The North American festival Thanksgiving has fast gained popularity in Mumbai. Restaurants are celebrating the best way they know how with fabulous menus that go beyond the obvious but also pay homage to some classic Thanksgiving treats.
It is usually celebrated on the last Thursday of November ( 23rd this year ) and is marked as a day of giving thanks. It is the beginning of the harvest festival celebrated by the Pilgrims since 1621. The history and origins don't seem to hold much importance to Mumbaikars as much as the menus do. These are a few restaurants in the city that are getting into the festivities and have some lavish menus.
Cafe Zoe - If you want a big fat traditional meal at your home then give Cafe Zoe a 24-hour notice and they will serve you a stunning meal from their Thanksgiving Menu this year. You can choose from a whole Butterball turkey( imported from the USA, a whole sucking pig ( imported from Belgium ), a whole roasted duck ( locally sourced from Pune) or then a whole roasted chicken ( locally sourced from Mumbai ). Each roast is accompanied by 4 different sides of your choice ranging from sweet potato mash with orange zest to leek and potato gratin. They're also throwing in a couple of their own signature desserts. If you are planning a big family-style meal at home this is the perfect menu but if you're happy to indulge at the restaurant itself ( they will still need a 24-hour notice ) then you'll be entitled to a 10% discount.
The menu is priced from Rs 1500 - Rs 17,000 depending on which roast you pick. The most expensive is the whole roasted pig but it feeds between 8 -10 people.
You can pre-order from 20th Nov - 31st Dec 2017.
Bastian - The restaurant is helmed by North American chefs who are all set to celebrate the holiday. On the 23rd Bastian has a special set dinner that has dishes like a bbq platter including paneer and tofu, green bean salad, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, gluten-free stuffing, grilled corn and a traditional Thanksgiving turkey with cranberry sauce. There's more as part of the feast but if you have a sweet tooth then the apple pie, pumpkin pie, cookies and ice cream sundae bar is what you don't want to miss out on.
The Dinner is priced at Rs 5500 per head without alcohol and Rs6500 per head with alcohol.
Grand Hyatt Mumbai - The hotel is getting into the spirit of Thanksgiving with whole roasted turkeys and pies available at their Gourmet Store from the 18th - 23rd November but the real indulgence is their Thanksgiving dinner at their restaurant Fifty Five East. Dinner is an elaborate spread of maple ginger glazed ham, sautéed Brussels sprouts, chestnuts and almonds, roast turkey with cranberry sauce, apple chutney and apricot marmalade along with honey glazed baby carrots and a lot more. The festivities continue on the weekend with the Unapologetically Italian Thanksgiving Brunch featuring Chef Alessandro's family recipes and their main Sunday Thanksgiving Brunch that has a glorious lamb wellington and Sheppard's pie as part of their extravagant spread.
The Thanksgiving Dinner is on 23rd November and both Brunches are on the 25th and 26th of November.
JW Cafe- Brunching at this hotel is always a grand affair but when the hotel decides to throw a dedicated Thanksgiving themed brunch you know it's going to be impressive. The JW Marriott Sahar is pulling out all the stops with their buffet brunch menu that has dishes like fennel roasted pork belly, pumpkin parmesan agnolotti, roasted turkey with cranberry sauce and even a special carving station for various meats. This, of course, is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to their spread but it's the ideal location for a family style lazy brunch with some great Thanksgiving special dishes.
The brunch is on Sunday 19th November and is priced at Rs 2700 plus taxes per person without alcohol and an additional package of Rs 1100 plus taxes to include alcohol. The Moet Chandon Champaign Brunch is Rs 4500 plus taxes.
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.
