There has been a spate of latest Asian restaurant openings in Mumbai in current months. While a number of have chosen to specialize in explicit cuisines or supply area of interest dishes, others have embraced the broad umbrella of “pan-Asian” meals. There’s no denying the latter’s reputation, together with the scrumptious attraction of such selection. In February 2024, Mumbai noticed the opening of Hyderabad’s Kembara within the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). We had the prospect to dine there and spend a leisurely night sampling yummy dishes.

Photo Credit: Kembara Mumbai

Kembara Mumbai is a enterprise led by Shilpa Datla and Chef Seefah Ketchaiyo. Chef Seefah is well-known for her eponymous restaurant on Hill Road in Bandra – broadly thought of among the many greatest within the metropolis. Therefore, we regarded ahead to discovering the chef’s signature touches at this new launch. “Chef Seefah helped modify the menu to suit the tastes of Mumbaikars,” Shilpa tells us. “Compared to the Hyderabad menu, this one has more seafood. The type of spiciness exhibited in the dishes is also rather different,” she provides.

Photo Credit: Kembara Mumbai

The restaurant derives its identify from the Malay phrase “to wander”. The menu takes diners on a comforting culinary journey throughout Asia, with handpicked delicacies from Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Malay, Korean, and different cuisines. The decor is elevated with pastel and earthen hues, paired with furnishings and art work constituted of pure supplies akin to wooden, jute, linen and cane. Like the meals, the atmosphere maintains your consolation zone somewhat than difficult it an excessive amount of. It makes the house extra inviting and stress-free – excellent for an escape after a busy day at work. 

Photo Credit: Kembara Mumbai

The crisp Turnip Cake was the primary appetiser we tasted, and it instantly gained us over. The stuffing of radish, carrot and mushroom was satisfyingly gentle and did not really feel heavy on the system. We loved how the spice of the chilli and garlic hit in direction of the top. This is a dish price returning for.

Among the vegetarian starters, we additionally appreciated the Greenhouse California Roll and the Vegetable Peking Dumpling. While scrumptious in their very own proper, they did not have a wow issue. Peruse the meals menu for a couple of minutes and you will realise it is all about consolation and flavour. The sophistication lies in crafting a memorably delicious model of beloved dishes discovered in lots of different institutions. Chef Seefah manages to make sure Kembara stands out from the group.

Photo Credit: Kembara Mumbai

The non-vegetarian appetisers introduced us again round. We extremely suggest the Chicken Chilli Basil Xiao Long Pao. It had an fragrant stuffing and was served in a warming broth. If you are bored of the identical outdated choices, this one is certain to supply a unique form of dim sum expertise. If you need to keep on with traditional choices, you can not go unsuitable with the Chicken Gyoza.

Photo Credit: Kembara Mumbai

Among the cocktails, do not miss the refreshing Green Tea Geisha (gin, sake, cold-brewed inexperienced tea) and the delightfully bitter Galangal Grove (vodka, vermouth, galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime, with a touch of Thai chilli). There are some well-balanced mocktails obtainable as nicely. Our picks are the Shandong Fizz (a watermelon-berry mixture), and the Sawayaka (apple, basil, elderflower, lime and ginger ale).

Photo Credit: Kembara Mumbai

In the principle course, you may select between typical rice and noodle choices. There are additionally a number of signature takes price testing. We loved the pungent earthy flavours of the Chengdu Potato with scallions and lotus root. Note that this can be a dry preparation, not a gravy. The delicate Thai Thai-Style fried Rice, made with sticky rice, was one other hit. If you are feeling like shedding your self within the comforts of curry, do not hesitate to order the Chicken Katsu in Japanese Udon Curry. Just a whiff of the aromas whetted our urge for food additional. We appreciated how the hen remained crisp on the skin, even after being submerged within the curry for a number of minutes. We can already image individuals rising to crave its heat on wet evenings within the metropolis.

Desserts are restricted, however distinctive. We appreciated the Lemongrass Cheesecake with seasonal berries however would have most well-liked much less caramel as a topping. Other attention-grabbing selections are the Water Chestnut with Coconut Milk and the Pandan Crepe Roll.

We had a tasty eating expertise at Kembara, complemented by nice service and a soothing atmosphere. If you need to bask in pan-Asian cuisines with out pointless frills, this new restaurant in BKC could turn into your go-to possibility.

Where: Shop no 11, Kembara, Ins Tower, Opposite Indian Oil Petrol Pump, G Block, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East, Mumbai.