A twist in the tipple

The party hub of the city, Khar, added yet another bar to its long list of watering holes. Aptly called SamBar, we were more than happy to review it, as it claimed to be a pub with a southern twist. The new resto-bar greeted us with hand-painted Kathakali art.  

As a server dressed in a bright red shirt and lungi combo arrived to take our orders, we readied ourselves for a pleasant evening with a South-Indian spin. We started off with the Gunpowder Fries, and the dish was served with coconut chutney. Sprinkled with gunpowder masala and chilli flakes,  it goes perfectly well with Capi Madras, an ode to the filter coffee. Made with vodka, coffee liqueur and cardamon, the drink is served in traditional steel coffee tumblers. One word of advice would be to sip this cocktail slowly, since the liqueur is delightfully potent.

Capi Madras

A portion of Pappadum Chettinad — small discs of papad topped with flavoured vegetables and Chettinad spices— followed next. The Anna Colada is a twist on the  South American classic. Quite subtle in its taste, the cocktail featured pineapple juice and coconut water. We loved how it was not sugary sweet and packed a punch.

Pappadum Chettinad

Next up, the Injipuli Sausage Mix, a chopped sausage spiced with injipuli (a traditional tamarind and ginger preparation from Kerala), was finished off in seconds, and we unanimously couldn’t stop raving about the wonderful, yet simple combination. We then decided to dig into the Chicken Cafreal Skewers, which was chicken coated in chilli-garlic paste. Although the chicken was cooked to perfection; we suggest you opt for a round of Injipuli Sausage Mix instead.

(top) Korri Roti; (left) Chicken Cafreal Skewers

For the mains, we sampled a vegetarian version of the traditional Manglorean preparation, the Korri Roti. Made of beans and kokum dipped in coconut gravy, it was served with crunchy rice crispies. We were mighty impressed with sampling.

The food we sampled — most of it bite-sized and easy to share when drinking — was prepared with utmost attention to traditional flavours and spices, which is a refreshing change from the times when one has limited options on the menu at places that bill themselves as bars. Visit this place to experience a flavourful twist to traditional South-Indian delicacies.

Rating: 3.5
Price for two: Rs 1,500 for two (with alcohol)
8 Vora Building, Opp. Khar Education Society, Khar (W)
Contact: 9820907212