The return of Razzberry Rhinoceros

After a four-year hiatus, the once-popular Juhu nightspot makes a comeback promising to be a culture hub

March 22, 2017 12:31 am | Updated 12:31 am IST

Spoilt for choice:  The gosht mulayam seekh kebab comes on skewers in a flat iron. (Below) Mixologist Nitin Tiwari has created a ‘root-to-fruit’ bar menu, with drinks like the Razz Sour.

Spoilt for choice: The gosht mulayam seekh kebab comes on skewers in a flat iron. (Below) Mixologist Nitin Tiwari has created a ‘root-to-fruit’ bar menu, with drinks like the Razz Sour.

‘Nobody gonna steal my head / Now that I’m on the road again / Oooh I’m in heaven again…’ is the song that croons in Tirthankar Poddar a.k.a. 2Blue’s mind when we ask him about Razzberry Rhinoceros, one of the two main live music venues in Mumbai in the ’90s, (the other being Churchgate’s Not Just Jazz by the Bay) before it closed down in 2012. In the interim, the space has been closed for business or used for sundry events.

“I was 26 then, and I am 42 now. The people that converged every Thursday to experience metal and rock are older now, and that is what makes the nostalgia precious. It is a pure delight to know the iconic space is reopening,” he tells us over the phone. For as little as ₹100, the rocker boys “in their black tees and long manes” would make their way to Razzberry for the love of live music. “They didn’t pay that well, but bands still wanted to play there to gather street cred,” says Poddar.

We now fast forward to the present; one side of the wall leading to Juhu Hotel has got a fresh layer of graffiti. We enter the garden, and plop onto sofas on the deck with the view of the sea before us. The 20,000-sq.ft. space also offers an indoor razz bar, a bistro and patio seating. The thatched roof from the ’90s remains intact. The attic will be converted into a whiskey lounge soon. The dark teakwood and tufted leather seating gives the renovated space a fresh sophisticated look.

Mixologist Nitin Tiwari, the man behind some of India’s most popular bar menus, from Toast and Tonic in Bengaluru, It Happened in New York and Masque in Mumbai, is on board as director with Razzberry Rhinoceros and has created an interesting ‘root-to-fruit’ menu. Tiwari gets us started with sweet lime and sage (₹600), a smooth drink with the mild bitterness from sweet lime blending well with the herby sage and strong gin.

The all-new Razzberry has five different menus at its five different areas. Chef Ranveer Brar is in charge of the kitchen, so we know we will be fed in style. We begin with truffle milky mushroom galouti (₹375), which has a velvety keema texture, spiced with cardamom, cinnamon, and truffle oil. We love the mini coin pudina pyaaz lachha parathas that come with it. It is served with bocconcini, strawberries and a delicious truffle cream. A wasabi beetroot hummus, served with house-made ricotta cheese and bajra crisps, lacks the spicy zing of wasabi (₹545). The grilled kasundi prawns are juicy, citrusy with orange zest, finished with the pungent mustard (₹375). A simple dish, smartly executed with some cheese and lemon leaf. By now, we are on our next drink, a twist on the whiskey sour, razz sour (₹600). Who thought whiskey and raspberries will fall in love? We love that the drink hasn’t lost its stiffness to the fruity compote. The steamed coconut sea bass has a tender coconut rub and tastes flaky fresh. The gosht mulayam seekh kebab (₹625) comes on skewers in a flat iron, which we dunk in a walnut yogurt dip.

We end the meal with two biryanis, the yakhni ghost biryani Hyderabadi (₹645) and vegetarian biryani. In the first serving, the mutton pieces could have been juicier, and we craved for more of the earthy masala. The latter is a nutty and fragrant qubooli, Hyderabadi flavourful channa dal biryani with vegetables. But the real winner is the safed mirch ka salan dip — a desi, spicy, and irresistible mix of sesame, poppy, peanut and coconut paste, with its tadka of curry leaves in the yoghurt mix that bowls us over.

Before we move on to dessert, we try two more drinks: cold brew old-fashioned (₹600) comes with a coffee twist. The Mumbai cosmo (₹600) is a nostalgia-stirring vodka drink, infused with tea in a bottle. The cosmopolitan glass has Parle-G crumble, to be munched between sips. Appropriately for the season, we have a creamy green mango kulfi garnished with cooling gulkand and strips of aam papad, which cut the sweetness (₹225). We loved the decadent chocolate mousse, which is served with a passion fruit compote.

The all-new Razzberry Rhinoceros intends to be friendly towards the college crowd. We are informed that the lawn will soon be peppered with bean bags and a pocket-friendly canteen menu available from noon to 3 p.m. While a dedicated team will curate music events, the new avatar aims to be a cultural hub. So take a yoga session in the morning and attend a book launch in the afternoon. We hear there might be Kindles available to access a reading list too. It’s a good way to keep the party going for yesteryear frequents as well as millennials.

Razzberry Rhinoceros, Juhu Hotel, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu; noon to 1 a.m.; 7400402604/05

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