Restaurant Review: South Mumbai eatery offers the best of world cuisine

Pulled Chicken Slider

A two-storey structure in bustling Flora Fountain, where Udipi eatery Kamat once stood, is now Global Chaos, a new venture by Cordon Bleu-trained chef Chingy Patel. Simple wooden interiors and a well-stocked bar fits the casual dining vibe that the restaurant hopes to project. The ground floor carries a pub-like feel while the first floor is built in diner-style, where it's the food that demands your attention. We loved the idea of a tiny lift that sends food up to the first floor directly from the kitchen.

Asparagus Phyllo Spears

Having studied hospitality in Switzerland, chef Patel's skills carry mixed influences. "Being a Mumbaikar, I wanted to return here to work. I have worked mostly with American and European foods but my desi sensibilities are strong too," says the non-vegetarian Gujarati chef who's worked across brands in Mumbai and Dubai.

Pulled Chicken Slider

The restaurant will start its dinner service tomorrow and intends to open for lunch within a month once logistics are sorted. The menu is divided into five sections including Asia, America, Europe, Middle East and regional world cuisine. Each includes five appetisers, soups, salads and desserts. "We are not implying the single mixing of two cultures to create a dish. Our focus is to highlight contemporary cooking while keeping the original flavours intact," shares Patel, who intends to revamp the menu every four months.

South African Bunny Chow

We started with the delicately flavoured Mix Vegetable Shorba (Rs 150). The broth had a smoked flavour, derived from chopped vegetables. Up next was the star appetiser from the European section, the Asparagus Phyllo Spears (R300). The thinly sliced asparagus spears, encased in a fluffy phyllo pastry with butter and parmesan cheese, and baked to perfection, were melt-in-your-mouth. The pomegranate and grenadine reduction served on the side added the right amount of sweetness.

Global Chaos interiors

The Pulled Chicken Slider (Rs 320) with homemade BBQ sauce and coleslaw, served in a black bun, draws its influence from American sliders and Japanese black buns (with squid ink). Of the other appetisers, Chatpata Chana Salad (Rs 250), a mix of Chowpatty chana, onion, tomatoes and chaat masala, served in phyllo cups, was pure nostalgia.

From the mains, we recommend the Kokami Jhinga (R400) if you can handle spice. The Mangalorean-style dish, marinated in kokum and cooked in a coconut shell on a charcoal grill before it's topped with grated coconut, was heavenly.

The South African Bunny Chow (Rs 450), an Indian curry that owes its origins to the expat Indian community in South Africa, was served in a hollowed bread loaf. We got our hands messy for this, as the chef recommended. The Indian Zucchini Kofta Curry (Rs 350) featured sponge-soft koftas made from shredded zucchini cooked in a simple coconut curry.

If you have room for more, try the Punjam Nooruku (Rs 300), a delicious, warm twist to South Indian sweet banana fritters. A sweet end to a culinary world tour.

Opens March 30, 7 pm to 12 am
At: 105/107, ground floor, Mistry Mansion, opposite Mumbai University, MG Road, Fort.
Call: 22664499