The Table

GPS: Kalapesi Trust Building, behind Regal Cinema, Apollo Bunder Marg, Colaba, Mumbai - 400039

Click: http://www.thetable.in/

Tring Tring: +91-22-22825000-02

In & Out: 7:00pm – 12 midnight daily

Damages: Rs.7000/- for a meal for two with alcohol. Rs.4000/- for a meal for two without alcohol
Must Order: Chicken Liver Pate and a sake cocktail

Umami Quotient: Umami!

It’s always a pleasure to have a meal with my friend Romit who I consider an epicurean par compare on most things that matter viz. good food, good books and good travel. Just like us, he is not swayed by big names and fancy prices and always knows how to cut to the chase, be it the finest sushi in LA, nonchalantly passing up a reservation at El Bulli due to a traffic jam despite its imminent closure, or the exaggerated snob value associated with corked wine bottles as opposed to screwtops. The latter in fact dominated a fair bit of our diverse dinnertime conversation as we sank into the sumptuous splendor at this new Colaba eatery (which if I am not mistaken has opened at the same spot Nanking used to be - my favourite Chinese restaurant of my childhood - and thus gets instant associative good karma!). Add to that the comfort quotient that TT’s chef Viraf Patel used to be the chef at Saltwater Grill and we have a good feeling about the evening already.

Bar-O-Meter

We didn’t spot a liquor menu so we assume TT doesn’t serve any hard liquor. But we didn’t miss it a whit since the wine list is impressively exhaustive; split up by texture and type like the one at Tasting Room (mild, medium-bodied, full-bodied), serves the largest variety of wines by the glass in the city that we know of, and has an innovative option of half glass and full glass (for those times when you just need a little bit extra to get happy or stay within drinking n’ driving limits!). We ordered a bottle of Bouvet Brut (pretty reasonably priced for a fine dining restaurant) while eyeing the delish sake cocktails replete with fresh fruits like strawberry, lychee, cantaloupes etc and infused with herbs like rosemary and thyme. Add to that there is a competent sangria selection as well as wine cocktails like Kir and Mimosa (made with ‘fresh Malta orange’; we wonder if these oranges are imported daily or what?) and one is set for an elegantly tipply time!

Palate

The menu has the confidence and the chutzpah to be brief and distinct. As Romit said, there is something reassuring about a chef who announces that "I specialize in a few dishes but those I do bloody well"! It’s split up into Snacks, Small Plates, Large Plates and Sides. The dessert menu is a separate leaflet in itself comprising desserts, dessert wines and hot beverages; we like very much! There are distinct echos of Saltwater Café in the menu given the chef’s past associations and the highlight of it is the Chicken Liver Pate with balsamic gelee, sour onions and ciabatta. The pate comes glazed with the perfectly tart balsamic gelee (and faintly resembling British blood pudding!) and has a wonderfully smooth texture with none of the unpleasant raw aftertaste pate can have if not seasoned right. We also tried the Grilled Calamari with chili lime vinaigrette, fresh herb salad and peanuts which had a clean, uncluttered flavor crucial for having calamari while the salad retained its colour and crunch. And though I am not a huge peanut fan it added the right aftertaste to the tang of the vinaigrette.

For main course we were spoilt for choice. Though I was leaning towards the Frisco-style Cioppino or fish stew the maître d’ steered us towards the Grilled Grouper in Japanese style sauce (which was slightly sweet and reminiscent of a miso-mirin combination) on a bed of spinach. The fish was firm, flaky and white-fleshed and a beautiful robust flavor set off by the sauce.

The other dish we tried was pork which is highly unusual since I am not a pork fan at all. But something about the Campania-style Pork Sugo with pappardelle was calling out to me and I had to heed my instinct. Thankfully I wasn’t proven wrong, the sauce had a creamy tomato base with a pleasant buttery aftertaste which concealed most of the aggressive fatty  flavor of pork I abhor. For dessert we again gave in to Smokehouse Grill memories by ordering the Panacotta with a green peppercorn reduction infused with orange rind. The panacotta was perfectly creamy, delicately sweet and set off to perfection by the sharpness of the pepper. The yum factor was completed by the playful bittery sweetness of the orange rind.

Crowd V/s Company

Table is hands-down one of the most beautifully done up Indian restaurants I have been to in a while, enough said! The striking black n’ white tiled flooring contrasts beautifully with the French window alcoves housing plump armchairs in jewel-toned velvet upholstery and tempt you into long cozy drinks and tête à têtes. For some reason this corner is very demi-monde French salon inspired and reminds me of one of my favourite concept restaurant in London Sketch whose bar has similar elements.

Alongwith a welcoming bar counter on the ground level they also have a mezzanine level which is best suited for having dinner. The early evening crowd comprised the well-heeled 60-plus expat/tourist clientele but they soon gave way to the insipidly expensive South Bombay set complete with ostentatious LV hobo bags and strapless dresses with exposed bra straps. What I don’t understand is, if you can afford to eat at The Table you can afford a strapless bra woman! Straps just look tacky, definitely a good taste offender! There was also a fair amount of corporate diners since it’s a great option for an elegantly casual yet classy meal with good wines a la neighbor Indigo.

Loo Hoo

With the same zebra flooring following me into the standalone ladies loo accompanied by acid-green walls and a spotlit mirror I don’t mind frequent trips to this trippy little room at all!

Comeback Quotient

Whenever we want to be transported to Paris and yet remain in our favourite Colaba, sipping some champers with our favourite people and mixing the highbrow with the lowbrow in our conversation, you can be assured you will spot us at The Table. Oh, and (hint, hint!) if anyone wants to ask us out to dinner, guess what their numerous uno suggestion should be?