It was about an hour into my lunch at Amadeo By Oberoi — the Oberoi’s spanking new restaurant at Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, when something that sounded a lot like a fire alarm started to wail out over the hubbub of a bustling service. While hunched chefs exchanged momentary looks of concern, servers tried to project calm. And then, barely a minute later, the alarm stopped. Order was restored. Fellow diners most of whom had not so much as halted their conversations, continued to decimate mounds of potato salad and giddily slurp their pasta. The inaction of the diners tells a lot about the food and experience at Amadeo. Bluntly put, this is a restaurant where not even the implicit threat of fire will be enough to drag you away. Welcome to Amadeo — where the food is not just bold and fun but also seriously immersive.
It starts as soon as you enter through a corridor of teasing wine bottles to a light filled dining room kitted out with soaring ceilings and captivating lights. A dancing fountain provides ample eye candy. The main stars at Amadeo which gets its name and culinary spirit from the Latin word Amadeus (meaning ‘love of God,’) are the show kitchens and live counters. Guests are encouraged to sit at the chef’s table and enjoy a theatrical dining experience.
And though you might be suspicious of a kitchen that attempts multiple cuisines (Amadeo serves Japanese, Chinese, Italian and Indian), it’s not a multi-cuisine restaurant assures food and beverage manager Alisha Rampal. “You will not find things like soups, burgers, dim sums, black dal or butter chicken on our menu. There are far too many restaurants doing that. We only focus on select dishes from each cuisine.”
So, the menu straddles handmade pasta, sushi and grills to western Indian specialties, Italian small plates, Chinese wok preparations and bao buns. Be prepared for pleasant surprises in familiar foods; my sushi was unconventionally stuffed with okra and the maki roll came crowned with caviar and flecks of gold. Handmade pastas with offbeat sauces are particularly delicious.
A rustic plate of goat cheese ravioli made with beetroot dough came floating on a bed of kale sauce with crunchy walnuts for company. The crowd favourite was a purple potato chaat which arrived in a messy riot of almond kachumber and pomegranate. But it was the boisterous thecha kombdi that everyone umm-ed and aaagh-ed over. Succulent pieces of chicken smeared with fiery thecha (a Maharashtrian condiment of coarsely ground green chillies, garlic and peanuts) chargrilled to perfection was the absolute star of the show. The sweet pumpkin murabba helped to douse some of the heat. This is confident cooking. No baubles, no gimmicks.
True, there was a slight loss of momentum with a vigorously charred asparagus and avocado and oil drenched duck seekh kababs. But the hypnotic creaminess of the truffle tagliatelle proved a balm. If there’s a trend that needs to be retired, it’s one that requires diners to assemble dishes. Isn’t that what chefs get paid to do? Having said that the ‘make your own’ mushroom chilli bao is sensational.
Drinks at Amadeo are both delicious and breath taking. Fuji San a white rum and umeshu (plum wine) based cocktail goes down a lot faster than intended. Warli, a tequila drink with coconut water and chilli cordial is another delicious cocktail that prompts big smiles and wordless grunts of deep pleasure.
Amadeo By Oberoi has a casual, fun vibe. Even on a fairly busy day the staff found the time to stop for a chat, make genuine recommendations and have a laugh. They know they have a hit on their hands, and this has bred the right kind of confidence, unlike in some hyped establishments where the swagger becomes insufferable.
Amadeo By Oberoi, Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, Jio World Centre, BKC, Mumbai. Tel: +91-22-35706000
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