Preview of 38° East - Wholesale Bar & Pan Asian House

The world comes closer when it comes to cuisines, and here we are talking just about our Asian Continent. So it will take only 38° East to travel to the Asian Continent, wherein the new Pan Asian restaurant called 38° East at Powai will be coming up soon. 

Now if you are wondering why the name ‘38 Degree East’, let me turn the magnetic needle towards the reason. 

The cocktails/mocktails and cuisines are specially curated across Asia right from India, Burma, Tibet, Singapore, Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, Japan, China, Indonesia , Mexico, Hong Kong etc by the Master Chef. He had travelled 38 degree east from India on the Asian hinterland to discover their local cuisines and hence the name.

I was very fortunate to receive the invite to preview the pre-launch of this place; and geared up to experience and encapsulate the journey of Asia wrapped into the 2 storey (floored) stand out to narrate different stories of Asian Continent

As soon as you enter the interior showcases the theme of cuisines that is being served. The ground floor had a fine dining setup with a representation of Asia. The entrance had a niche wall with statues of Buddha meditating in serenity; while the textured wall with huge Chinese dragon is what caught my attention. 

The ground floor ambience was perfect for a casual dining experience. 

The wall filled with graffiti reminded me of Café Mondegar, as we walked up the stairs to the first floor, which was a lounge bar and was stocked with various kinds of spirits.

Here is where all the mixology gets into action. 

They served drinks at the wholesale rate and the stewards wore T-shirts having a back print of this motto saying “#PITERAHO Drinks @ Wholesale price”. 

After drowning yourself into the wholesale drinks, when one gets upstairs, you find yourself embracing Nature on their open terrace overlooking the beautiful  Powai  Lake.  A perfect place for a romantic dinner date.

After we all settled down in the bar lounge, for our preview session, the Cranberry Delight, a refreshing mocktail made the first entry on our table. This ruby red mocktail was a mixture of refreshing sweet-sour cranberry, slight sharpness of ginger ale, citrus lemon juice and mild spiciness of the in-house spicy citrus lemonade. This beauty was served chilled with dry ice adding all the smokey drama on the table. This turned out to be my favourite drink of the night.

Cranberry Delight

The second beauty to arrive was Tango Twist, a combination of Mango Puree, Strawberry crush, Pineapple juice, orange juice and vanilla ice cream. This dense and creamy mocktail with its sweet & a hint of tangy flavour would undoubtedly be a Hit with someone having a sweet tooth.

Tango Twist

Now it was the turn of starters to walk in, Veg Singapore Spindles walked in gracefully, with crispy fried noodles embracing its soft cottage cheese finger spiked with oriental spices. It was served in the bombaiya “cutting chai glass” with sweet chilli sauce at the bottom. The two different textures of crunchy noodles & soft cottage cheese fingers as well as the flavours of slightly spicy fingers dipped in the sweet-chilli sauce was like a perfect medley in the mouth. 

Veg Singapore Spindles

Veg Singapore Spindles

Veg Singapore Spindles

Next on the lime light was hot and spicy Murg Lal Mirch Kebab. Thought the name sounds scary, the dish was super yummy.  The Murg was perfectly marinated with the right amount of spices to hit you on right spot. The Chicken was cooked well, it was soft, moist and melted in the mouth. It was served with mint-coriander chutney and lacha pyaz.

Murg Lal Mirch Kebab

Gamja Jeon arrived on a cart to drawn our attention, which didn’t work for me. It reminded me of vegetable pudla, which we make at home. Though it tasted good, yet didn’t steal the show.

Gamja Jeon

Gamja Jeon

Gamja Jeon

Laying on the cast iron skillet pan entered the Wanton Nachos. The crispy fried wanton nachos were covered with baked beans, Sichuan sauce and tomato sauce. The generous spread of cheese sauce on the top was Salamander to perfection. The stringy cheese, sweet sauce and crisp wanton eaten together had the power to awaken your taste buds.

Wanton Nachos

Rolled up in Nori Seaweed, the sushi landed its flight. Upon trying both veg and non-veg sushi, I preferred the veg sushi as it had well balance flavors with perfectly cooked rice. Whereas, the non-veg sushi had overcooked rice with a bland flavor that did not appeal my taste buds.

Veg Sushi

Veg Sushi

Non-Veg Sushi

Non-veg Sushi

Tacos Lime Grilled Chicken was next to follow it was boneless chicken skewer marinated in tacos lime spices & grilled. It had a strong lemony flavor and mildly spiced with a hint of tacos spice.

Tacos Lime Grilled Chicken

Veg Tempura arrived in a shopping trolley, with delightful crispiness. The juliennes of zucchini and other vegetable were dipped in tempura batter and crispy fried to perfection.

