When Chef Rahul Akerkar announces a new project, India sits up and takes notice. Even though there are chefs with incredible talent and innovation, some who’ve worked at the world’s top-rated establishments and come home to showcase their skills; others with homegrown chutzpah who have risen in the ranks of five-star kitchens; and some who have proved their mettle by simply churning out food that’s consistently delicious for decades. In this ocean of culinary visionaries, Akerkar is still hailed as a beacon.
The man who changed the way the country dined with his iconic Indigo in Mumbai, which set the bar for European fine dining in India so high that few were able to come close. The chef who started off with Just Desserts and Under the Over in the 90s, made a huge success of Indigo from 1999 until he left in 2015, and reinvented himself with the acclaimed Qualia just before the pandemic put paid to plans.
So, when we walk into Ode, his newest creation in partnership with the Aditya Birla Group, my expectations are predictably soaring as high as all the glitzy new towers around it. We walk through an outdoor seating area and step into the new address. Different sections segue into each other, seemingly only separated by light and function. A beautiful bar and lounge to the left, casual and comfortable tables meant for truly tucking in, to the right. There’s grey concrete everywhere and yet it feels warm and welcoming. Perhaps it’s the subtle lighting beautifully bouncing off the textured walls, or the positive aura that comes from a happy and well-trained team. It’s probably both.
As we plunge into the menu, I realise exactly why the restaurant is named Ode. It’s a tribute to Chef Akerkar’s journey so far, a paean to his parents and his past, a summation of the many parts that make him whole. “Ode is a reflection of my life and my relationship with food. My parents were of mixed heritage and the food we ate was a confluence of Indian and European culinary traditions,” reads the top of the menu, which professes to embracing both cuisines creatively.
Head Chef and Culinary Magician Ash Moghe, who’s been an Akerkar loyalist since the Qualia days, is at hand to welcome us and help us make the right choices. From the Nosh, Nibbles, and Bread section, I go straight for the win with some delightfully smokey Charred Prawns with a tangy mojo verde, a Spanish green sauce that’s not too far from Indian tastes with its hit of cumin. With this, I am drawn to Over The wall, with its tequila and agave base that’s pepped up with Bhavnagri Chili and smoked pineapple, offering the same hot and sweet and tangy trio that tantalises the tastebuds. My partner enjoys his chilled appetiser of Burnt Cucumber with kiwi salsa and a peanut thecha, as punchy in its heat as the rest of the dish is pleasingly piquant.
As we decide what to pick next, the balance in the menu is evident, with European umami flavours perked up with plenty of chutneys and thechas, Bhavnagri chillies and peanuts from the Maharashtra heartland. And a touch of the south with Madras cucumbers and pachadis.
The chunkiness of the florets of the Baked Cauliflower belies the delicacy of their lightly caramelised sweetness, which complements the creamy and coconutty white chocolate molé under them. The dash of nutty salsa mocha makes it an edgy yet satisfying dish that we scrape off the plate greedily.
The Roasted Pumpkin that my partner decides will be his main, is an ingeniously crafted creation of perfectly done pumpkin that is served like a whole terrine, thinly sliced. It is an absolutely delicious way to give the vegetarians a great entrée that doesn’t rely on the typical potato or paneer. Drenched in burnt butter and walnut chutney, and with a beautifully dressed salad made with celery and the curly lettuce-like frisée, it’s elegant and yet filling.
For my second drink, I’m tempted by the Ode to Pallonji (which fuses raspberry lemon cordial with white rum and hibiscus) as I love all food and drink Parsi, but I find the Bleating Russki even more fascinating. In keeping with Akerkar’s diktat, the mixologists don’t make a song and dance about all the techniques they use. Mixologist Sonam Rai, who is Bar Head at Ode, does a great job of taking us through the house cocktails and vintage libations without complicated explanations, back stories, and family trees of the drinks as many other places like to do these days! But the proof is in the tasting. The smoothness and the chèvre taste that coats my palate does tell me that they’ve used a goat cheese wash in this flavourful cocktail that has Dutch vodka, pink and fruity French liqueur, cockscomb flower, and strawberry.
Since we’re talking cheese, a worthy wood-fired oven in the open kitchen that lines one side of the restaurant tempts us to try a freshly baked pizza. While the bread is as fabulous as expected, the toppings on the Fungus Among Us pizza (oyster, shiitake, and cremini mushrooms, with a truffle ricotta, onion, and mozzarella) though not lacking in taste, are a tad too salty for our taste. We decide we must come back another day to give this section another try.
I already know the ribs that are coming next are going to rule, as I’ve always been floored by Chef Akerkar’s mastery over this cut of meat. But the apricot and rum-glazed pork ribs are even better than I imagine, sticky and succulent, just the teeniest bit sweet with the apricot-and-rum glaze, set off so superbly by a gleaming molé made with the black khandeshi masala that’s a staple in northwestern Maharashtra. This powdered spice blend is redolent of nutmeg, poppy seed (khus khus), and lichen flower (dagadphool), and packs layers of flavour into the mix. The meat, so beautifully slow-cooked, doesn’t just fall off the bone, it simply glides onto your fork like an en pointe ballerina and pirouettes on your tongue before laying down in a sophisticated swan song.
Too sated, we decide to leave dessert for another day. ‘The Best Damn Tarte Tatin’ is a big promise. And one that I’m sure Chef Akerkar will definitely fulfil and then some.
Ode
Address: Raheja Altimus, Plot No. 130, Unit No. G 01, Ground Floor, Worli Estate, Pandurang Budhkar Marg, Worli, Mumbai 400018 | Contact: +919076031111 | E-mail: [email protected].
