AKA: A continental delight

For an all-day diner, Worli’s AKA (replacing Two One Two Grill) is spacious, warmly lit and chic at first glance. Its minimalist yet eye-catching interiors draw inspiration from textile prints — an effort to present a food experience with a tinge of style. The blue and orange Aztec print chairs and caramel-hued tables offer a pop of colour to AKA. The menu is a healthy (not!) mix of European cuisine ranging from soup, salads, pastas, pizzas and main course.

We started with the prawn bisque, a smooth, thick, creamy soup with pieces of prawn. The light soup is a good way to work up an appetite. The wild mushroom soup was visually unappealing, but flavourful nonetheless, thanks to the hint of truffle oil. Both soups were served with garlic bread.

Next came the smoked duck breast salad — light, fresh with beautifully smoked duck, parmesan shavings. The croutons gave the salad a good crunch. It’s a good option for those looking for a quick fix. From the appetiser section, we tried the recommended crab “farci”, which was presented with rolls of zucchini shavings, fried veggies and potato mash. Stuffed in a shell, the crabmeat with grated parmesan and cheddar with a hint of balsamic, is quite heavy with an overpowering taste of crab. The crumb fried prawn and calamari is a good chaser with your choice of drink. We also tried the perfectly plated assorted sausage platter, with pork, chicken and chorizo balanced on a mound of mash and salad leaves served with garlic bread. The pork and chicken sausages weren’t anything out of the world as the high salt content messed with the natural taste of the chorizo. Have it with the mash or you won’t like it at all. Stuffed so far, we opted for a light caipiroska to wash these down. For the mains, we asked for a penne in white sauce, which was cheesy, rich and apt to fill those remaining empty spots in your tummy.

Not finding desserts in the food menu, we asked for what was available, and we were surprised to know there was a separate menu for desserts, tea and coffee to encourage high-tea-totallers. The panna cotta — caramel (fairly tasteless), chocolate (good) and raspberry (bitter and awful) did not satiate our sweet tooth. So we tried the Ecuadorian chocolate truffle, which was rich and creamy, presented on a bed of sprinkled caramel sauce. Visually appealing, the truffle was quickly devoured, ending the meal on a sweet note.

AKA has packaged itself as a place “where food meets fashion”. We think the food (though priced on the higher side) itself is worth visiting it for. As for the fashion bit, we’ll leave that to the runways.

Rating: *** Cost for two: Rs 3,500