Veg Tempura

Veg Tempura

Finally amongst the starter grand entry was done by this huge Singapore Crab Chilly dish. The fiery red huge crab got all our jaws dropped down and eyes popped with excitement. Cooked in spicy red chilly and tomato sauce, flavored with Singaporean curry powder and garnished with coriander, the crab was nicely cooked and fleshy with juicy meat inside. The best way to indulge into its juicy meat is by being ambidextrous using both your hands and fingers. This would surly leave you with a finger licking and a lip smacking taste and memory.  

Singapore Crab Chilly

Singapore Crab Chilly

I, being a Soup lover wanted to try one, the server recommended Burmese Soup which had shredded vegetables and noodles cooked in creamy coconut milk with a mild flavor of Kaffir lime. The sweet nutty taste of coconut milk gelled well with their secret Burmese spice & kaffir lime that left a taste still lingering on my tongue. This was like a bowl of golden creamy goodness.

Burmese Soup

Burmese Soup

Now it was the turn of the head of the family or you may call it as main course to walk in.

7 Jewel Rice from the Chinese family walked in a bamboo tube. The wok tossed fried rice was topped with exotic Chinese vegetables, chicken/prawns in authentic spicy chinese oyster sauce. The rice was cooked to perfection and the sauce was mild sweet and spicy. It was an amalgamation of different flavors that danced on your tongue.

7 Jewel Rice

Nasi Lemak was next to greet us on the table and arrived with the entire family. This Malaysian rice was flavored with coconut milk and panadan leaves, was along with lamb semi-dry curry, boiled egg, cucumber and fried peanut. The rice had mild sweet nutty flavor of coconut milk and crunchiness of vegetable. However couldn’t get the strong flavor of panadan leaves. The lamb was soft and well cooked, complementing the spicy sauce and the nutty peanut added crunch to the taste. This when eaten in combination was like a party of different texture and flavors.

Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak

Last but not the least to arrive were the senior most members, the dessert. 

Gulab JamunTruffle took a centre stage on our table. The layers of Gulab Jamun, whipped cream rabdi and cake were arranged in a mason jar and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream was loaded with rice creamy sweet goodness for the sweet tooth.  I would not go for the second helping as it was way too sweet for me.

Gulab JamunTruffle

Fruit Filled Baked Wantons was a show stopper of the evening. These crispy baked wanton cups were filled with berry compote, cream cheese and topped with scoop of vanilla ice cream. This was a cold treat to our soul. The sweet & sour of berry mingled very well with the cold sweet ice cream and crispy wanton adding a texture to the dessert. 

Fruit Filled Baked Wantons

Fruit Filled Baked Wantons

This indeed was an extravaganza of culinary elements that allowed me to actually circumvent the Asian subcontinent under one roof. Also, hats off to the master chef for designing such a plethora of Asian variety on our plate.

Head to :

Panchkutir, Pawarwardi, 

Adhishankracharya Marg, 

Opposite Powai Lake, 

JVLR,Powai, Mumbai

Cost:

AVERAGE

Rs.1,000 for two people (approx.) with alcohol 

VAT & service charges extra

Rs.99  for a pint of beer (approx.)

Cash and Cards accepted

Open the Doors for public:

From 15 March 2017

My Review on SKY VIEW Cafe`

Sky View Café when I came across this name, the first thing that came to my mind was a café somewhere on the terrace or an open air café or a café on the top floor of a tall skyscraper with glass windows exposing a view toward the open sky. But when I actually visited this cafe (not a café it’s more of restaurant) all my imagination flew in the Sky. It was nothing like what I had imagined; there was not a single corner where I would view the sky.  

As I entered the restaurant, I felt it quite cozy and welcoming. The classic wooden chairs with soft cushion seats, the sofas toward the wall side, the walls painted in pale yellow and chocolate brown & the dim focus lights at certain intervals exuded a rustic Italian ambiance. 

There were few frames and artifacts that actually caught my attention. There were a couple of frame with the quirky quotes like “Cooking with love PROVIDES Food for the SOUL” and another which said “IF ‘Plan A’ didn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters | Stay Cool.” One wall had African artifacts like tribal masks, traditional bongo, ceramic urn etc… 

Whilst I was admiring the interiors, I was welcomed by the manager Mr. Frank, who handed me the menu and asked me to place an order. However, I thought it’s better to try his recommendations & hence asked him to order as per his choice.

We were first served the welcome drinks Passionate Basil and Pecsa Blast. Both the mocktails were served in exclusive jars, which was quite classy. Passionate Basil was a blend of Basil, lime juice, passion fruit juice topped with sprite. The freshness of basil and tanginess of lime & passion fruit juice was refreshingly soothing in the scorching sun. Pecsa Blast had peach syrup, lime juice, pineapple juice and cranberry juice. This mocktail had a very eye appealing presentation depicting the hues of a sunrise. The dominating taste of cranberry and pineapple with the aftertaste of peach, was less appealing to my taste. By all means my vote goes to the Refreshing Passionate Basil.

Pecsa Blast and Passionate Basil Mocktails

 Our meal began with appetizing Corn Curried Chowder Soup which was thick, rich, creamy and a bit chunky. The smooth creamy texture of corn and prominent aftertaste of curry was lip smacking and I wanted to called for more. This soup actually activated all my taste buds. A must try !

