We recently visited Mumbai’s first-ever Sip and Vault restaurant, Qey, which is located at the bar gullies of Lower Parel. It allows alcohol lovers in the city to open their bottles, celebrate and store them in designated lockers at the resto bar till their next visit at a subscription rate.
Walking through the impressive interiors with the vault boxes on one of their walls, we readied to taste their cuisine. The first thing that caught our eyes from their menu was Mushroom Baklava. We wondered how the popular Turkish dessert was made into an appetising snack. With the very first bite, we savoured its flaky texture and cheesy taste. The stuffing combined the rich flavours of the mushroom with cheese as it was meticulously packed within the phyllo pastry.
Eat, drink, repeat...
Next on our table was Pesto Arancini presented to us with marinara sauce that complemented the rice balls. While it started with a crispy bite, the well cooked risotto inside added softness to the dish. We paired the Arancini with one of the classic cocktails — a Picante. It was rimmed with some salt and chilli powder that added to the goodness of the drink. The tequila-infused drink’s spicy punch matched well with the subtle flavour of the rice balls, making them a perfect food and beverage combo.
Pesto Arancini with a Picante | Swarna Srikanth
An opportunity to do it yourself (DIY)
This place has an unique offer for the ones keen to craft their own cocktails. The gins trolley allows you to craft one using gin and tonic under the guidance of a mixologist here. It is a great experience regardless of whether the drink you prepare comes out well or not.
We explored the menu further and decided to try a jackfruit-based delicacy — Jackfruit Pide. Pide is a Turkish flatbread with toppings. This one had jackruit marinated in BBQ sauce. We enjoyed this the most. The flatbread was topped with crushed jackfruit seeds which gave it a nutty finish. We could say that the pide was more of an Indianised version of the Turkish dish.
Jackfruit pide | Swarna Srikanth
One non-veg dish please!
We later tried a Lamb Dolma wrapped in tender Colocasia leaves. It was soaked in lamb jus and was served with a mayonnaise dip. As we opened the perfect-looking dolma, we were a little disappointed as the lamb and rice were not binding well because it was undercooked to ensure that leaf colour was left fresh looking.
Lamb dolma | Swarna Srikanth
Cocktails, cocktails and just cocktails
Observing our table was full of food and less on drinks, Bar Manager Lordston Soares (Maddy) insisted that we try some more cocktails. He mentioned about the bar offering dairy-washed alcohol and made us sip Tropical Delight, a yoghurt-washed gin cocktail that beautifully romanced passion fruit puree with the notes of alcohol. It was fresh on the palate and left us with a fruity sweetness.
Maddy later surprised us with two more drinks — Pink Coupe and Bugs Bunny. The first one was a tribute to our love for Campari, while the other impressed us for its Instagrammable look. Pink Coupe had a pleasing frothy look which infused Campari, vodka and the mildly sweet flavour of elderflower. Bugs Bunny first kissed us with the taste of caramel, followed by a pinch of vanilla which was the tincture used in the cocktail. The carrot-based drink finished with the notes of rum.
Pink coupe | Swarna Srikanth
Did we call it a night? Not before we tried the Biscoff Royale. We were delighted to try this cocktail as it was prepared using milk-washed whiskey, which ditched the rich brown colour of a traditional whiskey. The cocktail made us feel like we were 'drinking' a cheesecake. After winning our heart with its sweet and refreshing aroma, it gave us a cakelike feel on the palate. The raw taste of whiskey was hardly obvious. “Washing alcohol, in this case whiskey, with milk makes it lose the strong taste of rice and barley. The rawness just goes off, making it more smooth and enjoyable,” said Maddy while noting the trend of dairy washing spirits.
Biscoff Royale | Swarna Srikanth
Dessert, anyone?
It was almost a filling meal already, but how could we miss the dessert, especially when there was Baklava Cheesecake that triggered our sweet tooth pangs. No doubt that the dish went well with their concept of giving traditional dishes a contemporary touch. If you crave for more, we also recommend you to try The Qey Sundae which is loaded with chocolate, vanilla wafers and three scoops of ice cream.
Baklava cheesecake and Sundae |
Qey introduces city to alcohol vault concept
The resto bar was launched in June as the city's first-of-its-kind spot. Throwing light on the ‘sip and vault’ concept at Qey, Guest Relation Executive Shweta Doiphode said, "Here, we believe in making our customers our patrons. We provide them with the privilege to buy a discreet space (a vault) where they could keep their treasured collections of alcohol.
Mohd Hanif and Shweta Doiphode with the alcohol vault | Swarna Srikanth
Qey's Membership Card is one's passport to access a personalised vault.” She further noted that there are three types of membership they offer - Loyalty Plus (3 months), Gold Magnus (6 months) and Platinum Reserve (1 year). Restaurant Manager Mohd Hanif proudly informed us that they have already welcomed two platinum members.
Average cost for two: Rs. 3600 (with alcohol)
