a good sampling of salads and rice.

While talking with Chef Arola, which is a fun experience as he is quite amiable and spirited, he tells me about his philosophy of cooking. His food is simplistic and he doesn’t believe in putting too much onto a plate. He also believes in trying out local produce as against produce that just add to the flying miles of a dish, so he just uses a few items like sausages and chorizos brought in from Spain to retain the authenticity of the dishes. He says, “India is on the brink of a culinary revolution. I am very excited about bringing the Arola experience to India. The menu includes a specially selected mix of all the popular dishes from Arola restaurants all over the world, while also creating signature items for Mumbai. The aim is to surprise the Indian audience with eclectic European cuisine, designed especially for their increasingly discerning palate. JW Marriott Mumbai with its location and hospitality philosophy is the perfect fit for an Arola experience”.

As far as the menu goes, he has adapted it but not changed it completely to suit Indian tastes. The diner is tempted to try out many dishes and taste the wines that accompany these creations. As most of the dishes are lightly flavoured with hints of chili, lemon juice and garlic, it’s best to try out the Sangria which is a combination of wine and fruit juice alongside.

For starters, I took a piece of bread, smeared a bit of garlic all over it, spooned a little freshly diced tomato or tomato puree on top and drizzled over some olive oil along with a sprinkle of rock salt. The salt and the oil bring out the best tomato flavour and the tomatoes used are produced locally, like most of the vegetables being used in the restaurant.

His take on Patatas Bravas was good as well. Fried potatoes with garlic flavoured mayonnaise is a delicacy in Spain, and his take on them is to cut them into cylinders so that there is uniformity in cooking time and equal amount of sauce added, making for a more rounded texture to the dish. The flavour of the Vieiras Scallops Carpaccio - finely sliced and cooked in lemon juice with a hint of fresh chilli and yoghurt sauce was divine. One can try the vine ripened tomato salad consisting of tomatoes tossed in olive oil and black Alentejo olives or the charred eggplant served with balsamic reduction and pine nuts. With the lobster risotto and the cheese risotto, the flavours and textures were bang on.

Overall impression

Chef Arola is fun and has a wicked sense of humour, so I am sure the DJ at the hotel is going to have to change the style of music played in the place, as it needed some upliftment to match the level of energy brought by the chef. Chef Arola’s graceful nature is reflected in the food as well. There is nothing pretentious about it. Though there isn’t an open kitchen here, there is a small section through which one can watch some of his chefs cooking the starters, others designing and laying out desserts like the Momento Dulce mousse with a fruit granite or the Albaricoque of peaches layered with lemon cream and hibiscus. Chef Manuel Oliveira Seller - Chef de Cuisine will be handling the restaurant while Chef Arola oversees his six other restaurants under the same brand name around the world.

While the meal was wonderful and may appease most of the general public, for the well-travelled diners, the meal leaves something to be desired. But I am sure they will find it after the restaurant is on its feet and running. The hospitality of the JW Marriott is excellent as usual and the care they take to bring good food to the city is remarkable.

What: Spanish cuisine

Where: Arola, JW Marriott, Juhu, Mumbai

How much: Average cost Rs 3,000 per head without alcohol

(The author is a Cordon Bleu Chef and Food stylist)

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