Mumbai Food: Fancy a tea party with sheesha in Khar?

Mumbai's newest tearoom brews an inspiring cuppa but lacks innovation in its food menu

Vanilla Roobois

There's something refreshing about dropping by a restaurant and receiving a drinks menu that doesn't contain alcohol. At the Bohemian Brew (BB), we are faced with an extensive, 'special' menu dedicated to just tea.

Late on a week night, we walk into the space to find the brightly lit outdoor area crammed with people smoking sheesha while daintily sipping on tea. The indoor AC area, even on a warm April night, is empty, barring the waitstaff; the party is clearly outdoors.

Blueberry

The 'sheesha lounge' part of the tearoom gets its light from pretty lanterns. The décor has faux vegetation - square patches of green on the wall and a faux rock wall that makes for an uncomfortable back rest.

The five-page drinks menu had teas that are black, green, oolong, white, infusions, flowering and good ol' chai. We chose an infusion, Vanilla Roobois (Rs 180), and the Blueberry (Rs 350) from the flowering section. The latter consisted of a bundle of dried tea leaves, wrapped around dried flowers. It came to us steeped, meaning the tea leaves had unfurled to reveal the flowers inside. We breathed in the fruity fragrance. The dark coloured green tea had a faintly sweet jasmine flavour paired with the robust berry. The Roobois had a rich red colour, and the sweet South African herb mellowed the warm notes of vanilla. Each kettle gave us four cups of tea.

Outdoor area

The tea set us up for a great meal, but the food at BB could be best described as lacklustre. The menu had the staple pizzas, burgers and pastas; we didn't find any dessert. The Hummus with Pita (Rs 170) was average - the bland hummus managed to pull some flavour from the olive oil, and the pita was freshly toasted. The Chermoula Prawns (Rs 345) were rubbery and overcooked, with a barely there marinade while the the Iranian Chelo Kebab (Rs 495) lacked seasoning. The Wild Mushroom Risotto (Rs 435) was tasty in the way that anything made with butter, olive oil, cheese and mushrooms is - robust and creamy.

Hummus with Pita

As we ate, we observed that many patrons seemed to know the owners. They were either regulars or, judging by how one man had his bare feet propped on a chair, friends. We didn't mind the impolite gesture, but that, combined with the many mosquitoes, had us scooting out of the place as soon as we got our bill. Next time, we will stay indoors and stick to the tea.

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