Schenelle DsouzaÂ
The restaurant industry in Mumbai is booming, with at least one new launch every other week. And while the city’s current cloudy weather and heavy downpour seem to have put a strain on outdoor ventures, visiting NMACC’s newest eatery, Amadeo by Oberoi was a must. A rather rewarding decision for me!
Clean aesthetic meets glamÂ
The setting was perfect – Amadeo has a warm, inviting ambience with contemporary decor and soft touches that enhance the space without seeming too over the top. While boho-chic seems to be the go theme for most restaurants these days, Amadeo has opted for a subtle glam instead. Warm lighting, wooden elements, and just enough planters gives the space a home-like vibe. The layout of the restaurant is clean-cut; an open dining space separated with fluted glass panes, counter-side sections by the various show kitchens, and a private dining room that can accommodate up to eight people.
The clean aesthetics of the indoors is met with quite the contrast outdoors. The view outside was a reward for those of us who decided to venture out in the pouring rain! A glass facade, separating the indoors and outdoors framed an image of the immaculate Fountain of Joy, dancing in waves amid the heavy downpour.
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Not multi-cuisineÂ
The menu at Amadeo, helmed by Executive Chef Kayzad Sadri, strives to please almost every palate with four distinct cuisines – Japanese, Chinese, Italian and Indian. Now while there are multiple cuisines in play, Food and Beverage Manager, Alisha Rampal stressed on the fact that Amadeo is not a multi-cuisine restaurant. She went on to explain that, unlike other multi-cuisine restaurants, Amadeo only showcased a handful of dishes from each cuisine. “You will not find things like soups, burgers, dim sums, black dal or butter chicken on our menu,” she says.
Amadeo has something called the Counter Collection, a concept that allows guests to enjoy micro-concepts of each cuisine, tailor-made to their individual preferences. To keep the flavours of each cuisine from clashing or overpowering the other, the meal is served in an order going from cuisines with a limited flavour to one with the most amount of flavour. And so it would be Japanese first followed by Chinese, then Italian and finally Indian.
Beginning with some Japanese delights, we were served a round of vegetarian and non-vegetarian sushi, along with a scrumptious-looking Nigiri platter. The vegetarian variant was an unconventional creation stuffed with okra, a surprisingly delectable plate, while the seafood maki roll was laced with caviar and flecks of gold.
Moving into Chinese cuisine, one might expect the mundane dim sums, wok and soups, none of which make it to Amadeo’s menu. Instead, we are greeted with a refreshing shredded potato salad, a flavour-packed bowl of lotus root and a make-your-own bao platter. I have taken to eating lotus root fairly recently, and this dish was a sweet and savoury indulgence, a definite favourite, even with the bao being a strong competitor.
Italian options included a selection from a trio of hand-rolled pizzas. It was the power-packed flavour and nostalgia of the Indian selection that truly stood out. Presenting the perfect amalgamation of sweet, spicy and savoury, the Indian fare included succulent duck kebabs, fiery thecha kebabs, a purple potato chaat, avocado papdi chaat, and goat cheese and beetroot ravioli.
It was impossible to pick just one favourite. The spicy chicken thecha kebabs were memorable for their fiery effect, although the sweet pumpkin murabba served with the dish helped ease the spice! The avocado papdi chaat and purple potato chaat was a definite highlight igniting fond memories of our favourite street food ventures while adding a certain oomph to each.
Artistic concoctions
The cocktails at Amadeo do not disappoint. The signature cocktail selection, influenced by the Counter Collection, draws inspiration from different art forms, be it paintings, architecture, literature, cinema, dance or theatre. Each art form is celebrated through the cocktails whilst abiding by the four culinary fares. You have the Warli cocktail, made with tequila, coconut water, and chilli cordial in a steel glass decorated with Warli folk art, for Indian cuisine. For Japanese cuisine, a white rum and umeshu or plum wine-based cocktail called Fuji San celebrated the precision of sculpting in Japanese culture.
A trio of desserts served as the perfect close to our meal. First was a white chocolate coated saffron kulfi, served with pistachio rocher and rabri sauce; a coconut panna cotta served in a dark chocolate shell with coconut cake, and a mango and sticky rice pudding. While each was a delight on its own, it was the mango and sticky rice pudding that really stood out for me. Not overly sweet, each element in the dessert perfectly complemented each other, coming together beautifully.
Overall, Amdeo by Oberoi hardly disappoints. Everything from the ambience to the food made for a rather memorable experience in itself, and with its amazing outdoor view, we say Amadeo is a winner this monsoon!
Address: NMACC, Jio World Centre, G Block BKC, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400051
Cost: â‚ą5,000/- for two without alcohol.
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