Latest & Greatest | It Happened In New York | Food Review | Restaurant Review

It Happened In New York has happened to Mumbai, and it is mucho mucho fantastico :)

Situated on Chapel Road behind Lilavati Hospital, Reclamation, this restaurant can be easily mistaken for a boutique or hotel since it is spread over 3 full floors! Ground floor with a breezy dining area, replete with community dining table, first floor with lovely well-stocked bar and plush family sitting options as well as rooftop for the bohemians at heart. Creativity flows freely in the decor, a section reminding one of those evening meetings in Mad Men and yet other bring forth a plethora of rom-coms to mind, featuring breezy delis of the Big Apple with aplomb! Nobody can walk in here and walk out unimpressed with the ambiance. The extremely cheerful and friendly staff with top-notch service just elevate the experience and as my sister said,'there aren't enough stars in the world for an outstanding place like this' :)

It is a bona-fide fine-dine place with a well thought out, limited menu and yes the prices reflect that, but everything we had was extraordinary, so we won't crib about the prices for even a second. What one needs here is an open mind and ability to appreciate something unique. Vegetarians have few options but they are all well done, food presentations is top notch and every dish seems to tell a story. One common thread among them all is, the international menu (New York inspired dishes and drinks) all have a solid Indian touch, with local produce used in everything. International libaas, Desi andaaz, that's what we get here.

We completely surrendered to the bartender to get us drinks and I cannot,for the life of me,remember the name of a single drink (cocktails for my sister,mocktails for me) but it is to the credit of the bartender that he kept surprising us with delicious ditties. A cherry based beauty for me, a citrusy surprise for my sister, a pineapple based refreshing cooler for me and a orange based one for my sister. Pay special attention to the menu here, both food as well as drinks, have been designed so as to work like a guidebook. The experience keeps getting better :)

There is a complimentary amuse bouche for every guest here, instantly instagrammable Rainbow Bagels with cream cheese & crepes, pop them in your mouth and explore a different flavor with each bite. From sour to mildly sweet to dense to creamy to sour again to sweet..this is a roller-coaster and apt indication for more deliciousness on the way.

Bored of having Nachos everywhere,with the same triangle chips, ketchup-y or spicy sauce, beans..we don't really order Nachos anywhere anymore, but the ones here are must-have (a term I shall be using for everything here!) Classic New York style Nachos loaded with American Cheddar, refried beans, pico de gallo, guancamole- these are more like fine-dine version of nachos chaat! Watch out for the special nacho chips made from Manipuri black rice paste. Lovely combination of sweet-spicy-sour-refreshing-cooling-chatpata-crunchy. No wonder every table had one when we were here :)

Another point to note, there is nothing really unhealthy here (at least not in our veg selections :D) I haven't been to New York yet,so I don't know about the food scene there but what these guys have done is, taken International inspiration, brought Indian ingredients, created pretty healthy yet tasty versions of the same, we likey!

Absolutely loved the Sweet Potato Salad, Chilled roasted Sweet Potato and Green Apple Salad with Spiced Walnuts, homage to the famous salad from Waldorf Astoria, this was a bit like the sweet Russian Coleslaw we all love,just better and felt fresher, more wholesome, tempting enough to have everyday!

One dish we should be having everyday is The Grain Story-All Grain Bowl served with Curried Cauliflower Couscous, Charred Fennel Salad, Seared Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Kale Chips and Pesto Bocconcini, with enough quantity for complete lunch for a hulk like me or 2 light eaters! A rare dish that looks and tastes good-again, no addition of cheese or sauces or gravies, just pure earthy grains and basic dressing to elevate their natural textures and healthy goodness. Complete nutrients, from carbs to proteins to vitamins and minerals, charted in one bowl. A big bowl of this everyday is all I need to be #sorted :D

Even though we were almost full by now, we decided to try 2 more dishes and called for them in smaller portions. First up was Vegetable Grill - locally sources fresh vegetables of the day grilled with old bay spice served with buckwheat crepes and curried cauliflower couscous, tastes just like it sounds, nothing much to add or subtract. Praise the nature!

Next up was Bahn Mi sandwich with Miso Eggplant & Tofu between hard breads (like a hotdog), lovely smokey flavors of eggplant & tofu juxtaposed against bread, this will give a satisfying feel to those who crave for sandwiches or burgers or pizzas for lunch. Again, a dish I would not hesitate to order when I am back :)

Finally, Chef sent over our dessert, we might have been pondering over how to fit dessert in our stomach after our lunch splurge, but once we saw Mr. Daniel's Cocoa Pot de Creme, there was no confusion, we had to finish this little pot filled with chocolate-y goodness. And once we tasted this Jack Daniel flavored chocolate, so dense, so creamy, so 'oh-God-I-can-die-now-happily' inducing dessert, we just wanted to marry Mr. Daniel :D All my friends are gonna find me trying to come up with excuses to land at  Reclamation every now and then. I still can taste this on my palate and this silken marvel completes my stamp of approval for It Happened In New York.

It was an honor being here for a review and in the process finding a gem I would be putting on my permanent list of recommended dining abodes in Mumbai :)

PS: Special thanks to the Chef who gifted us his home-made plum cake as parting gift as we had visited here just 2 days after Christmas :)