Worth its salt

Looking for a change of scene? A new restaurant-bar-café at a Karjat farmhouse serves comforting meals with a side of lush greenery, just an hour and a half away from the city

When Mumbai shuttered in March last year, Bandra’s Ahuja family, which runs a business of duty-free goods, was lucky to be locked in at their Karjat property, Oleander Farms. Lucky not just to be blessed with 170 acres of hilly green environs, but also because the family got some much-needed bonding time to put together a restaurant-bar-and-café, Saltt, an extension of their 30-year-old home and the many memories it holds. 

Ghosht nihari

Director Aaliya Ahuja tells us that the original idea to open a restaurant was her father Viren’s, but it eventually became a family project. We settle into the restaurant that’s dotted with wooden furniture, and with a stunning 360-degree view, thanks to wooden-glass panels that are reminiscent of a grand yet homely living room.

Tres leches

“We wanted to create a getaway experience for people,” she explains, elaborating that patrons can step in for a meal and then lounge around the farm where young ones can run free, like she did as a child. “Sit down for a quiet coffee at the café, hang out at the upcoming nursery or check out my father’s vintage car collection, which has a 1937 Morris 8 that belonged to MF Husain,” she informs, as we sip on a pleasantly bitter, coconut-ey gin cocktail named Dutch nectar (Rs 810).

Baja-style beer battered fish tacos

Considering Karjat doesn’t have too many eating out options, Saltt’s menu features a diverse mix of Indian, European and Asian fare, along with family favourites and wood oven-fired pizzas. We begin with a smooth mac and cheese arancini (Rs 375), elevated by a yummy bed of bell pepper sauce. Next up is the bharwan aloo ki chaat (Rs 375), that’s a row of sweet and spicy stuffed tandoori potato towers, a family hit. While the pan-fried basil chilli chicken (Rs 475) and bite-sized galawat ke kebab (Rs 575) fail to stand out, full marks for the plate of fluffy mini kulchas (Rs 375 onwards), available in aloo, paneer and blue cheese stuffing, and crispy, tangy baja-style beer battered fish tacos (Rs 495). 

Spicy plum

You know that moment when you’ve eaten too much and want to break for a walk? Thankfully, that’s something you can do at Saltt, like we did, traipsing around their lawn and car collection. While they plan to introduce golf carts to ferry visitors, we felt that a few benches on the lawn would be nice to picnic outside too. 

Aaliya Ahuja

Back to the table, we dig into the main course, of which prawn zafrani (Rs 675) stands out for that heady aroma of saffron and kewra. The butter chicken and kukkad biryani (both Rs 575) are basic, but we polish off the ghosht nihari (Rs 725) and spicy Amritsari chole and kulcha (Rs 475), that’s peppered with a secret masala sourced from Delhi. This is washed down with a few botanical cocktails, of which spicy plum (Rs 900), a bourbon concoction, is our favourite. Skip the regulars, and try their cocktail reccos.

The interiors of Saltt. Pics/Sameer Markande

We head to the café to finish off with desserts — Saltted caramel mousse, Tres leches, and a strong coffee-flavoured panna cotta (all Rs 475). As we sit leisurely indulging in several helpings of the Tres leches while soaking in the view, we’ve made a mental note for our second trip. After all, which Mumbaikar wouldn’t long for an escape from the city?

 The restaurant, café and bar are located inside the 30-year-old Oleander Farms

Opens Saturday (12 pm to 12 am) 
At Saltt, Oleander Farms Pvt Ltd, Karjat Chowk Road, Vavarle village Karjat. 
Call 9967725518

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