Review: Inside the eccentric Ostaad, Lower Parel: An intriguing culinary adventure


It’s interesting to note that while the city has been agog with reams of restaurants, the cuisine from Balochistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan remained unexplored for a long, long time. So when I heard about Ostaad coming up, I liked the fact that finally, someone from the industry thought about tapping into that space.


The venue looks eccentric and sets the perfect tone for the meal ahead. I was told that Ostaad has 3 chefs with massive understanding and proficiency of the cuisine. It features a special emphasis on vegetarian menu and a separate Jain menu with a segregated section in the kitchen for the vegetarian cooking. The menu also includes Mughlai cuisine which exists in India but in an authentic way as the ingredients are outsourced from Central Asia (Iran).


For my drink, the staff recommended me the Iranian berry sangria which was decadent and went well with my meal. For starters, the tender Mushroom Galawat and cheesy, delicious Istambul Baked Lamb Kofte are worth a nosh. In terms of the mains, Dal Ostaad and Murgh Samarkhand make the cut. They were both pretty nuanced.


One can choose from specialty dishes like the Adana seekh, Barraha kebab, Kadak seekh and different types of raans. Vegetarians should try the Kalem Boregi, Spanakopita or the delish Tajik mushrooms. I loved the option of specialty breads like Afghan kameri, Taftan, and Bakharkani.


Drinks here are ingredient based and light. I liked the selections which comprised Dates and cheese martini, The Ishtafan rose which is a mix of botanicals pistachio and rose water in perfect harmony with gin and the pan mojito.


Going to dessert, the baklava is done well, considering that it is one dessert which looks easy but one can easily mess up with. The Malai Rabdi Kulfi is dreamy dessert perfection. Overall, I like how space is doing never-done-before cuisine with a fair amount of options which is pretty much like a breath of fresh air.


Where: Ostaad
Unit number 2, Ground floor, Trade Tower B,
Kamala City, S.B Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai-400013
Phone: 098206 02922

Note: The critic was invited by the restaurant but all the opinions expressed herewith are her own

The luxe factor is

8 Food
8 Ambience
7.5 Décor
7.5 Hospitality
7.8
Tags from the story
,
Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *