Around Town: NCPA opens gates to Waarsa, an Awadhi restaurant by chefs Rahul Akerkar, Mukhtar Qureshi; what to expect

He added that he aimed to celebrate lesser-known vegetables like parval (pointed gourd), tendli (ivy gourd), sheng (drumstick) and baingan (brinjal).

Angoori Rabdi at Waarsa.

“Being a Qureshi, we don’t touch vegetarian food,” joked chef Qureshi, nephew of the late culinary doyen Masterchef Imtiaz Qureshi. He went on to explain that, to create the menu, they travelled across regions like Hyderabad, Calcutta, Lucknow, Benaras, and Rampur, while also recalling family recipes —especially dishes his grandmother prepared when hosting both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

The launch also coincided with Bay 21, a banquet venue available for social events. There, we sampled cocktails and kebabs while enjoying live music in the background. However, the four cocktails on the menu were inconsistent in both presentation and taste. For instance, The Kingmaker’s Kokum, a vodka-based drink with chilli, was initially so spicy that we had to reach for water after just one sip. The bartender noticed our reaction, tasted the drink, and quickly replaced it with a new one that had just the right balance of chilli, allowing us to appreciate the flavours of tamarind and kokum with subtle notes of curry leaves.

Meanwhile, The Emperor’s Rose, which should have highlighted rose flavours, turned out to be a simple gin and tonic with cucumber. However, the same drink ordered by another guest came with a deeper red hue and tasted notably better.

Kashmiri Gucchi, Jaitun aur Paneer Ki Biryani at Waarsa.

Moving on to the kebabs, the Kamal Jhad Ki Shammi (Rs 585) truly impressed us. Its melt-in-the-mouth texture and perfect spice levels made it hard to believe it was made from lotus stem—it had the consistency one expects from the best kebabs. We also enjoyed the tender, perfectly cooked, and smoked Murgh Hakimi Kebab (Rs 675).

For dinner, we took our seats inside the 56-seater Waarsa, painted in a washed-out salmon hue and accented with intricate ceiling designs and subtly ornate modern furniture.

The photographs decorating the walls caught our attention — three of them taken by chef Akerkar himself, including a striking black-and-white photo featuring the Charminar in the background. Another series by heritage storyteller Maroof Umar captured a man rolling out roti in beautifully and a tad bit dramatically composed zoomed-out shots.

The set menu put together for the media preview was somewhat disappointing, though. Where were the parval and tendli we had been told about? When we asked, chef Akerkar acknowledged the oversight.

From the menu, we began with Chilgoza Shorba, served with garlic naan on the side. Resembling a rich saalan in texture, this nutty and mildly spicy soup was made from pine nuts, carrot, cauliflower stem, and onion, seasoned with javitri (mace), cardamom, kevda (screwpine), and saffron. It also contained chunks of pine nuts.

Kamal Jhad ki Shammi at Waarsa.

As we progressed, it became evident that significant effort had been made to deliver on taste while ensuring the dishes were lighter on the stomach and heart. They have consciously reduced the use of fats and nuts. For instance, their 14-hour slow-cooked Kabuli Dal offered the richness and consistency of dal makhani with 70 per cent less fat. Similarly, instead of using almonds, Haq Lasooni Chaman, a yellow curry with paneer cubes, relied on white onion and yoghurt for its gravy. Though it felt as though it contained pepper, chef Qureshi explained that they had avoided chilli, using instead fennel powder, asafoetida, dry ginger, cardamom, and saffron.

“The mild spicy kick you feel is from dry ginger, which also aids digestion,” he shared.

The vegetarian Kashmiri Gucchi Nadir Yakhni was a standout, combining lotus stem, gucchi mushrooms, and peas in a rich white onion and yoghurt gravy, delicately seasoned with Srinagar’s famous white chilli. On the non-vegetarian side, the Zafrani Lagaan Murgh showcased perfectly cooked chicken with flavours seeping into every crevice, served in a silky salaan made from onion, yoghurt, and bottle gourd paste, and flavoured with fresh turmeric, yellow chilli, garam masala, mace, and cardamom. The Tarkari Dum Biryani didn’t leave much of an impression, but we couldn’t disagree with chef Akerkar’s observation that chef Qureshi’s cooking allows every ingredient to shine through distinctly.

Nalli Nihari at Waarsa.

We ended the meal with Parde mein Shahi Khubani and Angoori Rabdi. While the former didn’t impress us much, we were happy to polish off every drop of the rich and velvety rabdi.

Where: NCPA, Nariman Point, Mumbai
When: 12 – 4 pm and 7 pm – 1 am
Price for two: Rs 2,500
For reservation, call 9594943555