Bohri Food Fest @The Resort Madh Marve Road; Wish there was more

There was a time when home makers around the country would wait for Sunday mornings and would sit religiously in front of their TV sets to catch their favourite show Khana Khazana. The program, in a certain way, brought about a revolution in the way we used to see and know food. Cuisines that were either confined to five stars or were relatively unknown, slowly and steadily trickled into an average Indian household.

The revolution didn’t just restrict itself to certain global cuisines but also trickled down to regional and even tribal cuisine. Dishes that were restricted to certain local pockets started to feature in menus all over India.

A big revolution in this segment came, when lesser known cuisines like Oriya, Assamese, Bhojpuri, Sindhi, Bihari and many more started to feature on a regular basis at flea markets in pop up formats. Local five stars were quick to take the cue and start off food festivals featuring regional delicacies from different parts of India and  often  invited chefs from those regions to cook  iconic dishes from their regions.

Our Facebook group Mumbai Food Freak (www.facebook.com/groups/MumbaiFoodFreak/) has been  privileged to host many of these wonderful home chefs who quite often not only engage in healthy debates but also share recipes and pictures of the regional delicacies made by them in their kitchens.

Over the last year we have not only seen our members like Gitika Saikia and Perzen Patel  become reference points in North Eastern and Parsi cuisines but we have also seen other home chefs like Shailaja Desai and  Sandipa Roy Barman jump on this band wagon by doing a food fest at Rennaisance Hotel in Powai.

The latest member joining this group is Umaima Abdullaly who recently hosted her Bohri Special weekend brunch at the wonderfully located beach front hotel called The Resort. Last Sunday we visited the restaurant and tried her dishes.

The Resort is located on the Madh Marve road right on the beach. It has a sprawling beach front garden and a pool, and the restaurant gives a marvellous view of the sea beyond. The diners can enjoy the sunset while they sip on their LITs at the bar.

Though the restaurant opens primarily for their in-house guests, on Sundays they also offer day packages for people from Mumbai wanting a quick getaway from the city. The restaurant was quite packed with diners enjoying their meals and also utilizing the holiday to take a relaxing dip in the pool.

Umaima, dressed in her traditional Bohri dress went over the dishes she had planned to showcase during that day. She started off with a drink called Gol Paani which is made with jaggery,  lime and sabja seeds. Though it was a tad bit too sweet for my taste it was quite refreshing and I reckon  can serve as a great hydrant in the warmer regions of India. The Dabba Ghosht with Macaroni reminded me of the American Macaroni and Cheese. The white sauce, creamy and hearty; the dish definitely can be served as a one dish meal.

For dessert there was Kalamro which is a rice and curd based dessert made during the month on Rabi-ul-Awwal to celebrate the birth of Prophet Mohammad. The presentation of the dessert was tastefully done and it was quite nice on the palate, though I would have liked some more of the fruits and nuts in it.

While the thought of doing a regional cuisine special by The Resort is a thought in the right direction, the restaurant fails to create an impact as the dishes offered (as specials) are too few. The complementing buffet is average at best and with a high price tag of Rs.1500, they may want to re-think the strategy by increasing the number of regional dishes which can create a huge pull amongst the Mumbai crowd towards the place. The Resort, which offers all the elements of a day well spent, stands to gain a lot if it rethinks and implements on this advice. Amen!

Meal for Two without Alcohol: Rs.3000 Approximately | Alcohol: Yes | Wheelchair access: No

Address: 11, Madh-Marve Road, Aksa Beach, Malad West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400095

Telephone : 022 2844 7777

Disclaimer : This review was done on an invitation. Due judgment and care has been applied by the author to remain objective and unbiased in the review; however readers may exercise their own discretion.