You know Indian celebrities have a soft corner for good, palatable food and are unhesitant in backing ventures that strike a chord. Latest on the food business bandwagon is actor Mouni Roy, who has partnered with Bengaluru-based V&RO Hospitality to launch Badmaash in Mumbai.
The month-old restaurant in the suburb of Andheri is the second outpost of the eatery. As you step through the sleek olive-green door, with the brightly lit Badmaash signage above, you’re slightly overwhelmed with all the décor elements. There is an acrylic tiger head that welcomes you, as you turn around faux greenery, very 2020, surrounds you. Two circular dining banquettes form the central focus, surrounded by smaller seating spaces. The bar is the most modern and sleek inclusion in the restaurant’s landscape, with its well-lit, white-panelled structure. There is also a semi-private dining area that has an abundance of banana leaf inspiration.
Food and drinks at Badmaash
As we slid into one of the central banquettes, the DJ console had a live singer who began crooning popular Hindi romantic tunes. We started with cocktails—Mounilicious, a cocktail curated by Mouni Roy. The cocktail used Ketel One vodka, cucumber, kiwi, elderflower, sparkling water, and thyme. There is a lot going on in the cocktail, but it is safe to say that it is a refreshing, easy-drinking vodka highball that will be very welcome on a hot and humid Mumbai summer.
There was also a cocktail that was mysterious and a bit overwhelming signature drink titled, Kohinoor. JW Blonde whisky has been infused with chrysanthemum flowers and is used along with vanilla, rose, and lime with a dash of gold dust and served on a bed of flowers. It is a cocktail with an over-the-top presentation but fortunately, the balance of the drink was on-point, it will however be an acquired taste for most. The classic old-fashioned was the true test of the bar team, and they aced it, we’re happy to report.
While we waited for our cocktails, we perused through the menu to select goda masala chicken and raw mango salad, and pani puri with kalamata olive, edamame and spiced potato with classic, cider orange and chilli guava pani. The raw mango salad is inspired by the Thai raw papaya salad but with a desi twist using goda masala marinated chicken. Even though it is a mish-mash of textures and unseemly flavours, it does come together in the end with the tartness of the raw mango adding the much-needed balance. For the uninitiated, goda masala is a Maharashtrian spice blend, comparable to the universal garam masala, but where the pungent notes are balanced by the sweetness that comes from the addition of dried coconut in the spice mix.
The pani puri filling of olives, edamame and potato was a fun overhaul of the traditional pani puri. The difference in the savoury shot of pani that goes in the puri had barely any discernible difference, but they were tasty. Disclaimer: Pani puri is not meant to be a fine-dining experience, it is a quintessential street food, but for someone like me, the fast-paced gobbling of street-side pani puri is anxiety-inducing, so this tabletop pani puri at Badmaash was just great.
We also erred in ordering masala bombil fry, a classic Mumbai snack, not remembering that the fish was not in season currently, rendering the beautifully flavoured crust hollow. Our dilemma was quickly fixed by Chef Japneet Singh, chef de cuisine at V&RO Hospitality, who plated up the alternative, tawa fry fish. The chunky filets of fish were coated with piquant but flavourful marinade. The delicate fish and bold flavours married well and turned out to be the perfect bar snacks for our cocktails.
For mains, we opted to keep it simple with Champaran gosht, which is served with kalonji naan. Undeniably rich, the dish was still homely, slow-cooked succulent mutton cooked in mutton mince gravy was truly finger-licking good. But we had to keep space for dessert.
Badmaash Mumbai’s bestselling dessert is the saffron and Bailey’s ras malai, and it sells out quite quickly as we realised. We were offered the badam halwa as an alternative. Reminiscent of moong dal halwa but not half as rich, the badam halwa held its own with a far more delicate flavour profile—extra credit to the chefs at Badmaash for balancing the sugar with great elan.
Parting thoughts
Officially, Badmaash is described as progressive Indian cuisine, but we choose to differ. For us, Badmaash offers a modern interpretation of comforting classic Indian dishes. While most dishes have stayed true to their provenance, there are experiments such as raw mango salad, Parsi chicken farcha bhel, togarashi and jalapeno sabudana vada.
With the India-inspired cocktails, comforting classic dishes and romantic songs in the background, Badmaash feels like a modern interpretation of Indian restaurants. This fact should not deter you but pique your curiosity. The essence of the restaurant and the food served is a warm hug of nostalgia but without smothering you. It is an intelligent packaging that seamlessly segues into the famed Andheri party scene. And we don’t mind it one bit!
Address: B 12, Ghanshyam Chamber, Veera Industrial Estate, Andheri Link Rd, Andheri West, Mumbai
Meal for two: Rs 4,000 approximately