Biryani-Vodka, Konkan Prawns & More- Hakkasan’s New Menu Celebrates Local Food

Biryani-Vodka, Konkan Prawns & More- Hakkasan’s New Menu Celebrates Local Food
Hakkasan India

No one can escape the allure of local flavours, smells, and sounds. Even the most novice and inexperienced traveller knows to sample the local cuisine of the city they’re visiting. But, indulging in these tastes is not always an inexpensive endeavour. Although farmer’s markets provide the freshest produce, they have notorious reputations for being pricey. Gillie Houston of Food & Wine Magazine says, “For many consumers, locally grown fruits and vegetables can be a serious splurge in comparison to their grocery store counterparts.” So it’s not everyday that one finds an international restaurant chain interested in earning profits to eagerly and voluntarily invest in local flavours and entrepreneurs. But Hakkasan, on Mumbai’s Waterfield Road, has taken a step towards championing Mumbai’s local flavours with its ‘Only At’ menu.

“Because I’m a tourist, there’s a lot of stuff in Mumbai I’ve never tried before. So I combined stuff that’s new to me with something familiar,” said Matthew Hall, Bars Manager of Hakkasan Group Asia, and the brains behind eccentric concoctions like ‘Thandai Mule’ and ‘Mughal Martini’.

Courtesy: Hakkasan India

The frothy, egg-shell white and yellow ‘Mughal Martini’ is packed with in-house biryani masala-infused vodka, sake, mango yogurt smoothie, mint, saffron, and garnished with a kadhi patta or bay leaf. The refreshing and non-alcoholic ‘Thandai Mule’ is inspired by Mumbai’s monsoon, and when mixed, it looks like an ombré blend of white, pink, and purple. This drink is a reinvention of ghar ka nimbu paani with thandai syrup, Mexican lime, pomegranate, and molasses. Matthew says his section of the ‘Only At’ menu is characterised by “modern mixology with Indian sensibilities” - and he couldn’t be more spot on. He has even incorporated flavours like bel juice, chiku, and mango into his drinks.

The most fascinating part about Hakkasan’s ‘Only At’ drinks menu is that the glasses are perfumed with cold compound essences. These natural scents are sourced from a local manufacturer in Crawford Market on Mohammad Ali Road who stores his perfumes in beautiful, intricate bottles which caught the eye of Abhishek Bindal, VP of Operations at KA Hospitality. “I’m a big fan of essences myself because each perfume has its own story. The whole process, from production to storage is a very sensory process to me,” says Abhishek. ‘Desi mitti,’ the nostalgic smell of first rain, and the biryani-inspired neem and star anise scents are just two of the perfumes that adorn the glassware that Matthew’s drinks are served in.

Courtesy: Hakkasan India

As I move to the food tasting menu, I’m introduced to refined versions of homestyle dishes, containing organic ingredients sourced from farmers working with sustainable and modern farming techniques. “Our ingredients, from the cow milk to the plant seeds, are from totally organic farms,” says Abhishek proudly. He adds that Indian farmers don’t get their due and Hakkasan ensures that the farmers they work with are compensated and traded with fairly.

While Abhishek talks, I’m served a range of dishes –– Konkan wild prawns paired with shimeji mushrooms, Cochin soft-shell crab served with home-made chilli sauce and charcoal mantou, braised Indian mutton with taro, roasted mango duck with lemon sauce, and crispy tofu with Szechuan pepper topped with Kashmiri chilli. As I savour the tender chunks of mutton and humongous, palm-sized pieces of wild prawn and sample the cutting spice of Kashmir, I’m curious about who envisioned and executed this nuanced and diverse menu.

Courtesy: Hakkasan India

On cue, a friendly Chef Raymond pops out and tells me about the journey of Hakkasan’s ‘Only At’ flavours. “It’s not easy to find a balance. The planning to presentation process [of the menu] took 3 months. I wanted all dishes to have ingredients of India,” he says. He also tells me about his extensive travel to farms all over the country to source fruits and that his seafood is freshly flown in to his kitchen. This ‘Only At’ menu is a rediscovery of Indian regional cuisine married to the flavour profile of Hakkasan. The restaurant is reinventing itself with organic, local produce transformed into polished, balanced dishes that leave you wanting more.

Restaurant Timings: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Contact: +912226408800
Address: Hakkasan, 206 Krystal, Waterfield Road, Bandra (West), Mumbai 400050

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