5 Star Recommendation | House Of Nomad Taj Land's End Bandra Mumbai | Food Review | Food Photography

Taj. This one word includes a world of memories,prestige and pride for us Indians. For me, it reminds me of mom, who, ever since a child in a small city in a remote part of India, wished to come to Mumbai and dine at The Taj, for her it summarized the best of elegance and luxury. And all the special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries we have celebrated at various Taj offerings in past decade, for sure they are the best in terms of royal luxury.

So an invite from House of Nomad at Taj Land's End couldn't be ignored now,could it :) Went in with my mom and sister and was extremely lavishly treated, in impeccable Taj style.

Walking in, the first thing that strikes is the center spread bar area. Intricate amalgamation of wood, metal, shimmering canopy of bulbs, glasses, expensive alcohol bottles, it is a fine sight. The theme of Class + Comfort is aptly carried throughout with high chairs as well as cushioned couches, gorgeous globe shaped lanterns, stained half-wall-length mirrors, it could make one feel like being a part of historic European club or remind them of good old days when explorers sailed through the night in search of new lands. Either version is fantastic. I felt like I was in an upgraded version of Leaky Cauldron and Dumbledore would walk in anytime now :D

Offering the best in terms of alcohol as well as tapas/bar bites, this is the perfect fusion of Indian hospitality in contemporary ambiance + brilliant foot-tapping house music. And prices, extremely affordable, especially considering the ultra-premium everything! The staff here cannot be praised enough. Extremely polite, kind and helpful, they know the menu inside-out and will suggest the best drinks + food for you,just blindly trust them. And do not be shocked when they come over to apologize to you when your drink is not on your table within 5-7 minutes of ordering it! That is the kind of army-level precision they work with. Hats off. 

The bar menu is huge. And when I say huge, I actually mean yuuuuuuuuuuge! Even though I am not a big alcohol fan myself, I tried whatever my sister had and liked them all, while sipping on my mocktail which was fantastic too.

For strong flavor lovers, go for THE FINAL SAY with Rum, Cognac, Peach Liqueur, Guava, Lemon and Sugar or THE BOLLYWOOD HOPEFUL with Vodka, Apricot Liqueur, Mango, Lemon served with a cheeky white wine shot by the side to help the palate appreciate the flavors without getting hindered with excess sweetness of mango.

The best of the lot is CHANNEL NO. 6 (that's the spelling but pronunciation is the same as Chanel), with Vodka, Lychee Puree, Coconut Cream, this one is subtle yet stunning. The presentation elevates it even further with a flawless goblet for the drink + edible lipstick made of jelly + a beautiful crystal perfume bottle with rosewater to spritz on top. Who ever thought of something like this?!

For mocktail lovers like me, go straight for SOMA AMBROSIA with coconut water, lychee, green sage and touch of white chocolate or the ultra refreshing MEDITERRANEAN BREEZE with grapes, blueberries and apples with just a hint of lavendar & violets on top. Feels like heaven yet? :) My mom quite liked her NOMAD ELAICHI with rich coconut cream blended flavors of cardamom + cinnamon + lime + pineapple, this one is the sweetest of the lot.

After the utter confusion that the bar menu presents, it is a relief to see a very succinct food menu. There is enough to satiate veggies as well as non-veggies in there. We ended up trying almost everything for veggies :D

STUFFED ZUCCHINI CHEESE FRIES Dusted With Parmesan, more than fries these are fritters and go extremely well with the sour cream dip provided alongside, must-have with any drink!

SPINACH & GOAT CHEESE PHYLLO PARCELS with Arugula & Sour Cream Dip, My first FAVORITE bite of the evening, these look like little unassuming triangles but are full of wholesome flavors -a bit salty,a bit sweet, very verrry delicious. My sister loathes goat cheese and wasn't even willing to take a bite but boy did she clear the plate with super-speed once she did :D

GRILLED VEGETABLES, Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Thyme,Lemon, a hearty feast of grilled aubergine, bell peppers, zucchini, corn, onions and mushrooms-this is the dish you wanna pounce on when you are on a diet because it brings juicy healthy flavors together in a delicious package-my sister's favorite here :)

TRUFFLE, ARUGULA AND SHAVED PARMESAN FLATBREAD, just by looking at the name one would think it won't be something extraordinary when in reality, it completely is. This dish (almost like a pizza) left me perplexed, how did they manage to have literally 3 ingredients in there and it still tasted sooooo good? I have no idea, but the flavors are clean, straight and make this a must-have. My mom who won't even touch anything with truffles on it, had 2 slices :D

BANDRA SHEERMAL ROLLS with Bhatti Da Paneer & Mint Chutney, a tribute to the rolls and frankies of aamchi Mumbai, this one looked dry but again was absolutely juicy on the palate. Nicely done.

TABLE BBQ SKEWERS with Harissa Paneer, Tangy Tomato Sauce, this was my mom's favorite, perfectly marinated paneer, it brought a medium spicy kick to our feast and was quite filling too :)

You would think we would have no space in our tummy for deserts after all this, but hey this is foodie hulk you are talking about, I don't finish no meal without a dessert, capiche? :D

First up was BAKED RUNNY CHOCOLATE COOKIE PUDDING with Bourbon Ice Cream, my second FAVORITE of the evening, a little twist on 'sizzling brownie with ice-cream'. Crunchy pudding exterior gives way to velvety soft interiors and the bourbon ice cream, hmm, where are the words to perfectly describe the combination? Oh yeah,can't remember because all I can remember is how good it tastes...

And then my sister's favorite- ICE CREAM AND SORBET SAMPLER with 4 distinct flavors-

Lush Chocolate Gianduja Ice Cream & Sea Salt, 

Creamy Cheesy Buratta Ice Cream with Strawberry Compote, 

Airy Light Olive Oil and Lime Sorbet, 

Extremely Tangy and Tingly Apple Sorbet with Apple Slaw

Go crazy! Literally that is the only thing I can say in summation-gather a bunch of your friends and go crazy at the House of Nomad :)