Early dining in Lokhandwala

Crumb fried brie. Pics/Bipin Kokate

Over the years, we've learnt something the hard way. And that is, an early dinner is the best solution to most lifestyle-related issues brought on by the conspicuous consumption of copious amounts of food that we've been eating as part of the job. Sadly, not many Mumbai restaurants have cottoned onto the early dinner concept, with merely a handful of kitchens firing off before 7.30 pm.

Thankfully, the brand-new, dinner-only Um Doiss Tres - the name of which is the Portuguese equivalent of one, two, three - gets the drift and is happy to serve you dinner as early as 5 pm, if you so wish. However, for our weekday dinner, we chose a more reasonable 7 pm to check out what this 90-cover restaurant had to offer us.
Housed in the same Lokhandwala, Andheri location where the erstwhile Italian eatery Su Casa once stood, the dining space is one of refined elegance, with modern décor and a soothing colour scheme. We were particularly charmed by the Spanish hacienda-style arches that separate various sections of the restaurant, and the blue-and-white Portuguese-Goan azulejo tiles that line its walls.

Sumac tossed fried chickpeas

And this Latino-meets-Portuguese-meets-Goan leitmotif is carried forward to the food menu that is peppered with plenty of eclectic small plates. Designed by Chef Xavier Fernandes, the menu features dishes that exhibit a distinct flavour and texture. Like the refreshingly tasty sumac tossed fried chickpeas (Rs 185), where crispy-yet-soft centred chickpeas and cubed potatoes were all jazzed up with the tart, almost lemon-like Middle Eastern sumac berry powder. Our order of the Spanish classic bravas potatoes (Rs 250) proved to be another winner with a platter of a dozen, tiny potato cups piped with alternating layers of garlic aioli and romesco sauce wowing us silent.

Pork chorizo and string bean stew

Not too impressed with the rather pedestrian and innovation-lacking cocktail menu (boring-sounding mojitos, sangrias, margaritas and their ilk!) we stuck to good old aqua, which would prove to be the perfect foil for the next dish we called for. Bringing in some Goan flavour to the table, the simple, yet robustly spiced pork chorizo and string bean stew (R325) was something we happily mopped up with a selection of breads from the complimentary bread basket that our attentive server insisted on replenishing.

Pulled duck pizza

Perfectly crumb coated, the quintet of fried brie cheese (Rs 410) wedges anointed with an interesting guava gastrique (a flavouring for sauces) and served atop a bed of green apple slaw struck culinary gold. Equally impressive was the pulled duck pizza (Rs 510), served on a thin crust base along with fried kale chips and water chestnuts providing more crunch to the pie. Taking us back to those susegaad post-dinner evenings spent lounging on our Goa house's balcao was the very authentically turned out serra dura (Rs 250). Meaning "saw dust", this Portuguese-Goan dessert was all the good things a grand finale should be - memorable and more-ish. With the cooling, orange-scented milk custard melding with the fine biscuit dust and the punch of the dark chocolate swirls rounding it all off deliciously.

Serra Dura

AT Um Doiss Tres, 101 Samartha Aishwarya, Andheri Lokhandwala Road, Andheri West.
TIME 5 pm to 1.30 am
CALL 8452833040

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