For years, the shorthand for eating out in Indian metros meant calling in a Thai curry, selecting pasta over paratha, or taking part in it protected with butter hen and naan. It was not that we didn’t love our native meals, it’s simply that sure flavours, normally North Indian or vaguely “Mughlai,” dominated menus and imaginations alike. But that’s altering.
Slowly, then all of the sudden, regional Indian delicacies has slipped into the highlight. What was as soon as siloed to properties, festivals, or particular communities is now making its solution to small plates and chef’s tasting menus. This culinary curiosity has opened new doorways, particularly for a era of diners. After incomes a devoted following in Gurugram for its elevated tackle regional Indian consolation meals, Comorin has lastly made its Mumbai debut at Nilaya Anthology, the new idea retailer by Asian Paints that spotlights design and residential decor in Lower Parel. It marks the arrival of a philosophy that honours India’s street-side staples and regional gems, all by way of a distinctly up to date lens.
The bar
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Operated by EHV International (half of Old World Hospitality), Comorin has carved a popularity for doing one thing fairly uncommon: making diners nostalgic and intrigued at the similar time. Brand Chef Dhiraj Dargan attracts from the country’s various culinary map to create a menu that feels each city-specific and universally comforting. And it’s not simply the meals that invitations exploration. Varun Sharma, EHV International’s head of bars, brings his award-winning cocktail craftsmanship to Mumbai too. The bar programme continues Comorin’s custom of innovation with sous-vide infusions, cocktails on faucet, and an array of house-made sodas and drinks.
The house
Building on the authentic Gurugram outpost, the Mumbai version is just not a reproduction however a re-interpretation — rooted in model id, but sensitively tailor-made for its new dwelling. London-based Russell Sage Studio, in collaboration with inventive director Rishiv Khattar of EHV, carries ahead the design language with a renewed eye. The palette deepens, fairly actually — blushes and deep reds that fashioned accents in Gurugram now take centrestage right here, enveloping the house in heat and tactility.
Inside Comorin Mumbai
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Materials are the quiet protagonists: Indian wooden, richly grained; tactile materials; steel finishes with a burnished sheen; tiles that subtly phase the house into zones. From the experimental, nearly disjointed bar at the entrance, communal tables prolong inward, guiding friends by way of a combine of seating preparations till they attain a tucked-away room at the again — half retreat, half reveal.
The meals
There is one thing delightfully rogue about a menu that offers you bheja fry with khasta roti, then turns round and palms you a chocolate dessert with a Monaco biscuit crumble. Comorin’s Mumbai chapter is indulgent, however with restraint.
Take the Smoked Kathal Galawat. It is smoky, sure, however not heavy. The jackfruit doesn’t attempt to impersonate meat — it holds its personal, bolstered by the sweetness of mango chilli chutney that arrives like a sharp little facet be aware. Then comes the Kalari Cheese Bun, a gooey nod to Jammu, offset with candy chilli onions that flirt somewhat than overwhelm.
Bheja fry
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Andhra Gongura Chicken served with crisp shards of murukku is one other standout — punchy, tart, crunchy, and deeply South Indian while not having to over-explain itself. Three Pepper Chicken Tikka with peanuts and inexperienced onions leans extra towards bar snack, the type you retain nibbling between conversations. The Tawa Chicken Liver lands daring and iron-rich, however softened cleverly with a messy, spicy tomato toast that’s like a chaser in strong type.
The tandoori crimson snapper
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There can be a deep-seated love for offal right here: the Bheja Fry is silkier than anticipated, wrapped in nostalgia and a crisp roti. Meanwhile, the Green Chilli Prawns with Mizoram black rice really feel like a chef’s palate-cleanser — delicate warmth, textural play, and a slight whisper of smoke.
The hen pepper fry
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On the heavier facet of the spectrum: Champaran Mutton, all slow-cooked drama and sattu-stuffed parantha on the facet, and a Murgh Yakhni Pulao that’s not too wealthy. Then there’s the Banana Leaf Bhetki in a chilli coconut masala that calls for finger-eating reverence.
Dessert doesn’t let up. The Cheeni Malai Toast is each cheeky and comforting — old-school bakery meets honeycomb and a well-placed crunch. But it’s the Comorin Cassata, with jamun, mulberry, and salted chocolate, that tastes like a reminiscence you can’t fairly place.
The cheeni malai toast
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There are delicate nods to Maharashtra too — assume a reimagined dahi batata puri, and a comforting pao bhaji with caramelised onion pao. Rohit Khattar, founder-chairman of EHV International, notes that the Mumbai menu options round 10–15 extra dishes tailor-made to the metropolis. But it does increase the query — was all of it obligatory? The menu may have been leaner, maybe with a handful of city-specific staples and a well-curated tasting menu to tie all of it collectively. That mentioned, the flexibility right here is friends can request tasting parts of massive plates, permitting for a extra exploratory, much less overwhelming expertise.
The drinks
Comorin’s cocktail listing walks the tightrope between botanical nerdiness and pure, unfussy pleasure.
The Fennel Paloma lingers in reminiscence lengthy after the glass is empty. Fennel-infused tequila meets a grapefruit-dill-fennel oleo shrub, rounded out with contemporary grapefruit juice and bubbles. It is refreshing, vegetal, and citrus-bright.
The mango and fig highball
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The Mango and Fig Highball is acquainted but contemporary. Choose your base — gin or vodka — however the actual story is in the cordial: mango’s tropical lushness grounded by fig, topped with carbonated water and a gentle dusting of gunpowder combine that provides an earthy, nearly smoky be aware.
The Nashik spritz
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The Nashik Spritz leans softer however doesn’t skimp on flavour. A crisp gin base mingles with inexperienced apple and Comorin’s house-made limoncello, then will get lengthened with Nashik white wine and a hit of ginger. It’s India’s reply to the Venetian spritz —zesty, calmly spiced, and unmistakably native.
The cocktails are companions to a menu that’s already pushing the boundaries of consolation and curiosity.
A meal (together with alcohol) for 2 prices ₹3,000 plus taxes. Address: Peninsula Corporate Park, Peninsula Point, At Nilaya Anthology, Ganpatrao Kadam Marg, Lower Parel West, Mumbai 400013
Published – May 27, 2025 05:11 pm IST
