Replacing the slightly overhyped Nido is a new “fine dine” European restaurant, The Korner House. The menu is a mix of the usual salads, soups, flatbreads, pastas and a few “farm” dishes (poultry, lamb and suchlike). The prices are steep, though the portions are generous.
The good stuff
The restaurant is divided into an alfresco section and a tastefully done-up indoor section, awash with natural light streaming in from several French windows. Comfortable couches in spruce blue, moss green and mustard liven up the place. From the elegant, well-stocked bar at one end, we picked the Orange & Pomelo Martini (Rs.650), which was punchy and citrusy, with the slight bitter undertones of pomelo complementing the sweetness of the drink. The cocktail was potent but very refreshing.
From the “Farm” menu, we went with the Confit Duck (Rs.1,555). Two perfectly Frenched duck legs sat amid a hearty and flavourful chorizo and mixed beans jus, the spicy chorizo a bit muted by the thick beans sauce. The duck was tender and moist, cooked to perfection, and the skin was crispy and full of meaty flavours of duck fat and herbs—clearly a winner of a dish. The accompanying mash was also smooth and buttery, flavoured with herbs.
The desserts were not on the menu but on a chalkboard, since they change frequently. We picked the Tres Leches (Rs.495), a light and airy sponge cake, moist with milk. It sat in a pool of condensed milk, thankfully not as sweet as the store-bought one. The cake was topped with a layer of whipped cream and an intricate, sesame-encrusted tuile stood in the centre. The dessert was not cloyingly sweet and we polished it off (ignoring the layer of cream).
The not-so-good
From the iced-tea menu, we tried the Honeydew Iced Tea (Rs.195), which was big on melon flavours but woefully short on the tea. Our Mushroom Flatbread (Rs.365) was topped with rather insipid wine-braised mushrooms and just a smattering of the promised Brie. The menu also mentioned truffle oil, but we couldn’t discern any.
From the small plates, we tried the Smoked Scallops (Rs.1,215), which was an utter disappointment. Four scallops were placed in individual thick rings of roasted green tomatoes and drizzled with a bland fennel purée. While the scallops were cooked well, the combination of scallops and green tomato was bizarre, with the tomatoes overpowering the delicate scallops completely. The haphazard pile of salad in the centre was superfluous. In general, the presentation of dishes lacks the finesse you would expect in a fine-dine restaurant.
Talk plastic
Our meal—one each of cocktail, beverage, flatbread and small plate, two mains and one dessert—cost us Rs.6,216, all inclusive.
The Korner House, 21, Union Park, Khar—West (022-65503344/ 65323344). Open from 11.30am-midnight.
