Food Review: Shy Café And Bar In Chembur Celebrates Global Food Culture

Chrome Asia Hospitality, a venture by Pawan Shahri, Dhaval Udeshi and Nikita Shahri, is a full-scale hospitality focused on creating experience-driven restaurants across the country. Shy Café and Bar near Cubic Mall in Chembur is known for its cuisine that celebrates global food culture, crafted cocktails and fresh ingredients. It was pouring when we visited Shy for lunch and the monsoon menu whetted our appetite.

The restaurant is inviting with its vintage décor as it dons the apron of an old-world colonial clubhouse. The space comprises of three sections – the library, the old room and the wood-fired pizza room. Creatively handmade works craft a cheery vibe and the swing zone adds a fun element.

The brand puts forth not only the popular international dishes like dimsums, risotto, flatbreads, and Zaataar manakish but also a few street food delights like Avocado bhel, Mexican sevpuri, Kottu roti (veg or chicken) of Malabar parotta served alongside Madras Railway Curry. Plenty of delightful options for non-vegetarians too from Shawarma, Butter chicken, Goan style fish curry to Kerala style biryani.

Take your pick of hearty Tibetan momo soup Mokthuk, Thupka -Himalayan noodle soup with veggies or Thai Pumpkin with a perfect blend of lemongrass, red curry and coconut milk. We partook of Smoked tomato basil with grilled cheese croutons which lent a balmy feel in this wet weather. Appetisers tempted us in the form of Corn locho with corn espuma (foam), grilled corn, tamarind honey dressing and green chilli oil and Fried Vietnamese rolls of rice paper noodle spring rolls served with shiitake nuoc cham dipping sauce.

Our dining experience was taken a notch higher by their well-stocked, attractive bar that has specially crafted beverages reflecting the flavors across cultures and geographies pairing well with the gourmet offering. Urge is a cocktail which can be had with vodka or gin, in-house vinegar, and tonic garnished with black pepper corns and pickled cucumber.

Unskippable monsoon specials are wood-fired pizzas like Verdura and the eyeball grabbing Stella which is a star shaped Andhra flavour pizza; Nasi Goreng served with pickled cucumber and crispy shallots, and Rayu noodles topped with crushed peanuts and scallions are other attractions.

On the Indian front we relished Kulcha and Paneer makhni with its sweet undertones.

For the last course, we were treated to the best Baklava cheesecake and Molten lava soufflé in quiet harmony. A hug in a mug so warm it could melt you. New on the menu are Churros a la mode and Baba au Shy – Shy’s take on classic Rum Baba, features a masala chai Brioche cake served with peaches, ice cream and pistachio crumble.

Shy has seen innumerable smiles since its opening this year and continues to be a pulsating and exciting space to enjoy special moments with family and friends.

Cost for 2 persons: Rs.2500 (Non-alcohol)