I think it was Chef’s Table on Netflix that first sparked my interest in fine dining. My first true fine dining experience was at Tresind. A 14-course degustation menu that opened up an entirely new world for me, and that’s when the hunt began.
Then came Avartana, widely regarded as one of the best fine dining experiences in India. I didn’t enjoy Avartana as much, but that’s a story for another post.
Though the experiences were memorable, both were missing the exclusivity and intimacy I was searching for, my own idea of what fine dining should feel like.
One afternoon while cafe hopping in Bandra, we walked into Veronica’s and noticed a few people seated on the first floor. We wondered whether that space was additional seating space or just a storage room. What we assumed to be storage turned out to be India’s most exclusive restaurant, Papa’s.
Papa’s is an intimate, 12-seater chef’s counter restaurant that operates only four days a week. Securing a reservation here is harder than booking a Tatkal train ticket during festival season. We were fortunate to get our reservation confirmed through a concierge service. But the dining date was set two months from the day our reservation was confirmed.
Those two months passed in eager anticipation, with regular and thoughtful communication from the Papa’s team. The sense of exclusivity began the moment our reservation was confirmed. A few days later, they reached out to ask about our dietary preferences and any allergies, even offering ingredient swaps to suit our tastes. They contacted us again a few days before the reservation date, this time to understand our drink preferences.
Finally the day arrived. We reached just on time, and one of the chefs came downstairs to receive us. She asked for our reservation name and immediately seemed to know everything about us, the occasion we were celebrating and all the details they had gathered through calls and messages.
We were first taken to the bar area, where we were served welcome drinks prepared based on our preferences. They then gave us the bar menu, and we ordered Sea Biscuit and Paloma. Both drinks were good, but we personally liked the Paloma more; it had the perfect balance of sweet, sour, and spicy flavours.
With the drinks came our first bite of the culinary journey, three bites actually: Laddoo, Mawa Khaja, and Bebinca. The Papa’s menu is deeply inspired by Chef Hussain Shahzad’s roots. In the Bohri Muslim community, it is a tradition to begin a meal with sweet dishes, and this opening course was a reflection of it.
The Laddoo was made with foie gras, quince, and pistachios. The foie gras had a lingering, unique taste and offered a completely new experience for us.
The Mawa Khaja was made from brown cheese (brunost) and topped with caviar. It was another unique creation and tasted quite good.
The third dish, Bebinca, was made with celeriac, black truffle, and dates. All three dishes were unique, beautifully presented, and quite enjoyable.
We were then taken to the chef’s counter, a 12 seater space. The first dish served there was called Samosa. Chamomile tea jelly was wrapped in tuna and shaped like a samosa, topped with horseradish. The dish was simple, elegant and delicious.
All of us were also given a small diary along with a pen, in case anyone wanted to note down the culinary journey.
The next dish was called Curry. It consisted of red snapper, grapefruit, raw mango, and was topped with poppy seeds. While the combination may not make sense on paper, everything came together beautifully. It was a wonderful creation and tasted quite good.
Next came a very creative take on curd rice, called Thayir Sadam. It featured beetroot, curd rice, and chèvre (goat cheese), served with shiso. A much fancier version of curd rice, and it was quite flavourful.
The atmosphere at Papa’s feels like a house party, where the chefs are the hosts and we are the guests. They keep talking in between courses, sharing stories about the place and its history, and keeping everyone engaged. It’s not just a culinary journey, it’s a truly immersive dining experience.
The drinks kept coming between courses, and a lot of them were part of the degustation menu.
After the Thayir Sadam came the Soup. It was another artistic creation, made with turnip, peas, and chhurpi (yak cheese). The teardrop peas popped in the mouth, as if each pea had been carefully chosen rather than randomly added to the dish. Everything came together beautifully, and it worked almost like a palate cleanser for our next course.
Next came Bugs Bunny, a take on à la Kiev. The key ingredients were rabbit meat and red ant sauce, and hence the name ‘Bugs Bunny’. The dish was a completely new experience for us and was genuinely delicious.
The next dish was called Kothu Parotta and was inspired by the classic dish. However, this version came in the form of a curry, made with cuttlefish, mud crab, and salna. The seafood rich dish was well balanced and tasted quite good.
Like other fine-dining restaurants, each dish came with its own cutlery, and the entire set was changed after every course. But Papa’s took it to another level by also changing the cutlery rest with every course. They had many cute cutlery holders, which made the dining experience feel cozy and fun.
In one course, they even gave us a Damascus steel knife. When I asked about it, the chef was happy to share the contact details of the maker as well. The exclusivity of using a Damascus blade and the intimacy of being able to talk to the chef about it is what truly makes Papa’s special.
The next course was called Kebab. It featured pork and quail egg yolk, served with sawtooth coriander chutney. The quail egg yolk was completely new to us and added a rich texture that balanced the freshness of the sawtooth coriander chutney.
After the kebab, they opened a bottle of champagne and in the meantime, gave us glimpses of what was coming next. The following course was a palate cleanser called Salad. After that it was the Pie. From its appearance alone, the pie was so aesthetically pleasing that no one would want to cut it. And honestly, no one could have guessed what was going to be served inside.
The Salad was made with frost watermelon, tomato, strawberries, and basil, and was topped with a buffalo milk sorbet. It was a light and refreshing palate cleanser, served with the clear purpose of setting the stage for the Pie.
Next came the Pie, for which the anticipation had already been set. Chef Hussain asked us if we could guess what was being served. Obviously, no one could. Then he said, “Think of nihari; the lamb, the marrow, the brain in form of bheja pakora.” The pie was a take on nihari.
Who would have thought that nihari could be served like this. It was genuinely very delicious, and I honestly wished I could have had another piece of the pie.
Next came another star dish, called What the Duck?. It was a duck biryani served with artisanal raita and homemade cola. The biryani itself had dry aged duck, and it was also served with grilled duck on the side. The crunchy layer at the bottom was incredibly crispy and full of flavour. The biryani was truly amazing, almost everyone asked for a refill, and it was the only dish at Papa’s that we were allowed to take more than once.
Now it was time for the desserts. One of the chefs recommended pairing them with a beverage, so we did. We ordered Iris Exit, an espresso based drink, and it turned out to be a genuinely perfect pairing with the desserts. We really enjoyed it.
The first dessert, Sando, was an ice cream sandwich. Veronica’s is essentially a sandwich shop, and with sandwiches being such a big part of their history, it was a thoughtful touch to include one in the dessert menu.
The sando was made with blue cheese & fig jam, and each sandwich also came with a small message for everyone.
The last course of the culinary journey was called Potato Chips. Both desserts had names inspired by savoury dishes and reflected what Veronica is all about. This dessert was made with lemon gelato, champagne, and honey sesame noodles.
And with that, our culinary journey came to an end. There were dishes we loved and dishes we liked, but nothing we disliked. I feel genuinely grateful to have experienced this. We had some very special dishes, unique ingredients, and honestly an experience that felt truly exclusive.
The idea of fine dining that had taken shape in my mind by Chef’s Table, finally met reality. What I had been quietly searching for all along, came together here. The memories from Papa’s will stay with me forever.
