Tried & Tasted: Comorin's Debut in Mumbai is Marked with Signature Flavours

As we drive into Peninsula Corporate Park in Lower Parel, one of Mumbai’s busiest business districts, the excitement is palpable. We’re here to check out Comorin, serial restaurateur Rohit Khattar’s newest venture in the city. Will it be anything like the incredibly successful original that opened in Gurugram seven years ago? The relaxed yet upscale all-day restaurant, with a substantial regional Indian menu and a strong bar programme, is a concept owned and operated by EHV International and Khattar’s Old World Hospitality, who’re also behind award-winning ideas such as Indian Accent, Hosa, Fireback and Chor Bizarre. We’re ready to find out.

The Space                         

Housed inside the Nilaya Anthology space, Comorin’s Mumbai avatar has been designed by the same London-based Russell Sage Studio that created the original in Gurugram. The feel is similar–luxe retro with fluid lines with Art Deco pendant lights. Warm, earthy hues in the dreamy wave-like wall paint and cosy seating options in the diner-style area, make Comorin Mumbai feel quite welcoming. The central table section, which can be joined or separated to accommodate various group sizes, forms the heart of the restaurant. We love the warm and shining beaten metal river flowing overhead here. The easy day-to-night restaurant also has booth-like seating for couples and smaller groups, a well-appointed bar, futuristic Black Mirror- esque doorways, and a private dining room that comfortably seats 10-12 guests.

The Menu

The seemingly compact food menu spills over generously with 21 small plates, 16 large mains, four extra-large sharing dishes, and five desserts. We are happy to spot many of our favourites, along with enough new dishes on the Mumbai menu to keep things exciting, even for those who’ve dined at the OG Comorin plenty of times. The Dahi Batata Puri with a slice of kachalu (taro root) has a hint of wasabi and a certain Dilliness (perhaps that hint of crushed matthi?) that elevates it way above the Bambai-style chaat we love. The Nimbu Masala Avocado, served khichiya-style on a base of Banarasi aloo papad, and the rather gamey Bheja Fry with mini khasta roti, are inspired by popular Mumbai street food, but both need some tweaks to bring them up to speed with the rest of the fabulous fare coming out of the Comorin kitchen.

We’re all delighted eyes and satisfied tongues when we taste the Smoked Kathal Galawat, perfectly balanced with a mango chilli chutney. Creating melt-in-your-mouth kebabs with cooked meat is a science, but when you create something so luscious and tender from tough jackfruit, it becomes an art form. Next, we sample the Green Chilli Prawns—creamy, yet zingy with wasabi and complemented by the crunch of black rice from Mizoram. It’s the perfect appetiser to go with a post-work drink, we think. Then comes the Haleem, served with what is possibly the best bakharkhani bread we’ve ever tasted—textural, with just the right touch of sweetness to bring out the natural sweetness of the birista (fried onion). It’s truly sensational, a dish we’d return for several times over. Chef Dhiraj Dargan is brilliant with his vision and team. He’s the one who has helmed Comorin after the initial impetus at Gurugram by Chef Manish Mehrotra. In Mumbai, to ensure the restaurant suffers no pre- or post-launch pangs, he comes over personally to check on how guests are doing and is open to feedback.

The Kashmiri Gucchi Pulao, redolent of those rare morels that are to be found only in the higher reaches of the mountains, is as fragrant and moreish as we anticipated. But what wins our hearts hands down is that gloriously unctuous Champaran Mutton from Bihar, served with warm sattu paranthas and traditional yam chutney. It strikes the perfect balance of savoury and spicy, with the khataas (sourness) and umaminess that is a must for any good meat preparation. Of the five desserts on offer, we opt for the highly praised Cheeni Malai Toast. It’s a clever twist on our childhood favourite of cream and sugar on bread, elevated with brioche. It’s a bite of nostalgia for sure. What we like most about the Honey Caramel Gulgule is the ice-cream with crystalised ginger candy that it comes with.

The Drinks

Varun Sharma, head of bars at EHV International, has won all-round acclaim for his magical mixology over the last two decades. His mastery over the medium is more than evident as he waltzes in and out of view, returning each time with something intriguing to sample.

My dining companion picks the Neer More 2.0, a take on the spiced buttermilk enjoyed across southern India. The lacto-clarified coriander foam on top is a great introduction to the idea, lining the lips with a chutney-like sensation. The green chilli-infused tequila, Velvet Falernum, and Ajwain Liqueur below offer layered, nuanced sips that pair perfectly with the food.

I play it safe with the Fennel Paloma, a crowd favourite even in Gurugram. Made with fennel-infused tequila, and a grapefruit-dill-fennel oleo shrub that intensifies the flavour of the grapefruit juice, it allows you to enjoy that slightly dry pucker. It’s a complex cocktail in a straight-up drink’s disguise! That’s what we think of the Mango & Fig Highball too, one that simply fuses a white spirit with a well-balanced mango and fig cordial and carbonated water, but is rimmed with the most authentic gunpowder, one that is heavy on the hing (asafoetida). The way the fruity and spicy flavours play off of each other just feels like a tango on the tongue and one can imagine imbibing pitchers of these with friends on a hot Mumbai afternoon. Or perhaps even a cool, rainy evening.

What we’ve always liked about Comorin is that they make a lot of their shrubs and liqueurs in-house, sometimes cleverly using the sous vide to infuse faster and get more intense flavour bombs into our glass. Sharma has us taste a wide smattering of what’s on offer in Mumbai and—we’re happy to report—not a single one disappoints.

The Light Khus Vermouth is everything Indian in a bottle, laced with aromatic poppy seeds and green cardamom. The punchy Coffee Liqueur on ice is the most amazing way to end our meal. There are plenty more cocktails (both signature and batch-bottled), plus zero-proof creations that we plan to try on our next visit. Kevin Rodrigues, their head of wines, has a formidable list of pours lined up for us as well, a surprisingly high number available by glass for convenience.

RR Verdict

Overall, it’s this generosity of spirit that sets Comorin apart from other standalone as well as five-star or fine-dining establishments. They don’t skimp on ingredients, portions, or on smiles and gracious service. The team is eager to engage, encourage you to sample more, help you understand the diversity of Indian cuisine better, and ensure you keep coming back for more. We certainly will.