Moombai & Co. | The H Dubai

After a huge success with restaurants like Masti and Bombay Bungalow, Chef Hari Nayak has once again waved his magic wand to create a new and revamped menu at Moombai & Co. Centering around dishes that are fuss free, simple and to the point, this new menu brings together a host of different flavors, textures and nostalgia from the heart of Mumbai. The interiors at Moombai & Co. have always been impressive and continue to be so, what with its Parsi cafe feels, movie posters from 80’s and 90’s, a sunkissed outdoor seating area and the more crowd pleasing cricket touches.

Adding a few twists to the food lineup, while retaining some of their bestselling and favorite dishes, the new menu at Moombai & Co. not only has a lot to offer, but it will leave you wanting to keep coming back for more. Read on to find out about our experience with Chef Hari Nayak’s latest creations.

As soon as we arrive at the restaurant, we are greeted by Chef Hari Nayak who tells us he has been brought in to give a new look and feel to the Moombai & Co. menu. He explains us how he has kept the dishes simple highlighting the aspect of using good quality ingredients and creating something that people will remember and return for. He introduces us to the executive chef and then goes on to list some of his favorites from the menu which we are eager to try out.

We start with Rasam Of The Day, the flavors of which rotate between watermelon, black pepper, roasted tomato, lemon, beetroot and pineapple. Our rasam is flavored with beetroot and comes in a typical tea kettle. The rasam is poured into shot glasses, and while it would be nice to down it like a shot, don’t try that, because the rasam is quite hot. Along with the obvious twist of beetroot, we love the spiciness in the rasam that adds a slight tinge to your throat while at the same time opening up your senses. Along with the rasam, we also enjoy munching on the Chip & Chutney Sampler from the “While You Wait” section of the menu. We love the crispy mix of plantain and cassava chips that make us feel less guilty, while the chili garlic and habanero mango dips add the right hot quotient to the crisps.

While they call it “Small Dishes To Share”, these dishes that follow are certainly not small. In fact, the portion sizes are something that keep impressing us throughout the lunch. Our first in the extensive list of starters in store for us is one of Chef Hari Nayak’s favorite – Roasted Corn Bhel. Definitely light and healthier than anything fried, this one comes with a mix of puffed corn (instead of the usual puffed rice), mixed with pomegranate, cornflakes, tamarind chilli and avocado dressing. Another one of his faves, the Pulled Lamb Raan Taco is something that is making the waves these days. We are brought an absolutely creamy mixture of pulled slow cooked lamb leg topped with pickled onions and served in a makki di roti that doubles up as a taco. The roti is so fresh, and combined with the tender lamb, every bite simply melts in our mouth. Then comes the Popcorn Prawn Koliwada. I remember having something similar previously at Moombai & Co., but being such ardent fans of prawns, we ask the chef to send across this dish, even if it isn’t new. Little morsels of shrimps marinated with spicy red chili chutney and fried golden brown with a crispy outside, these are finished in minutes. We love the juicy texture of the shrimps and the drizzle of red pepper dressing on top. We decide this is our favorite, but little do we know there’s so much more in store for us.

While they are still working on a new cocktail menu that will be launched next week, we do order our share of our favorite cocktails from their drinks menu which we sip on throughout our lunch while enjoying India bat it out against Afghanistan on one of the multiple TV screens placed across the restaurant.

 

Our next round of dishes fall under the “Bombay Barbeque” section. Mind you, we still haven’t got to mains yet, so stay put. Chef Hari Nayak brings us a mix of three very different (and his fave) tandoor items. This includes the vegetarian friendly Tandoori Broccoli which really blows us away. With its charcoal roasted flavor and creamy cheesy melting malai marinade on top, this one is instantly picked off the plate. I personally love the fact that it includes some roasted bell peppers too. Next one is the classic of classics – Malai Chicken Tikka. Sticking to the fuss free style, these tikkas are just how you expect them to be – juicy tender chunks of boneless chicken covered in a creamy yogurt and cheese marinade and grilled to perfection. Finally, to end this set of dishes, we are brought a large board of Smoked Lamb Chops. These, tbh, taste spectacular! Smoked with the perfect blend of tandoor spices and a prominent clove flavor, these lamb chops melt in our mouths. My friend decides to use his hands to eat this and he says it brings out the flavor even better. I especially love the sesame coated baby potatoes served on the side with these chops.

Moving on to our mains, we start with something that Chef Hari Nayak says is the most creatively different dish from the menu – Lemon Butter Chicken. We can’t help but agree. While none of us like the usual sweet gravy that you expect from a butter chicken, this one is refreshingly tangy and a little spicy too. Basted in a lemony sauce, the fire roasted chicken in this dish breaks like cotton and pairs perfectly with the chili naan. Another one of chef’s favorites is the Hyderabadi style Stuffed Chili Salan. Giant pieces of not so spicy chillies are stuffed with cheese and placed over a bed of peanut sauce. While usually paired with Biryani rice, we choose to pair this with tandoori roti and it makes a fine combination. Another pair arrives from the kitchen, this time an Ossoboco Lamb Roghanjosh. This one is brilliant – both in terms of taste and texture. The spice level is just right and so is the doneness of the meat. We use the gravy as a dip for the very unique Black truffle Laccha Paratha. One of their specialties, this laccha paratha is garnished with black truffle and cream – making it the ultimate of all breads on their menu. I decide I can eat the paratha on its own without the need for dipping it in any gravy, but my friends try the truffle laden bread with all these curries. Of course, there’s no way our visit to Moombai & Co. would not include their famous Chicken Berry Biryani. My personal favorite, I ask the staff to make sure this one is a part of our lunch, and he replies, “of course it is”. Served along with raita, this classic biryani features dum style chicken cooked with long grain basmati and topped with berries. The lush chicken gravy, and it’s juicy texture is what makes this a winner for me. Although we can’t finish it all, I pack this biryani along with the curries for my next day’s lunch.

Finally, it’s time for desserts. Chef Hari Nayak comes over to tell us what he would be sending across, and he almost reads my mind when he utters the words Rasmalai Milk Cake. He says how he finds it surprising that everybody in Dubai is obsessed with milk cakes, and I can’t help but agree with him, telling him how I too am milk cake obsessed, and ras malai is my favorite. Needless to say, the rasmalai milk cake is beyond delightful. I almost have to fight for it, making sure I get atleast a few spoonfuls of that creamy rabri soaked cake to satisfy my taste buds (although I do end up disappointing my waist line a bit). Once the plate is licked off clean, we move on to the other dessert on the table, which until now feels quite neglected, thanks to the milk cake having stolen all that spotlight. The Blackened Barfi Tart is another impressive piece, great for those who love creamy milk based barfi textures. This one features a creamy milk tart around the barfi, flavored with maple sugar and topped with vanilla bean ice cream.

After an elaborate lunch, we thank Chef Hari Nayak and his team for their hospitality while I sneakily ask chef for the milk cake recipe. Everything about this new menu opens up a pandora box of flavors in your mouth and lets you experience good quality home-styled food in an equally homely ambiance. Calling this place a must visit would certainly be an understatement, so really, make sure you go there, preferably with a large group of family or friends, so you can try out the maximum number of dishes possible!

 

Moombai & Co.

Location: The H Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, Trade Centre Area, Dubai
Contact: 04 5018607

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