Most restaurateurs would baulk at opening a seafood eatery during Mumbai’s monsoon, but clearly Zorawar Kalra is not one of them. When asked about the launch of his fine dine — Rivers to Oceans (R2O) — during the rains, when fresh seafood is harder to come by, Kalra expresses confidence in a supply chain that delivers imported substitutes. And for those who are keen to sample vegetarian offerings, there are always mushrooms to fall back on. If you visit Kalra’s stable of restaurants, you’ll realise there are favourite ingredients that he keeps revisiting, whether it’s the Indian gucchi at Masala Library or the Italian truffle that can be found at Pa Pa Ya.
R2O has replaced the space formerly occupied by TGI Fridays at Palladium — and while the emphasis is on seafood, there are courses that showcase mushrooms in a way that not many eateries do. The restaurant features a cold dining room (Kalra attributes it to the produce being served at chilled temperatures even once plated), and what the promoters claim is the country’s first champagne and caviar bar. Sure, there’s a lot of marble used inside, and the interiors are done up by Masafumi Sanada who runs the Tokyo-based M-Style, Inc, but Kalra is clear he wants the focus to be on the food. For those looking for a quieter setting, R2O has three private dining rooms, each of which vary in size, with the largest accommodating up to 10 people. The rooms are arrayed around the edges of the eatery, while the bar is what is the showcase of the main dining room. Kalra proudly declares that the total space is equally split between the kitchen and the dining room, a rarity in a city where astronomical rents force restaurants to design cramped kitchens in favour of revenue earning seats.
Tasting the menu
When we visited, we sampled a salty spoonful of black lumpfish caviar, that accompanied our briny Gujarat oyster. “In a lot of the courses, we’ve let the ingredients do the talking, though obviously technique is there in a lot of them,” says Kalra about the tasting menu I’m working my way through.
For those unfamiliar with the flavours of the sea, the oyster is served alongside a lemon, green apple mignonette and umame-rich soy, giving you a range of options to slurp away at.
Fish are the inspiration for a smattering of artworks that can be found on the walls, though we have a feeling that diners will be more interested in the display of fresh catch at the entrance which includes salmon from Norway, scampi from Andhra Pradesh, Alaskan cod and more. In an era when restaurants are increasingly touting the use of local ingredients, it will worthwhile to see whether Kalra's focus on globally-sourced seafood will draw diners.
R2O’s kitchen has been helmed by chef Varun Kinger, who’s working under the group chef Saurabh Udinia. Kinger has been allowed to develop the menu, but Kalra emphasises that he wanted the kitchen team to show restraint, and allow the seafood to shine. Behind the scenes, the Josper grill (imported from Europe) is something that Kalra is quick to show off, and he plans to have a part of the menu dedicated to Japanese-style robata grilled mains. Plans include an extensive a la carte, a tasting menu (paired with either wine or champagne) and finally a raw sampler. There are plenty of vegetarian options as well, ranging from reconstructed bell pepper and corn quesadilla to green garlic risotto with aubergine fritters.
Food spectrum
The menu encompasses everything from traditional preparations, like crab and leek soup to the eatery’s take on street food, like white fish steamed in banana leaves to modernist fare like scampi tartare with puffed amaranth, mandarin dressing and delicately shaved pickled cucumbers. Unfortunately, the kitchen’s ideas don’t always translate effectively enough — like the salad Niçoise, which features crystalised tuna (think icy pink crystals) topped with purple potato mash, tomato and jaggery dust, edamame beans, eggs and tomato vinaigrette. While the dish may display a thrilling use of technique, its strong flavour base entirely overpowers other ingredients. A dish that worked splendidly is a sinus-clearing Malabar soft shell crab curry that you’ll want to order again and again.
Under sommelier Pratik Angre, the champagnes on offer are on offer with glassware that ranges from the traditional flute, to the once popular coupe. Moet and Chandon, G.H. Mumm, Louis Roederer Brut Premier and Bollinger Brut Special Cuvee were the four champagnes that were paired with our 14-course tasting. The bar will also include a range of spirits, some of which are in keeping with the eatery’s emphasis on seafood – for instance, there will be cocktails with nori-infused vodka.
Rivers to Oceans, launches June 25 at Palladium, Lower Parel; open from noon to 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 1.30 a.m; A meal for two is priced at ₹3,500 (without alcohol) and ₹4,500 (with alcohol); 49735025.
