Make your 'belly' dance at Marhaba! (Foodie Trail-Mumbai)

Mumbai, Feb 20 (IANS) On a pleasant winter evening, with the stars twinkling and the moon playing hide-n-seek with the clouds, an out-of-this-world aroma hinting at Arabian romance lures you to a small cozy open-air restaurant in northwest Mumbai.

Enter the world of Marhaba - Mumbai's only Arabian cuisine restaurant which welcomes you with a mild spray from the humming waterfalls, comfortable seating arrangements ranging from discreet corners to not-so-private tables, but both a hit depending on your company.

Ajoy Balkrishna, the smiling General Manager of Grand Sarovar Premiere, a five-star hotel in Goregaon, greets you with a loud and cheerful "marhaba (welcome' in Arabic) and allows you to chose a table.

"It's a bit early today... By 8.30 pm, you have to wait, especially on weekends when there are queues," Balakrishna told IANS of the 70-cover restaurant-cum-bar, offering a stunning view of the suburban traffic below, the skyscrapers surrounding it and the misty green hills of Aarey Colony.

"We have introduced genuine Arabian cuisine. A selection of the best and choicest Arabian delicacies ranging from falafels to kebabs, the divine baklawa and others whipped up by our master chefs. We invite you to discover and savour the Arabian magic here...Marhaba!", Balkrishna said, according a royal welcome for a great culinary experience - and you almost glance at your feet to see if there is also a red carpet...!

Now, in its third year of operation - Marhaba opens only during the non-rain months in Mumbai - in Oct-May - to enable patrons soak in the open-air ambience typical of the Arabian desert kingdoms and oases - the lights, colours and the waterfalls represent that adequately.

The range of starters, main course and desserts on the menu were designed by a former executive chef who also trained his team which now dedicatedly continues the traditions since the past three years, Balkrishna said.

"Arabs love to gorge on starters, they are not very keen on the main course. So, our menu has a large selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian starters," he explained.

Mouth-watering starters like falafel, khodar mishakel (both vegetarian), gambheri mishwee and shish taouk (both non-vegetarian) and others continue to arrive at regular intervals.

Balkrishna said that earlier, most of the special herbs used to be directly imported from Arab countries, but now some of these are directly available in Indian markets with the changing economic scenario.

"The Grand Sarovar Premiere attracts a large number of Arabs. In the past, Arabs used to frequent hotels mostly in south Mumbai, but now Mumbai is moving northwards...," Balkrishna said, highlighting one of the aspects culminating in the successful attempt behind Marhaba.

In fact, he proudly said that some of the best certificates for the authentic food taste, quality and ambience of Marhaba have come from Arab clients, guests from the Middle East or NRIs who have lived and worked long in various Arab nations.

As the starters made way for the main course, the table was quickly laden with the Arabian favourites like shawarma jibne, zaatar manakish (veg) and shawarma dajaj and dajaj manakish (non-vegetarian), dry but juicy and delicious.

"You see, most Arabian food is dry, not gravy-based unlike Indian cuisine which has a lot of gravies or accompaniments of dals, curries and the like. Probably, the dry cuisine has something to do with the lack of natural water resources in the Arabian deserts," Balkrishna laughed.

Then followed a paneer shistaouk, bahmia batinian and dawoud pasha, topped off with generous helpings of desserts like baklawa, basbousa and umm ali, some dripping with fresh honey, and served with or without ice-cream depending on the selection.

In recent times, Marhaba has grown in popularity for private parties, exclusive dinners and corporates which book it fully to accord their staff, clients and international guests a taste of Arabia - right in the heart of Mumbai's suburbs!

After such a sumptuous spread that makes your 'belly dance', the Arabian deserts were thoughtfully bestowed with the tall and sturdy camels - to take home the stuffed and tizzy patrons safely!

FAQs:

Location: Grand Sarovar Premiere. Veer Savarkar Flyover junction. S.V. Road. Opp. Telephone Exchange. Goregaon West, Mumbai 400062. Tel: 022-28718000/022-42158000.

Dinner for two with alcohol: Rs.3,000.

Timings: 7.30 p.m. to midnight.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in)