It's the time to R(age)

Mango margarita

Food: Average
Ambience: Trippy
ervice: Good
Cost: Reasonable
Verdict: 2/4

We bump into friends outside KOKO. "Come on in!"

Pete's ginger blue

We're going to Younion, we tell them, receiving a blank stare with the retort: "That's for kids." We're feeling rather young. Outside Younion, we are the oddballs (read: older folk) among the dressed-up, trippy college goers. We spot high boots, high waist-pants, crop tops and layers of make-up. The crowd is clearly here to party.

We walk past the entry, where beefy bouncers are checking IDs, in a breeze. Gone are the days when we could giggle and celebrate the victory.

Purple rainbow

Inside, the music is thumping loud and we ignore the echo thuds in our chest. The crowd seems to care two hoots about it as they dance to Swedish House Mafia's, Don't you worry child. We manage to squeeze ourselves at the bar, and start with shaky Pete's ginger blue on tap (R395) which comes in a bath tub, and mango margarita (R495) which arrives in a cactus. We sip, cringe at the strong concoction of curacao, ginger, gin and pale ale. This is a recipe for a black-out!

The mango margarita is slushy, tropical in the company of a strong dose of tequila, palatable and potent. We look around; artificial plants hang from the ceiling; the walls wear neon lights in blue and pink brightening the faces of revellers who are tipsy, chatty and sweaty. They are taking selfies relentlessly in an open cage. The scene reminds our companion of university days in the US. We raise a toast to the bygone era and appreciate the high-energy ambience, but we'd rather invest in Netflix and pizza. Behind the bar, a blue neon light reads: Youth has no age.

Go green pav bhaji. Pics/Phorum Dalal

This calls for another cheer, and we do it with shots. A Pimento scotch which is an all-spice infused shot (R225) is one strong kick but we savour (actually sip) the purple rainbow (R125) which has grapefruit-infused vodka. Our nerves at ease, we order buttery nipple (R495) which is a shot blend of butterscotch liqueur and baileys. The milky smoothness with a punch of liqueur is fire and ice in the mouth. The menu has shots as cheap as at R50 like the orange vodka and spiced rum. A group of youngsters buy a bottle for the table and they take it in a glass bottle like a khamba. Okay then, we've been living under a rock.

Our food order takes the longest to arrive, and we know we have sinned for we ordered food at a bar that is busy ticketing drinks at the speed of light. The go green pav bhaji comes with buttery pav, and the mash is only green vegetables; we love the masaledar punch it leaves on our palate. The other two orders - Kerala tenderloin fry (R375) and kheema ghotala tava pav (R435) - don't arrive for over 30 minutes, and so we request them to parcel it. It takes at least 45 minutes for the takeaway.

By the time we squeeze through the crowd and leave. The tenderloin is rubbery dry and the kheema ghotala, we realise could have done with more masala.

During an earlier interview, when owner Zorawar Kalra had told us: If you don't want to party with the youngsters, go in the day time for a quiet meal. But we had to see this
for ourselves.

At Younion, Kamala Mills Compound, near Radio Mirchi Office, Lower Parel.
Time 12 pm to 1 am
Call 8433942801

4/4 EXCEPTIONAL, 3/4 EXCELLENT, 2/4 VERY GOOD, 1/4 GOOD, 0.5/4 AVERAGE. Younion didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals

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