Reincarnation

At the Grand Hyatt,M Grill,the formal western grill with a lovely wine library had limited appeal due to the fact that it focused on meat. “M Grill was genuinely good,but only a few local customers were there whenever I visited it. This could be because it didn’t offer a wide selection for vegetarians,” agrees Arup Chauhan,a Vile Parle resident.

All this,of course,is set to change. According to an introduction note sent out by the hotel,M Grill is slated to be replaced by Fifty Five East,which is “a three meal restaurant featuring interactive kitchens offering Sushi,Lebanese,Thai,Western and Indian specialties prepared on the fly.” The emphasis is on live cooking and a wide variety of offerings at a fixed price; this comes across as an improved version of the same live grill concept. The note proudly talks about the interiors,which are being done by Super Potato,the Japanese firm that has designed interesting projects in the city,such as China House at the Grand Hyatt and San Qi at Four Seasons.

The Taj group,for all its successful restaurants,doesn’t have a formal

Italian restaurant in Mumbai. This is set to end in a month as the Taj Lands End unveils the replacement plan for Pure. The erstwhile contemporary restaurant featured farm-fresh organic ingredients,dabbled with molecular gastronomy and had plush interiors designed by Yabu Pushelberg,the New York-based interior designer. Pure shut in October 2009 and a staff member revealed that the concept simply didn’t catch on. Thus,the hotel has decided to go for a formal Italian restaurant but with minimal aesthetic changes and a new Italian chef on board.

Food trials are still underway,but the menu will not feature pizza and will have minimal pastas,thus making it comparable to Stella at the Leela. Rohit Khosla,General Manager of Taj Lands End,confirmed that a replacement restaurant will open in March. “The restaurant will be focused on offering our guests a contemporary and stellar dining experience,” he says.

Trattoria—the 24-hour coffee shop and Italian restaurant at Taj President—is best known for its excellent pizzas (best enjoyed after a night of heavy drinking) and has a casual feel. Last renovated in 2000,Trattoria is likely to undergo a transformation in April. “The restaurant needs to be renovated as it is showing signs of wear and tear; we expect it to have a contemporary look just like Thai Pavilion,” says a restaurant manager anonymously. The menu will retain popular dishes,but will focus more on Italian food. The open kitchen will be retained but the bar is expected to be more prominent. This renovation plan,however,has not been finalised but should take around four months to complete; we are assured that Trattoria will remain open during that period and will be shifted temporarily.

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