Corn Curried Chowder Soup

Soup was followed by starters & we began with Mini Mexican Tostadas, which I felt had too much of refried beans. It lacked cheese, infact I was disappointed to know that they had grated cabbage to look like cheese. A Mexican dish without cheese is incomplete & was downer for me.

Mini Mexican Tostadas

Then came Zucchini Feta Bite with Spicy Salsa. This was one of the best dishes of the day. It was little crispy cup canapé of goodness, filled with yellow squash/zucchini creamy sauce, topped with feta cheese and a dollop of sweet & spicy salsa. Garnished with cherry tomato and parsley. It gave the dish a different dimension and texture. The crispy canapé on the outside and creamy smoothness of sauce and feta with hint of sweet-spicy salsa at the end was like a burst of flavours & textures in the mouth. One should not miss out on this.

Zucchini Feta Bite with Spicy Salsa

Zucchini Feta Bite with Spicy Salsa

We were served Squash Roulade, which was artistically made. Thin slices of grilled green and yellow squash stuffed with ricotta, red bell pepper, broccoli & baby corn. Then brilliantly rolled out into a roulade, secured with a toothpick and basil and served on the bed of Cajun sauce. Such simple elements, yet so brilliantly executed.

Squash Roulade

Squash Roulade

An Italian join without a famous pizza is like food without salt. So now it was Pizza Time ….Veg Pesto Pizza & Mac and Cheese Pizza. Unlike the traditional round pizza base, here they serve rectangle thin crust pizza, which they call it ‘Flat Breads’.  

Flat Bread (Pizza)

 Veg Pesto Pizza / Flat Bread, was very flavorful, it had perfect layer of pesto sauce topped with crunchy bell peppers, broccoli and zucchini and tangy sun-dried tomatoes. In every bite we could actually get the taste of each individual vegetable. The thin crust was also nice and crisp. 

Mac and Cheese Pizza/Flat Bread had thin layer of tomato base pizza sauce topped with creamy macaroni, mozzarella cheese and sprinkled with seasoning. It was mild & bland in taste, more on the typically Italian style of pizza. My vote goes to the flavorsome Veg Pesto Pizza.

Mac and Cheese Flat Bread
&
Veg Pesto Flat Bread

When we talk about Italian cuisine, Pasta is something we picture in our mind. The Pasta took a ramp walk on our table. First to walk on the ramp was Gnocchi with Lemon Butter Sauce. The Gnocchi was as soft as a pillow, a melt in a mouth. However, I would prefer my gnocchi to be a little firm, but for those who like pillow soft gnocchi would love this. It was coated with a citrusy lemon butter sauce and sprinkled with fresh herbs giving it the hint of tanginess tickling the tip of our tongues.

Gnocchi with Lemon Butter Sauce

Then second on the walk was Ravioli with Marinara Cheese Sauce. This was one of the best dishes. The Ravioli was stuffed with Spinach and Pine nuts. It was served on the bed of tangy marinara sauce, topped with cheese sauce and sprinkled with chilli flakes & fresh herbs. This perfectly cooked ravioli with soft blanched spinach and crunchy pine nut to bite on, combined with the tangy marinara and cheesy sauce with slight pungency of chilles, actually took us into a hysteria. This one for me was like a show-stopper.

Ravioli with Marinara Cheese Sauce

Next in the line was Cajun Spice Pasta. This was Penne pasta in creamy white sauce sprinkle with some Cajun spice mix, served with garlic bread. Simple and classic presentation, rich and creamy sauce that coated the pasta well.

Cajun Spice Pasta

Now came Risotto Contadina on the ramp. This was a tradition risotto with Arborio rice cooked in white sauce and mozzarella cheese. Served with crunchy stir fried vegetable and cheese sauce. The rice was perfectly cooked – Al`dente when mixed with smooth cheese sauce and crunchy vegetable gave it an amazing feel to our mouth. 

Risotto Contadina

Finally, it was dessert time. We were served Oreo with Chocolate Mousse. It was presented in a jar with layers of chocolate crumb and whipped cream, topped with Oreo cookie and chocolate sauce. Though it looked good but was very disappointing in taste. The mousse was no where close to what a ‘Mousse’ should be. A complete downer ...

Oreo with Chocolate Mousse

Overall a very good Italian joint for all, especially vegetarians. I was a believer that any continental cuisine tastes good only if its non-veg. But I am glad Sky View Café has proved me wrong. I am hard core non-vegetarian when it comes to continental dishes, but surprisingly I didn’t miss any meat. Loved the flavours and food so much that I had strong cravings to dig into more Italian grub for the next few days.

Since I was on invite the meal was complimentary, but all views and opinions are my own.

Where:
 3rd Floor, Trade View Building,
 Gate 4, Kamla Mills,
 Lower Parel, Mumbai

Phone: 022 30151630