Saturday, June 13, 2015

Sahib Room in Mumbai

Sahib Room at The Palladium MumbaiInfusing a dose of British Raj nostalgia into an Indian fine dining experience has been done before. Saheb Sindh Sultan in Bangalore is one that immediately comes to mind which tries to recreate the romance of train travel in British India. Oh! Calcutta too crafted a menu and experience to recreate the food experience of Calcutta under the British. The Sahib Room at the tony Palladium Hotel in central Mumbai takes this concept forward and manages to please in the process.

I was in Mumbai for an industry meeting.  I stayed at the new and fancy Four Seasons hotel - an example of the amazing (and disconcerting) contrasts that make up this city of dreams. From my room high up, I could see a sea of shanty roofs down below and the grey waters of the ocean beyond that slowly turned to molten gold as the sun set. The distinctive outline of Haji Ali Dargah floated like something out of a medieval fantasy - barely coupled to the teeming mainland by its umbilical cord of a path.

Dum Biryani at Sahib Room Mumbai

As the sky darkened, the lights glittered within the Four Seasons as they readied for yet another night of glamour. A stream of luxury cars made their way past street urchins and into the hotel, unloading Bollywood celebrities for Aamir Khan’s latest box-office bonanza. They were celebrating the success of his movie PK in China.

Dum Biryani at Sahib Room Mumbai

I found myself at Sahib Room on the next day for lunch. Adorned with artefacts and memorabilia that ought to be a hit with British tourists, this place is also a perfect destination for serious foodies who are eager for a hearty meal of kababs and biryani. An interesting part of Sahib Room is their Kipling Bar with its period bar furniture where I tried a non-alcoholic cocktail called the Mumbai Masala made of extract of the kokum fruit, cumin, ginger and chillies.

Dum Biryani at Sahib Room Mumbai

I began with the Subzani Murgh, succulent kababs marinated in pine nuts, basil and dill. I paired this with a Gosht Dum Biryani, which was executed perfectly - the grains of rice just cooked right and fragrant with its dun-infused spices.

Calcutta Paan Ice-cream at Sahib Room Mumbai

Sahib Room Mumbai

I ended with the Calcutta Meetha Paan ice-cream. Infused with gulkand, the ice-cream is a good variation on the traditional Indian paan that is served at the end of a fine meal. I do have to warn you that the ice-cream is a little too sweet.

Sahib Room Mumbai

Overall, a great place for a fancy Indian dinner at the end of the day when the chandeliers cast their golden glow on the rich furnishings below and transports you to another era for a couple of hours.

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