KODE is celebrating its first anniversary with a new menu
KODE, the ‘freestyle’ bar and kitchen at Kamala Mills, Lower Parel, is celebrating its first anniversary with a new menu by Brand Chef Momin Faqi. They’ve been doing some interesting things in this past year—on May 23, they hosted ‘Whiskeypedia', a whiskey-tasting session with Keshav Prakash, one of Asia's few keepers of The Quaich and The Founder of The Vault. In fact, Kode prides itself on its huge whiskey collection, with 300 options to choose from!
The extensive drinks menu features seven signature cocktails. In July, says restaurant manager Noel Mendes, they will introduce a gin-and-tonic menu, with 21 gins, showcasing infusions such as sage, vanilla and peppercorn.
WHAT’S ON OFFER
The menu continues to feature many favourites like Goat Cheese Churros, Kale and Pine Nut Salad, Shitake and Greens Quesadillas, Corn Curd and Asparagus Tempura, Sesame Duck Tacos, Manchego and Truffle Oil Pide, Black Forest and more. There are now several additions to this list, served with the theatrics they deserve. Rare ingredients such as Jerusalem Artichoke and Polenta also find a place.
Choose from dishes like Smoked cinnamon sweet potato, green pea truffle mash (Rs 295) dusted with cheddar and togarashi dust and drizzled with truffle oil) or Roasted mushrooms tossed with fresh herbs and glaze with balsamic reduction and sesame seeds (Rs 395). Or try the cold plates—Tuna Tahini, cucumber carpaccio.(Rs 595) There are also new salads and soups such as Creamy chicken soup served on a bed of glass noodle and pickled quail egg (Rs 425); Roasted beetroot and onion soup, brie fritter (Rs 395); Tabouleh, watermelon with black olive labneh (Rs 375) and Couscous, endive and goji berries, freeze dried goat cheese ( Rs 375).
Other options include Grilled Sea Bass, jerusalem artichoke mash with activated celery foam (Rs 1495); roast pulled ribs burger (Rs 545), flat breads and Duck confit, roasted root vegetable, spicy date jus. There are several other dishes to choose from, and the choice is a hard one!
Vegetarians get their due as well with small plates that include Vietnamese Spring Rolls, goma sauce (Rs 435) and Red beans, corn tostadas with sour cream. One dish we had was Tofu and edamame in shamble sauce served with yellow Thai curry and jasmine rice (Rs 545).
First up at the table was the roasted mushroom; it was smoky and meaty, leaving a tinge of sweetness on the tongue. Through all the dishes that followed, this one proved to be a favourite. Then came couscous salad with goat cheese, followed by the chicken soup poured at the table into a glass bowl over the noodles and quail egg and a robust, red and white beetroot and onion soup. Crunchy tempura sushi came next. There was also sweet potato burger with fries. Chef Momin then served up the softest, most delicious Ossobuco, a Milanese specialty of cross-cut veal shanks with crisp Yorkshire pudding (Rs 695).
SIGNATURE COCKTAILS
KODE’s seven signature cocktails are works of art, served up in innovative ways. Each cocktail takes about 15 to 20 minutes to make, so don’t expect your drink in a hurry. The one we had, Forgotten Petal Sour (Rs 625), came on a tray with a Campari ‘soap’ and charcoal-flavoured candyfloss, with the drink in the centre and dried cranberries to act as a palate cleanser. The ‘life of pie’ (Rs 595)—a bright orange gin, aperol, lemongrass concoction— came with an orange-flavoured ball of ice. “Wait till it dissolves,” the server suggested. “Your drink will taste even nicer.” And he was right.
The vodka-based ‘bird-eye’ cocktail involved some theatrics; the ‘twig’ was set on fire and continued to smoke as you drank it. Be careful with this one; the ash landed up in the soya sauce that had been poured out for the sushi!
THE DESSERTS
The dessert platter arrived with pannacotta, tiramisu and heavenly chocolate mousse—all old favourites. But what was the ‘scrambled egg with French toast’ (Rs 675) all about? It’s actually ice cream, smiled Chef Momin, “and it’s pure vegetarian!” If you want to see the chef at work, here’s your chance. He set up a table, poured some liquid ice cream out of an egg, and ‘cooked’ it up with dry ice before triumphantly serving up the ‘scrambled egg’! The sunny side up ‘egg yolk’ made of mango was a special surprise—it oozed onto the toast exactly as the real thing would!
THE PRICE
Chef Momin says the average cost for two would be approx. Rs 2,000 without alcohol and Rs 2,500 with alcohol. The cocktails are in the region of Rs 600-700 each.