It’s not easy staying straight and Tilt All Day, Mumbai’s latest café-bar hybrid will definitely get you bent out of shape…
If you’re anything like me, chances are, you get yourself
into a world of food-related trouble. But if you’re not, here’s why you should!
This is one guilt trip you won’t regret.
In the zone
So what sets Tilt apart? I’m inclined to say that the
concept of an ‘All Day’ format with the ability to transform a 4,000 sq feet
not-so-quaint café by day, to an all out disco – strobe lights and the whole shebang – by
night, might have something to do with it. And if club hopping is not your
thing, Tilt seems like the perfect spot for great dinner conversations that
have a tendency to turn into a long night of dancing.
This semi-industrial Kamala Mills space, designed by Busride
Design Studio, has an interesting décor. You will find blue sofa booths that at
the click of a button, turns into a dance floor; a sunshine yellow community
table with high stools for the vertically challenged; a velvet VIP booth, a bar
and a stage. Guests get to witness their meals being prepared and the open
kitchen even boasts of a shawarma spit and wood-fire oven. Add to that a light
controller with about 700 settings used to change the mood as the day
progresses. And even though it sounds like something out of a Spielberg movie,
it manages to come together.
It’s five o’clock
somewhere!
It was 7 p.m. And after an exhausting day at work, mid-week
drinking was an exciting prospect. But since we were a tad bit early (the
restaurant opens at 7.30 p.m), we waited outside. Once in, we were guided to
our table by not one, but three eager-to-serve-you waiters that were bursting
with energy. You can always tell how a night is going to turn out but the way
you’re greeted at the door. And it’s safe to say, you feel like a VIP, reviewer
or not. After we settled in, we were presented with an elaborate bar menu. A
quick scan and a few recommendations later, we tried their immensely popular
Berry Berry Margarita (R695) – a
blend of tequila, cranberry liqueur, blueberry, raspberry, lime juice and sugar
syrup, and a Fuzzy Martini (R750)
– Absolut Vanilla Vodka, kaluha and peach puree. Now, I’m not too big on
Raspberries so the Margarita was not my favourite, but I think I found my drink
in that Fuzzy Martini. After round one of drinks, the intuitive staff was ready
with a few more recommendations. This time, we decided on a Black Oasis (R750), a mixture of Finlandia Vodka, earl
grey tea, lemon grass, tamarind puree, lime juice and sugar syrup. I wish I’d
stuck to my Martini since the alcohol in the Black Oasis was a mere mirage. The
Monk’s Martini (R550), a mixture
of Old Monk, coffee, cinammon powder and sugar syrup, is the perfect treat for
us big babies. And if that wasn’t enough, I was reminded of those walks home
from school with treats of guava and chilli powder, in Tilt’s unlisted Guava
mocktail.
Glutton for punishment
As we sipped on our drinks and observed the pretty lights,
our order of the Wild Mushroom Soup scented with Truffle Oil (R225) and Roasted Pumkin Soup with oven
roasted garlic (R175), served as
well-received accompaniments. I mean, alcohol on an empty stomach only spells
doom. The earthy flavour of wild mushroom with the touch of truffle was
spectacular while the simple, yet robust flavour of the pumpkin soup worked
well. The minimalistic presentation and vibrant colours added just the right
touch. Since this was going to be a long night, and the next course, like
clockwork, made it to our table the moment we were done with one, we requested
smaller portions. I mean, it’s only logical that we tasted everything if we
were going to do justice to the place. Next, we moved on to salads. We opted
for the Watermelon and Feta with Rocket Leaves and Alfalfa (R325) and the Pulled Chicken with Orange
Glase and Caramalised Walnuts (R355).
Now, I know watermelon is delicious all on its own but what these culinary
geniuses served up was nothing short of perfection. The smokey spice of the
rocket leaves, the saltiness of the feta and the subtle sweetness of the
watermelon was perfectly complemented by the balsamic reduction drizzled on
top. It was an absolute delight to eat. The chicken salad was exquisite and the
candied walnuts danced on my palate.
Bon appetite!
The next course of appetisers included their Chargrilled
Mustard King Prawns with a Balsamic reduction (R475)
and the Cajun-marinated Cottage Cheese with a Sweet Chilli Dip (R325). The prawns were succulent while
the cottage cheese had a generous coating of the marinade. But what really took
the dish to the next level was that sweet chilli dip. The hit of the Cajun
spices, followed by the sweetness of, the chilli sauce, stayed with me for a
long time.
By this time, we were pretty much done. However, despite
requesting tiny portions, our main course of Green tea infused Scottish Salmon
with Leeks and Asparagus Fondue and a side of Wasabi Mashed Potatoes (R995) and Eggplant Parmigiana (R425) were nowhere close to tiny. It was
a tough job but somebody had to do it. Now, I don’t want to take away from the
hard work and wonderful flavours but what I didn’t quite understand was why we
were served a risotto in place of the fondue, and why anything infused with
green tea needed to be paired with wasabi! I mean, wasabi has strong flavours
and almost always dominates a dish. The eggplant left little to be desired. It
seemingly lacked a punch – perhaps garlic or a little spice would have helped,
but the greasy eggplant took away from what could have been a winner.
Now, as you can imagine, we were pretty much done for. One
more morsel of food and we would explode. Enter the Chocolate Nougat cake with
a dollop of caramel. Now I don’t know how, but there seemed to be a tiny pocket
of space – enough room for dessert as they say – that managed to open up. But
that was not all. The staff insisted we try their dessert cocktail, the
Tiramisu (R550), and I have to
admit, I wouldn’t mind another one of those. The potent concoction, was
irresistible. I’m definitely going back for more.
A buzzing head and the psychedelic light display, made for a
tilted effect I’ve never experienced before. This is definitely one meal I’m
going to commit to memory!
By Charlene Flanagan
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