It is just a few more days to Christmas which is possibly the best time of the year for any avid foodie. The city is buzzing with festive cheer, everything is decorated and lit up and the weather is playing nice for a change with a constant cool temperature despite the blazing sun. Amidst all this cheer, restaurants are buzzing with festive meals and special menus are just thrilled. Some sticking to tradition while some are taking a walk on the wild side. Either way, there is a lot of food and you are spoilt for choice. To help make that Christmas meal memorable we have picked some of the favourites that the city has to offer.
Barely two months old but this Goan - Portuguese style restaurant is all geared up for its very first Christmas. All the dishes on their menu are inspired by Goan dishes keeping with the essence of the restaurant and you can find dishes like Saligaon Duck Curry - a dry aged duck with Roasted Chili Curry, Whole Roasted Quail with Green Masala, Tenderloin Roulade with Hasselback Potatoes, Radish Greens and Jeera Meera glaze or then the Rice Flaked Lobster with a spiced Coconut Curry. The menu is a celebration of food and there is even their version of Christmas Milk Punch and a good Ol Eggnog to add to the festivities.
This restaurant has managed to make Indian regional dishes shine. In their ongoing endeavour to make regional dishes cool, they are putting out a stunning festive menu that is a nostalgic tribute to Christmas celebrations in all the homes of the various Christian communities in India. The Indian Christmas menu has dishes from Kerala, Goa, Meghalaya and Bengal among other states. Plenty of interesting dishes like their Beef Olives which are basically tenderloin stuffed with bacon and caramelised onion served with potatoes in a spicy beef broth. East Indian Pork Sambari which are pork roulades with East Indian style Curry and Fugias. Ammini's Duck Curry with potatoes and Lacey Egg Appams or than even the Dilli Carrot Toffee Pudding. A meal here never disappoints and Christmas at the Canteen is always a treat.
The hotel is going all out for Christmas to ensure that your festive meals are grand. They are in a celebratory mood and have brunches and dinners from the 23rd -25th of December at both their restaurants Fifty Five Eastand Celinieach one trying to outshine the other. Each meal is a lavish affair with traditional dishes like Roast Turkey, Glazed Ham with Apple Marmalade, Chicken Roulade stuffed with chestnuts and Lamb Wellington. Lots of other Japanese, Italian, Indian and Middle Eastern inspired dishes in case you are in the mood for a slightly more unconventional Christmas meal. The real treat, however, is the unapologetically Italian Christmas Brunch at Celini on the 23rd of December which has Chef Alessandro recreate his childhood Christmas treats and you can celebrate the festival like the Italians Do!l.
The hotel is taking its festivities very seriously and has two very special meals this Christmas, a dinner on the 24th and Brunch on the 25th of December both aptly called the Christmas Feast because it is a hearty celebration of food. From French Stollen Bread, Plum Puddings, Marzipan Figurines, Roast Turkey, Suckling Pig and other traditional dishes to some extravagant ones like Seafood Ceviche, freshly shucked Oysters, Lobster, Chilean Sea Bass and so much more. It is a celebration of food and one that will do justice to any serious eater.
Zorawar Kalra knows how to make this city enjoy good food and his latest offering Kode is not just a trendy restaurant but has morphed into one hip nightspot. To keep the party and merriment festive, Kode has a special Christmas Brunch on the 24th of December with a menu that does not feature your usual Christmas suspects but has plenty on offer along with an 8 foot tall decorated Christmas tree and a gingerbread house. Mulled Wine, Plum Cake, Turkish Pides, Churrascaria and grills, spare ribs, 18 hours braised Lamb Shanks, Tenderloin Steak with a creamy Pepper Mushroom Sauce and plenty more to ensure a leisurely festive Christmas Brunch.
This restaurant is celebrating 17 years of feeding Mumbai and is all set to bring in Christmas with a meal brunch on both the 24th and 25th of December. Honey Roasted Ham with Homemade Mustard, Roast Pork Belly with crackling skin, Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes, Brie Cheese with Truffle Mascarpone on homemade Raisin Bread and Yorkshire Pudding and just some of the highlights on the menu that are all set to tempt you. If that is not enough then maybe the 57 Day Booze Soaked Christmas Dessert will entice you into a meal here this Christmas.
Better known as the Tiny Taster, Roxanne is an internationally respected blogger and expert on the Mumbai food scene. She has hosted many events, including the Upper Crust Food & Wine Show and travels the world, sharing her knowledge and gaining more experience.
