With its generously spaced tables, tasteful white and gold motifs, and meticulously plated modern Indian food, Ziya at the Oberoi is a decidedly elegant affair – but not without controversy. Chef Vineet Bhatia raised eyebrows when he did away with family style portions and introduced pre-plated, single portion meals to Mumbai’s Indian fine dining scene with his first Mumbai restaurant, Azok, in February 2010. While such presentation may be the norm in other cuisines, it takes an extra dose of courage to do so with Indian food, and in India of all places. That, or an incredible amount of hubris. Unable to contain our curiosity any longer, we dropped in to Chef Bhatia’s second outlet – Ziya – to try his Goumand tasting menu to find out for ourselves. At the end of seven sumptuous courses, we were handily won over. As we hauled ourselves out of the restaurant, it was fairly obvious to us why Chef Bhatia was the first Indian to be awarded a coveted Michelin Star, and why so many diners before us have entrusted their meals to him.
Gourmand Menu
Our first course, a crunchy amuse bouche made with cauliflower and cumin, was a perfect introduction to Chef Bhatia’s cooking style. At once familiar in flavour, these croquettes also made clever use of texture and temperature to imbue a pronounced yet comfortable twist to the dish.
This was soon followed by a Grilled Fiery Fish, Banana Leaf Wrapped which was paired with a Garlic Tempered Vataana Chat. As we would experience throughout the night, the chefs at Ziya are masters at cooking proteins to their perfect temperature. In this case, our fish was tender enough that it flaked effortlessly onto our forks, but firm enough that it created a robust base for its sharp spice coating. The chat proved to be a perfect complement – subtle and cooling, satisfying without taking away from the starring role of the fish. Later in the meal, the Sundried Tomato Chicken Tikka was remarkably moist and marinated throughout, right from the outer layers all the way to the bone. The Chili-Tomato Pipette proved to add a wonderful sweet, tangy complexity to the already fragrant marinade, while the outstanding Black Olive Chutney Khichdi accompanying it was a perfect marriage of typically unrelated ingredients. Together, they once again validated the restaurant’s pre-plated philosophy, working seamlessly in tandem.
We were equally impressed with our Tandoori Wasabi Lobster, the sweet flesh joining surprisingly well with the spicier side of Dosa Potatoes, but falling a little flat with the Lobster-Lentil Soup that tasted mostly like a well made yellow daal. Perhaps the most polarizing of our dishes was the Prawn Two Ways, with some in our group preferring the simple, subtle flesh of the Spice Grilled Jumbo Prawn and others the more pungent preparation of Prawn Chettinad, mopped up with fluffy Dhoklas. Rounding out the mains from the tasting menu, perhaps our most expertly prepared cut of meat, the Ginger Tandoori Lamb Chops were delightfully succulent on their own but heavenly with their Sauce Roganjosh.
Sadly, the only course of the meal we did not enjoy as much was desert, the Mishthaan Capsule. While the Warm Chocolate-Cumin Fudge was an adventurous combination, the cumin reminded us too much of a main course to be enjoyed as desert. Meanwhile, the Gulkhand-Paan Kulfi tasted too much like paan and not enough like kulfi for our liking, and was too sweet to give a second chance.
A La Carte
To ensure a more *ahem* thorough review, we took the liberty of sampling some items off the a la carte menu, and we’re glad we did. While the Almond Tikki, despite it’s more exotic ingredients (such as Tamarind Chutney Sorbet) tasted mostly like a typical chaat, the Tandoori Scottish Salmon was a mouthwatering preparation of salmon grilled in a sweet Mustard and Dill glaze that vanished almost immediately from the plate. We enjoyed the Massala Foie Gras, but would perhaps recommend it only to seasoned foie gras lovers, as the rich liver may not be for everyone.
Drinks
As we had opted for the Wine Accompaniments with our meal, each course was paired with a different glass chosen by the restaurant. Although we questioned the inclusion of the Sula Chenin Blanc, the other pourings (seven in all) displayed a wide range of styles in both red and white that went down easy with our meals and kept us interested throughout. We should give a special shout out to some of the house cocktails we sampled at the top of our meal as well, which were inventive and well constructed. In particular, the Shaan-e-Ziya was a lovely combination of vodka and tamarind which quickly made its way around the table (and back to the bar for a refill).
The Verdict
Coming into the meal intrigued by the pre-plated concept, we left admiring this new way of eating Indian food. While it takes a little getting used to when ordering (mainly because it’s hard to choose one dish while excluding others) we found the experience to be very rewarding. Although it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, for those willing to expand their horizons Ziya is well worth the effort. If anything, the superb quality of the food and the luxurious setting should give everyone reason to stop by for a special occasion.
WTF is a Meal for Two?
Gourmand Menu (Non-Veg): Rs. 3,875
Gourmand Menu (Veg): Rs. 2,850
Wine Accompaniments: Rs. 3,500
A La Carte Appetizers: Rs. 575 – 1925
A La Carte Mains: Rs. 750 – 1950
Ziya Cocktails: Rs. 650
The Details
ZiyaOberoi Hotel
Nariman Point, Mumbai – 400021
Tel: +(91)-(22)-66325757, 66324343, 66326210, 66102007, +(91)-(22)-22043282