Indian cuisine's first Michelin starred chef Vineet Bhatia (of Rasoi London and Geneva fame) brings his latest offering Ziya to The Oberoi Mumbai. Located in the erstwhile home of Kandahar, the decor is subtle and sophisticated in gold and white hues. Seating area is spacious and reservations are essential. Whilst we had requested for a table overlooking the Queen's necklace, the sofa back is too high and straight backed to be comfortable for a two hour meal. We subsequently changed our table to more comfortable seating.
Being a group of 4, we opted for the vegetarian and non-vegetarian set menus at INR 2800 and INR 3500 per person respectively to experience the chef's creations. In keeping with the Indian habit of sharing, there is an a la carte menu as well. High import duties in India make it unrealistic to order a good red wine to pair the spice-rich Mughlai cuisine with. Paying top dollar, you'd still be downing an average Burgundy at best. Having said that, the wine list is admirable. There is a wine pairing menu on offer, but we had wine by the glass keeping our individual preference in mind. In my opinion, Australian (Barossa Valley) and Italian (Tuscany) red wines seem to go best with the flavour of Indian food.
Now onto the food. The idea of a set menu is to satiate you in doses with delectable food while ensuring you enjoy every course for what it has to offer. It doesn't come down to 'lets finish it all by each of us taking some'. This is where Ziya gets it right. Indian food is heavy but Vineet and team have managed to get the balance of portions just right. What stood out on the non-vegetarian set menu were the grilled lobster served on a bed of khichdi and the champagne sorbet topped with Moet Chandon. Delectable ! Lamb chops were perfectly cooked too but with their serving order towards the end of the meal, I was too full to do them full justice.
The vegetarian set menu, while not tried by me personally, was very eclectic with liberal use of capsicum, mushroom and broccoli. These are items not conventionally used in Indian cooking. Some of the dishes reeked of a heavy Thai / Italian influence but then that is what fusion cooking is all about. Vineet Bhatia displays a clear inclination for blending contrasting tastes and infusing Indian food with similarly palatable spices / ingredients from other corners of the world.
So what works for Ziya ? The service is attentive without being pushy (just what you'd expect in a high-end dining venue). Lighting is subtle and tables are situated reasonably apart to ensure privacy. If you go for the chef's menu with a glass of wine, you'd be set back by approximately INR 5k per person. Considering the quality of food, ambience, service and the expansive Marine Drive view, this is money well spent to celebrate special occasions.
Being a group of 4, we opted for the vegetarian and non-vegetarian set menus at INR 2800 and INR 3500 per person respectively to experience the chef's creations. In keeping with the Indian habit of sharing, there is an a la carte menu as well. High import duties in India make it unrealistic to order a good red wine to pair the spice-rich Mughlai cuisine with. Paying top dollar, you'd still be downing an average Burgundy at best. Having said that, the wine list is admirable. There is a wine pairing menu on offer, but we had wine by the glass keeping our individual preference in mind. In my opinion, Australian (Barossa Valley) and Italian (Tuscany) red wines seem to go best with the flavour of Indian food.
Now onto the food. The idea of a set menu is to satiate you in doses with delectable food while ensuring you enjoy every course for what it has to offer. It doesn't come down to 'lets finish it all by each of us taking some'. This is where Ziya gets it right. Indian food is heavy but Vineet and team have managed to get the balance of portions just right. What stood out on the non-vegetarian set menu were the grilled lobster served on a bed of khichdi and the champagne sorbet topped with Moet Chandon. Delectable ! Lamb chops were perfectly cooked too but with their serving order towards the end of the meal, I was too full to do them full justice.
The vegetarian set menu, while not tried by me personally, was very eclectic with liberal use of capsicum, mushroom and broccoli. These are items not conventionally used in Indian cooking. Some of the dishes reeked of a heavy Thai / Italian influence but then that is what fusion cooking is all about. Vineet Bhatia displays a clear inclination for blending contrasting tastes and infusing Indian food with similarly palatable spices / ingredients from other corners of the world.
So what works for Ziya ? The service is attentive without being pushy (just what you'd expect in a high-end dining venue). Lighting is subtle and tables are situated reasonably apart to ensure privacy. If you go for the chef's menu with a glass of wine, you'd be set back by approximately INR 5k per person. Considering the quality of food, ambience, service and the expansive Marine Drive view, this is money well spent to celebrate special occasions.
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