In a coastal city like Mumbai, outdoor beachfront restaurants should be aplenty, but that’s not the case. Luckily for us, the people at Silver Beach Entertainment and Hospitality have resurrected the space that used to be Aurus, and turned it into Estella: a modern-Australian eatery that serves up some exceptional cocktails and great food.
While Silver Beach Entertainment and Hospitality is known for restaurants like Nom Nom (Pan Asian) and Silver Beach Café (European), the food at Estella is less modern-Australian and more fusion.
Each dish on the menu brings together ingredients and flavours that can be traced back to European, Chinese and Thai cuisines, brought by successive waves of immigrants.
Behind a wood panelled façade, architect Samip Padora has put together a space that is understated, with an industrial edge running through it. The focus of the restaurant is an island bar that extends to the outdoor seating area as well. The deck, with two cabanas and tables, is perfect for a December dinner.
Imported ingredients
Under chef Rohan D’Souza, who has travelled extensively through Australia, the kitchen turns out small plates and main courses that make use of produce like kangkong (water spinach), puy lentils and meats that are imported from Europe and Down Under. A daily soup is the complimentary amuse-bouche at the start of the meal.
We highly recommend sampling the bread basket, which features a pliant focaccia and an exceptional saffron and cheese roll. They are served with a rotating selection of butters.
Special mention must be made of the drinks that have been concocted by Nixon D’Souza, senior mixologist and head of operations. A refreshing twisted gin and tonic, which is served frozen, and an excellent yuzu sour were just two of the standout cocktails that we tried. And that set the tone for our meal: a range of dishes that managed to be wholesome without being overwrought.
Seafood lovers must try the plump grilled Tasmanian scallops, which are served in the shell with pureed broccoli florets, miso honey cream and carrot foam.
Also worth considering are the Vietnamese prawn sticks with garlic mayo and egg yolk crumble. These are served on sugarcane sticks and the lightly cooked meat contrasts well with the natural sweetness of the cane.
Vegetarians need not despair, as the menu includes everything from the cheese du jour — burrata — to avocados, and kale. We sampled the competently put together pumpkin falafel with smashed avocado and smoked jalapeno, but what we’re looking forward to ordering again is the zucchini moussaka, which was homely, but elevated by the use of firm puy lentils and a decadent four cheese sauce.
Spicy and smokey
Working on our second cocktail of the night, intriguingly called ‘a smoked and age’ (the smoked rosemary sprig added oomph to the mix of whiskey and port wine bitters), we rounded out our mains with the grilled salmon served on a bed of squid ink pasta, and accompanied by a hot garlic sauce. Spicy, smokey and unctuous, this is one dish that exemplifies the kind of food that Estella serves up.
The blueberry and lavender Viennese shortbread offsets the cloyingly sweet rose panna cotta (though if you’re anything like us, you’ll ask to buy some of the biscuits to liven up your next afternoon tea), and the banana and caramel parfait, which is served with in-house coffee ice cream and kiwi marmalade, was a hit for its restraint.
With a range of exceptional cocktails and a menu that manages to be eclectic, surprising and unusual, Estella is the kind of place that gives Juhu’s dining scene a shot in the arm. Never mind what exactly its cuisine is, whatever it’s worth, is worth trying.
The author is a freelance writer
Estella, Nichani Kutir, Juhu Tara Road, open only for dinner. Meal for two: Rs. 4,500 (with drinks)
