Seven years. That's how long the fine folks of Mumbai have waited. Seven years since Comorin opened in Gurugram and began its quiet revolution. No foam, no spherification, no tongs balancing micro herbs like surgical instruments, just deeply rooted Indian food. The new outpost of Comorin, which lorded over Gurugram's dining scene with the quiet authority of a restaurant that doesn't need to shout, brings precisely that energy to Mumbai at Nilaya's Anthology, a beautiful design destination in Lower Parel.
Simplicity still has bite
Comorin has never traded in theatrics. There are no smoke guns or dishes that arrive on upturned bonsai trees. The drama, if you like to call it, lies on the plate. The secret here is restraint - the confidence to cook well, plate simply and leave the rest to the eater. In a city awash with overstyled, overthought menus, it stands out with a lot of substance. Not to mention, they have taken their sweet time getting here. But they have arrived knowing exactly what they're doing.
It would be too easy, too inaccurate to label it as fusion. This is elevated comfort food, but without the usual dilution of the term. These are dishes that remain loyal to regional traditions even as they're imagined. You get the sense the kitchen and the bar, both have done their homework. What's striking is how everyone is invited to the table. This isn't a menu that flatters only one region. Whether you're from the dusty heartlands of Uttar Pradesh or the spice-drenched coasts of Kerala, there is something here that will speak to your culinary memory. You don't feel left out. You rather feel seen. Brand Chef Dhiraj Dargan believes, “City culinary identity is respected where we are not tweaking the DNA of a dish. For example: Pao Bhaji on our menu, where the bhaaji is kept as it is meant to be. The paos have been infused with flavours of caramelised onions, which lend a pinch of sweetness to balance the sharpness of the bhaaji.” Chef takes convincing a customer who expects familiar comfort food to embrace unusual and daring culinary combinations as an exciting challenge, “We offer small tastings of the various innovative creations to the diner. A taste can often be more convincing than a description. Also we let the flavours speak for themselves and entice the diners' curiosity.”
On regional Indian food often getting pigeonholed into stereotypes, the chef stresses on how he strives to enhance it by working around with ingredients that complement the dish. “Creating new flavour combinations that work, adding elements that add crunch to the dish. For eg, the dish, Aam Ki Kadhi, Khoba Roti, Bakharwadi is a perfect example of a cliché dish Kadi (in our reference, the Rajasthani Kadi with Gatte) that has been reimagined as Aam ki Kadhi, paying homage to the city known for its mangoes.”
The food
Start, as you must, with their Lemon Gunpowder Idli - plump, lightly crisped and crowned with golden cashews, buttery and rich, the kind of garnish that doesn't scream. The Nimbu Masala Avocado with Banarasi Aloo Papad is one of those creations that shouldn't work, but to our surprise it does. It's sharp and unapologetically desi.
Up next, Smoked Kathal Galawat, with its subtle Mango chilli chutney, achieves the impropable making jackfruit feel genuinely luxurious. There's Mutton seekh which is a dense, spiced log of carnivorous joy, dripping with hot butter, torn up with Kashmiri roti. The Haleem is an act of slow-cooked devotion, a velvety spoonful against the crunchy bakarkhani and crispy onions. Meanwhile, Green Chilli Prawns are a thump of heat and brine, gently mellowed by the nutty earthiness of Mizoram black rice - a pairing so good you will wonder why it's not more common. The Tawa Crab Anda Bhurji spooned atop chilli butter toast is riotous, indecently rich, and one of our favourites from the menu.
Among the larger plates, the Kashmiri Gucchi Pulao feels like a celebration of morel mushrooms, saffron and restraint all at once. The Aam ki Kadhi with its tang sits alongside a flaky khoba roti and crispy, cumin-flecked bakharwadi, turning what could have been a lunchtime afterthought into a reverie. The Champaran Mutton is dark, sticky, garlicky and straight from Bihar's soul, while the Himachali Cha Gosht, paired with til-pudina chutney and plain steamed rice is spiced but not aggressive. End with Cheeni Malai Toast topped with honeycomb, nostalgia at its best.
The cocktails
With Varun Sharma behind the bar, you can sit back, sip easy, and let the magic pour. There's no average lime soda and syrup parade happening here. He offers cocktails that are smart without being smug. The best part? He serves up nostalgia without drowning it in drama. It's the simplicity that does all the talking.
We started with Neer More 2.0, a green chilli-tequila concoction with ajwain liqueur and a coriander foam that somehow works, like a yogurt-laced smirk. The Mango and Fig highball is clean, effervescent and suspiciously drinkable.
Bourbon Cola is all smoky edges and cola foam that tastes like your childhood went to finishing school. But the Smoky Spritz - Islay malt, tomato shrub and celery is the genius of the lot. You will want another.
To sum up, unlike the many overhyped imports that crash into this city's dining scene, Comorin arrives seasoned, unbothered, and utterly self-assured. It's not here to dazzle. It's here to feed you well. And if that sounds simple, that's because it is, and because it should be. All it needs is a plate. Go hungry. Go often. Go with people who don't mind you eating off their plates.
Address: Peninsula Corporate Park, Peninsula Point, At Nilaya Anthology, Ganpatrao Kadam Marg, Lower Parel West, Mumbai
Timings: 12 PM to 12 AM
Meal for two: INR 3,000 (Including alcohol)