Our visit to Mr. Baozi, the new gastro-pub from the folks behind pub chain The Bar Stock Exchange (TBSE), got us thinking that it is to them what pan-Asian restaurant and bar Cafe Nemo was to Bonobo. While Bonobo is perennially packed, Cafe Nemo, which was run by the same people behind the Bandra bar, shut down owing in part to its out-of-the-way location in Worli Village. We fear Mr. Baozi might suffer a similar fate, even though it’s situated right below the Lower Parel branch of TBSE inside Kamala Mills.
Two weekends ago, when we visited, the place was practically empty. This couldn’t be put down to the immediate effects of demonetisation, which had been announced just three days prior to our visit, because TBSE was so full that there were groups of people waiting outside. Inside Mr. Baozi, which is being positioned as a gastro-pub, there were just three sets of couples apart from our co-diner and us during our two-hour visit.
Mr. Baozi is being treated as a date place probably because it’s more restaurant than bar. It could be that Kamala Mills already has plenty of restaurants but another reason for this vast difference between patronage at Mr. Baozi and TBSE is the crucial fact that the prices are fixed at the former, which means that booze-wise it lacks the same value for money that makes its bigger brother such a go-to spot for a moderately-priced night out.
One of the things we love about TBSE is that thanks to their USP of having drink rates vary according to demand (with a upper ceiling), they don’t need to embellish their menu with fancy cocktails. Mr. Baozi, which has no such distinctive features, relies on an extensive menu that spans multiple South-East Asian countries, and the bar’s house specials to distinguish itself. The problem is that while the food is tasty but not exceptional, the drinks are below par.
Like the interior decorator, the mixologist too does not adhere to the belief that less is more. The Healthy Bang (Rs350), for instance, is a combination of dark rum, beetroot juice, honey, tamarind pulp and star anise. We tasted neither sweetness nor sourness in the smoothly blended drink, which was dominated by the flavour of Old Monk, with only a hint of star anise, which was floating in the drink. It was presented, without explanation, on top of a superfluous shallow wooden bowl. More gimmickry was on display with the Scented Baozi (Rs350), which is poured over frozen pieces of cranberry. The concoction, which includes lemongrass, rose water, lime juice and honey, tasted like a very potent vodka-Rooh Afza combination that we had to leave aside.
The yuzu mojito (Rs350) was so citrusy that even the half-glass worth of crushed ice it came with wasn’t good enough to balance the tanginess of the drink, which is garnished with unpeeled orange slices. The peanut-rimmed Liquid Som Tam (Rs350), a cocktail version of the salad made with vodka and packed with papaya juice, bird’s eye chilli, cherry tomato, coriander, lime juice and jaggery, was more flavoursome and is likely to be a hit with those who like spice.
The bread of the baos, which the gastro-pub is named after, could be less dense. However, the fillings of both the hot garlic chicken bao (Rs285) and the fiery garlic-flecked black pepper prawn bao (Rs300) were on point and would make good additions to TBSE’s bar snacks menu. Similarly, the creamy cheese and salmon rolls (Rs240 for four pieces) and the chili flakes and sesame seed-dotted spicy avocado rolls (Rs170 for four pieces) were satisfying and reminded us of the sushi peddled at Global Fusion. The translucent crystal dumplings (Rs140) encasing crunchy green veggies like Chinese cabbage and zucchini were the lightest of the items we tried.
We might return for the food if the place had more of a vibe, the lack of which isn’t helped by the boring playlist of pop remixes streaming over the speakers. It almost made us wish we were among the raucous lot upstairs at TBSE. Should Mr. Baozi eventually manage to draw in some of that crowd, the waiters might find themselves having to keep one eye of the many knick-knakcs on the shelves. These include red kettles, blue vases and pop-coloured tiffins.
In these cash-crunched times, we wouldn’t be surprised if the team behind TBSE decides to do some restructuring soon. They’d do well to get rid of the roses on the floor tiles and AC ducts; keep the food menu; move to the BSE drinks system, and retain the two eye-pleasing elements of the decor, the detailed line drawings of dragons on the walls and the wrought iron partitions between the booths.
Prices exclude taxes. It is our policy to wait at least a week until an establishment has opened before we review it.
This review was conducted anonymously.
Mr. Baozi Below The Bar Stock Exchange, C Wing, Trade World, Kamala Mills Compound, Lower Parel. Tel: 022 2492 5556. Open daily, from noon to 3pm and from 7pm to 1am. Get directions here.