Just off the Western Express Highway, in the heart of the business hub of Goregaon East, stands the Westin Mumbai Garden City, part of the Starwood Hotels and Resorts group. What's so unique about this hotel is that it begins from the 18th floor and continues upwards.
Kangan is the Indian fine-dining restaurant at Westin Mumbai. The view by itself is a study in contrast: on one end you can see the winding highway with blazing light trails and on the other the serene hills of Powai and the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. However, apart from the view the food is another good reason to visit Kangan, whose clientele includes the crème de la crème of North Mumbai. Designed with contemporary interiors, the restaurant is spacious and elegant while retaining that slightly formal atmosphere that high-end restaurants exude. The restaurant seats about 70 and has two private dining areas for special occasions. The menu for the private dining area is also a tad different from the regular menu.
Chef Ajay Chopra of Masterchef India fame also happens to be the Executive Chef of the hotel. He joins me at my table and tells me how the restaurant's earlier menu was restricted to North-West frontier cuisine with culinary aspects of Afghanisthan, Iran and the Middle East. Chef Ajay has taken the food to another level by incorporating cuisines from across India. The food served here a blend of the known with the unknown, with rich curries and time-tested ingredients presented in innovative ways. The staff at the hotel are cordial and friendly and it shows in hotel's new system which is called ‘You, me and Westin'. The system is built keeping a log of customers' tastes, likes and dislikes and adding a personal touch by remembering the names of regualars.
Whetting the appetite
Diners at Kangan can either choose the fixed menu or order à la carte. The restaurant also has an extensive wine list consisting of local and new age wines, all carefully selected to complement the spiciness of Indian food. The open kitchen adds an interesting live element.
The menu at Kangan features an extensive list of appetisers and some of them were quite exotic. Meat lovers should try the saffron chicken kalmi kebab, seasoned with saffron and nutmeg and roasted in a clay tandoor, with an earthy and delicate flavour. Seafood lovers could try the prawns grilled over hot coals or alternatively, Jhinga Khada Masala: king prawns slow cooked with tomatoes and whole spices.
Vegetarians will not be left wanting either. The soft rajma or red kidney bean galawati kebab is a house speciality, served with a paratha dotted with warq (edible silver). If you favour your greens, try the tandoori broccoli or tender palak kebabs, filled with soft cottage cheese and subtly spiced. Aloo Moti Tikki is another exotic option: crisp fried potato patties mixed with sago pearls with a hint of tamarind, tempered with curry leaves and mustard and served with radish salad.
Moving to the mains
The main course comes with plenty of options too, and meat lovers will be spoilt for choice. The Nihari Ghosht is a must try: shank of lamb cooked in a mild gravy, it's rich enough to be a meal by itself, perfect with soft fresh roomali rotis or crisp tandoori rotis. Other must try options are the Murgh Chandi Kebab, chicken marinated with cheese and sour cream, grilled and served with a papaya raisin relish and Sikandari Raan, braised baby lamb leg.
Vegetarian options that were particularly delicious were Aloo Bukhara, potato dumplings stuffed with cottage cheese and prunes in an onion-yoghurt gravy. No North Indian meal is complete without dal, and the Dal Kangan, black dal slow cooked with tomatoes, cream and white butter is a must try.
If you still have room after your starters and mains, the dessert menu doesn't leave much to be desired. Apart from the standard kulfi-falooda on offer, the Khubani Shahi Tukra is an interesting option. A classic Awadhi dish, it consists of three components: bread pudding stuffed with Afghani apricots, rabri (thickened sweetened milk) and fresh fruit.
Authentic North-West frontier food with a modern twist, impeccable service and a view to die for make Kangan a must visit for foodies.
What: Indian fine-dining
Where: Kangan, The Westin Mumbai Garden City
How much: Rs 2,000 per person
For more on food, visit >https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/smartbuy/
