Suspended Bar & DJ Station
When I was asked to join in for a visit to Glocal before it is opened to the public, my thoughts were mostly on the lines of ‘oh, there opens another one!’ Still, the eagerness to have a look a new place and an evening learning the tricks of observing a place keenly, courtesy Suprio Bose, had me getting to Glocal Junction, Andheri West pretty much on time.
I wondered what to expect as I made my way in, and wham! I stopped! This was different…huge and made to look even bigger by design. Now I was excited and walked towards the metal mesh-like structure which was the bar. It was tall…really tall, and as we walked around the metal bar, realization dawned that it was two-level bar connected with a staircase for service. The suspended DJ station also had me pretty excited as I had not seen this aspect anywhere else, at least not in a restaurant or bar. We got a view of the entire bar from the balcony on the first floor and it all looked very happy and upbeat. Overall, the wrought iron chairs and stone tabletops and the overall structure gives one the feel of being in a warehouse…very different!
Black Magic
It was now time to try out the drinks and food, in that order. I was already raring to go, having spotted the unusual glasses at the bar. The first that came by was the lethal sounding Toxic Box, served in a harmless sweet charming Chinese take-out box into which was stuck a straw. It wasn’t long that we opened it up to peer inside though. It was Vodka based drink with a strong taste and flavor of lemon grass – some of which found its way into our mouths right though the straw. I was very on being served the Black Magic as it came in a very appealing glass skull, just the sort of thing that catches my fancy. It came to the table, liquid nitrogen fumes emanating from the top of its head…I was thrilled!!! Quickly followed the Thailee which came in, ah well, a thailee, a plastic pouch. This too had a vodka base and had a fruity sweet taste all through. The Bouquet was prettily served in a long rectangular transparent plastic tube-tray; this too was a bit too sweet for me but the presentation had won me over completely. The LIITs (watermelon & kiwi flavours) came in another very interesting roundish container…all rather sweet and fruity but happy looking and top of the line presentation. The Mirage & Fruits From The Tropics did not disappoint in the way they were put in front of us. My pick for the evening was the Paan-Air, an innovative drink where one bites into a bit of paan and then sips the drink which comes topped with paan-flavoured froth.
Lamb Chops
Let me not forget the food in the euphoria of the exotic drinks. The food is where the global-local combination justifies the name Glocal. The local dishes have been given a global twist and it was been done with thought and finesse. The humble Sabudana Vada came with a beautiful wasabi flavoured yoghurt and peanut sambal dip as accompaniments. The Prawns had a fabulous marinade and which fresher prawns would have made it par excellence, it was definitely set on the right path to a great dish. The Mushrooms,Lamb too were not bad at all. The Bhajiya platter had us mighty interested…the star of the platter being the Bhavnagari Chillies with had a soft cheese stuffing. Local dishes like Prawn Koliwada are part of the menu as are global favourites like tacos.
We were stuffed!! And yet we wanted to see and taste a Chicken Thali – it came looking just the way a thali should, some spicy chicken curry, three rotis, a padad, onion and pickle – I liked the way it looked and it I’m sure it’ll be one of their most sought after mains.
Filter Kapi
For desserts, on offer was the Panacotta, a Paan; the Creme Brulee and the Filter Kapi which its beautiful presentation gratified me visually and my taste buds said a big thank you after the first spoonful.
A look at the menu told us that Glocal had a winner on its hands with its aggressive pricing; some dishes on the menu had a price of INR 85 against them…very very competitively priced. Add to it the fact that they open at 11.00 am and close at 1.00 am with a day menu and a night menu; I’d say the next watering hole in Andheri West is Glocal itself. Coming from the team that has names like Bungalow 9, China Bistro & India Bistro under its roof, the Glocal concept and brand that they have developed looks very promising and term used by the owner Sanjay Wazirani, ‘downtown value for money food and drink junction’ seems perfect!!
Glocal opens its doors for public on the 16th of January 2016.
Address : Plot No. B-57, Morya Bluemoon, Opp. City Mall, New Link Road, Andheri (W).
