It’s that wild card in your pack which can change your game. The willingness to mix the familiar with the unexpected. A cocktail changes flavour as you drink it, and ube meets matcha. Nothing plays by the rules—and that, perhaps, is the whole point. Joker!
The restaurant goes by the philosophy – surprise, deception, and illusion. And that’s the idea that runs through the food and beverage menu. Durgesh and Sumeet, the two guys responsible for the reiterate the thought with their amazing cocktail presentation.
The morning begins with the Thermal V60 pour-over coffee, where delicate berry notes come through beautifully. But it is the Moroccan Pulled Lamb Sandwich, recommended by Shahid, that quickly becomes the meal’s star. Generous pulls of delectable and delightfully flavoured lamb are tucked into homemade sourdough, whose dough is fermented for four days. The result is deliciously light bread with character. Suggest you keep wait tissue handy as you eat this juicy sandwich with hand.
We move to cocktails and I start with a Negroni before I experiment with their signature. Slightly gin forward. To accompany the cocktails are their Crisps and Dips. You can choose the crisps and the dips to go with from the multiple choices available. I choose Wonton Crisps, Sweet Potato Chips and Pita Squares. In the dips tzatziki and tomato ricotta stand out. The latter is fresh and creamy without feeling heavy. And then there is truffle—the aroma alone is enough to make you lean in before the first bite. They make potato and sweet potato chips in house and with skin-on.
The Frozen Masquerade delivers the surprise element perfectly. Made with homemade limoncello, Bacardi white rum, basil and a hint of lychee, it is fresh and deceptively easy to drink. Served in glass carved out of ice, the cocktail reveals its trick slowly: lychee hits first, followed by lime. The changing flavour profile makes every sip slightly different.
Spicy Hummus with Falafel is next on table. The hummus is mixed with curd, giving it an unexpected sweetness, while the heat comes mainly from the harissa powder sprinkled on top. The falafel itself could have had a better texture, but the black sesame adds a welcome crunch. Chicken lovers can choose chicken instead of falafel.
Animal Style Fried Chicken is kind of indulgence. Wings marinated in white pepper and tossed in a secret ‘animal’ sauce; the chicken has a slightly sweet, spicy-ketchup-like character that makes it extremely moreish. Seafood lovers should try the Pepper Pop Prawns. Dusted with potato starch before frying gives them a delicate crispness, while tossing with red pepper and spring onion add a punch of heat. They are delightfully spicy without overwhelming the natural sweetness of the prawns.
False Reflection is next on list of cocktails. They kill it with the presentation. Three mirror panel to offset the glass that can be lit. This tequila-based cocktail itself is not complex. It’s balanced with charred bell pepper infusion and finished with maraschino liqueur. The smoky tequila comes last to give you lasting note.
Their bowls are quite interesting. Spicy Tofu Bowl, with marinated tofu, sticky rice and steamed vegetables, is a wholesome yet flavourful combination. Shawarma Chicken Bowl is a good choice for nonveg eaters. Shawarma style chicken served with tomato sauce, mayo, crunchy salad and pesto rice. It sounds like several different ideas sharing one plate, but that medley of flavours is precisely what makes it work.
The menu also has bagels, flat breads and pastas. Flat breads are avoidable for two reasons – they are not ‘flat’ but more like fried focaccia. The toppings fall off when you try to pull a piece that’s loaded with stracciatella cheese which is the second problem as it doesn’t bake well and leaves a little stink with veg and nonveg options. Bagels are good. Try the salmon or cream cheese one.
For desserts go for ice cream sandwich or dessert in glass in form of the Royal Ube. The combination of ube and green matcha cream is as striking visually as it is on the palate. The matcha begins with a fresh, grassy note before giving way to the sweetness of ube and coconut milk’s creamy texture.
Where: Joker In Bandra, Opposite Mala Sinha Bunglow, Bandra West, Turner Road, Mumbai
Rs. 4000/- with alcohol
