The New Menus At Indian Accent Mumbai Are A Mix Of Familiar And Fantastic

It was not the usual kind of weekend binge... Ignoring a stormy forecast on a Sunday, we made our way across hauntingly empty roads in BKC for our meal at Indian Accent Mumbai. The sister establishment of the highly acclaimed New Delhi restaurant was celebrating its 2nd anniversary, and we dropped by to try the new tasting menus by Chef Rijul Gulati. This was not our first time dining here, but it was our first time experiencing a lunch seating. On past visits in the evenings, the grandeur of the interiors, the scattered lighting and the buzzing ambience dramatically set the stage for a one-of-a-kind meal. As we discovered that afternoon, daylight lends the restaurant a different character. The sophistication doesn't disappear, but the overall mood feels energetic.

We took our preferred seats at the table directly in front of floor-to-ceiling windows. The NMACC "Fountain of Joy" lay dormant a few feet beyond, being fed with a steady downpour. Admittedly, there is not much of a view to enjoy in the afternoons (this is still BKC after all). But the abundance of natural light meant each course was illuminated in a lovely way. And yes, we managed to click awe-inspiring photos thanks to the same. After all, who needs a view outside when the delicacies on your table are so pretty?

The new menus mark the occasion of Indian Accent Mumbai's 2nd anniversary as well as the change in season. While curating them, Chef Rijul Gulati aimed to incorporate some local flavours he had been exposed to during his time with the restaurant. While some echoes and elements of the past menus remain, there is also a whole new range of delights. We had the chance to try the new veg as well as non-veg tasting menus. Both began with a trio of chaat-inspired bites: mini multani moth kachori, chana jor garam refashioned into cracker 'sandwiches' with a black chana filling, and palak patta dahi papdi chaat transformed into canapes with crackling spinach.

For the vegetarians, these were followed by small plates capturing selective North Indian flavours beyond the usual suspects. We relished a beautifully plated sweet-sour 'kashiphal'. It was a true texture treat that began with a foamy mouthfeel with pops of crispiness, which gave way to a stringy bite at the end. Next, we savoured a cosy open Dilli shawarma with masala paneer. The restaurant is known to source this key dairy product from Delhi for all the dishes it is used in! Apparently, Mumbai paneer just won't do for the North India-born Indian Accent. The final exquisite appetiser was a bold and uniquely tangy Kashmiri smoked dhingri with kalari and black truffle.

The non-veg counterparts were equally amazing. First came a tandoori pulled pork patty playfully topped with bacon-flavoured bhujia (yes, you read that correctly). We would have been more surprised with this cheeky meaty twist had we not eaten a dreamy pork rib with Gujarati-style chundo the last time we were here. And this was not the last time a Gujarati food item got an unexpected 'addition' that afternoon, as you shall see. For the non-vegetarians, the Dilli shawarma came with a juicy Chicken Rara filling. To accommodate a dietary preference, the crab varuval on the menu was swapped with an aromatic Malai Meatball.

The palate cleanser was the iconic kulfi sorbet in mini pressure cookers, as usual. Some things, like this one, should stay the same. Our chosen vegetarian main turned out to be a quiet stunner. It featured a punchy veg keema made with red amaranth leaves, topped with a chilli cheese vada and paired with a brun 'pao' that felt closer to a sourdough slice than a kadak pao. Chef Rijul Gulati explained the vada as a nod to the city's obsession with chilli cheese delights of different kinds -- especially in street food settings.

The non-veg main deserves a special shout-out because even in our wildest dreams, we could not have imagined that khandvi stuffed with dry-aged duck could taste so good! Served with a golden corn kadhi, this dish truly expanded our horizons. This is more than just a mere gimmick or fusion. It's become a hallmark of Chef Rijul's style - to nudge familiar foods into bold new territory in a seemingly unassuming, yet carefully synchronised way.

A classic black dairy dal, mini stuffed kulchas, and a fun kakdi raita spiked with wasabi rounded out the mains in both menus. Desserts also remained the same: a motichoor soft serve that got over too quickly and an intricate seviyan 'nest' dotted with saffron mascarpone and Amritsari black plum coulis. By the end, our taste buds had been on quite a journey indeed. But the balanced portion sizes and thoughtful curation of courses meant we weren't overwhelmed either.

Chef Rijul Gulati and the team at Indian Accent Mumbai know well how to wow diners, when to soothe them and why they need to dare something new. The restaurant's roots will always be in Delhi, but it has proven it can also win hearts and palates in Mumbai.

Indian Accent Mumbai Address: Jio World Centre, Ground Floor, Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, C-64, G Block, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400098