New Arrivals

For the past couple of months,curious New Yorkers have been lining up outside Dominique Ansel’s bakery to taste the much talked-about cronuts — fresh out of the fryer and glazed with sugary delights. Within a month,this snack was making news in Mumbai too and Kainaz Messaman of Theobroma,following a few weeks’ experimentation,launched the cronut — across between a croissant and a doughnut. “Since we had the technical know-how to make both doughnuts and croissants,we thought of bringing cronuts to Mumbai. We launched it only when we were sure that the texture,look and the feel of the dessert was right,” says Messaman. The result was a puffed and layered dessert coated with powdered sugar,available in delectable varieties such as chocolate,hazelnut,lemon cream cheese and blueberry. Theobroma is selling about 200-250 cronuts a day. The snack is also available at Ellipsis,Nariman Point,and Trident Patisserie and Delicatessen,Trident Bandra Kurla Complex.

FRUSHI

Another dessert that is slowly making its way into restaurant menus is the frushi. Short for fruit sushi,it is made using seasonal fruits,such as mango or kiwi with a tempura of banana. The sushi rice is sweetened with jaggery and flavoured with cinnamon. Mitesh Rangras,co-owner of Aoi in Bandra — one of the restaurants serving frushi — says,“Apart from the curious lot,those looking for a healthy dessert opt for it too,since it doesn’t have added sugar.” Frushi is also available at InterContinental Marine Drive and Pondicherry Cafe at Sofitel,Bandra Kurla Complex.

SLIDERS

When it comes to bite-sized food,New York imports,sliders — the Lilliputian-sized hamburgers — have found sudden fame,not just with the calorie-conscious gourmands but also those looking to taste variety in a single meal. “The two factors that make sliders so popular are their attractive appearance and size. Being small,sliders are light on your tummy and allow you to try a variety of sliders at once,such as chicken,lamb,pork and beef,” says Chef Mohammed Dhol of Cafe Sundance,which sells about 100 sliders a day. Most quick-service restaurant menus in the city list sliders now,including Loca Loca in Santa Cruz and Big Bang Cafe,Bandra. The encouraging response has prompted Ketan Kadam,partner at Cafe Sundance,to open a restaurant that will specialise only in sliders with over 20 different varieties on offer. The first outpost is set to open soon in Bandra.

MAI TAI

A popular concoction available at Polynesian-style restaurants in the US (known as the Tiki-theme),now Mai Tai has its own dedicated space in the city with Mai Tai Lounge at Lower Parel. Translated literally as “out of this world”,Mai Tai has found fans in Mumbai as the refreshing and heady drink capable of transporting you to the beaches of Hawaii. One of Mai Tai Lounge’s signature drinks is the Tiki Puka Puka,made using white rum and dark rum,mixed with orange juice,grenadine and spices. The heady mix instantly puts you in a mood to unwind. The Mai Tai is also available at Gadda da Vida at Novotel in Juhu and Three Wise Men in Khar. “People have experienced Mai Tais abroad and they come in knowing a lot about what goes into their drink,” says Sanam Sippy,General Manager-Marketing,Mai Tai Lounge in Mumbai.