When AKA Bistro launched in Worli two years ago (now permanently closed), the restaurant was praised for its stylish, luxurious ambience. Its sibling was launched very recently in Kala Ghoda. Dressed in pastel shades, the bistro sports a chill, relaxed vibe, quite unlike the former. The interiors are split across two floors with sharp details, accents and an old world Victorian charm. The top floor also hosts a walk-in boutique for the extremely busy professionals working in and around Kala Ghoda.
AKA Bistro prefers to stay away from gluttony — not a single dish on their menu includes ounces of cheese oozing out of burgers, deep fried biscuits and whatever is served in most of the up and coming restaurants in the city. The menu is smartly curated and has exhaustive options for vegetarians, non-vegetarians and health freaks.
The restaurant doesn’t have an alcohol licence yet and even if that might be disappointing for some, their mocktails, smoothies and beverage collection make up for it. The Blue Suede (Rs 150) for instance, is a great —made with litchi juice, blue curacao and lime juice, it’s pretty much what you’d want yourself to be drinking on a summer afternoon. The Label (Rs 150) brings together basil, orange juice, passion fruit syrup and ginger ale and has a fizzy, tingling feeling to it — which wasn’t something we liked so much.Starting off with the food, the Broccoli Cakes with cherry tomato coulis (Rs 300) were a charm. It is more suited to be under their health options considering how light, simple and minimalist it is. The Fish Tacos (Rs 350) are the perfect option if you prefer to skip the vegetarian options (although if you are vegetarian, you could go for the alternative option with tofu). The tacos are dressed with desi raw mango, Sriracha mayonnaise and ginger salsa, the dish is an absolute delight. The taco shells are crisp and each bite gives you a wholesome mix of crisp and meat.
Moving on to the salads, the Poached Chicken Salad (Rs 275) is made of raw mango, edamame, Chinese greens, peanuts, ponzu, and of course, poached chicken. The dish, however, doesn’t match the level of the restaurant’s presentation styles otherwise. We skipped the main course consisting of options of pastas, quesadillas, mac-n-cheese and picked the Slow Cooked Lamb Goulash (Rs 450) — and weren’t disappointed. It is a one pot meal served with peppered pilaf with portions enough for one. The tomato gravy is mildly spicy and the chunks of meat, tender.
For desserts, we asked for the Creme Brulee (Rs 250), which comes on a bed of toasted coconut and ginger ice-cream. It might sound a bit experimental, but will make you want to finish every bite off the plate. The Eggless Blueberry Cheesecake (Rs 250), like all cheesecakes, wasn’t a disappointment either.
If you ask us, we’d say the best time to visit AKA Bistro is for lunch. With their one pot meals, the kitchen has several interesting dishes on offer.
Rating: 3
Price for two: Rs 1,400
AKA Bistro, Military Square, Nagindas Master Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Contact 30151324
