This 5-Course Meal And Cocktails At Keiba Is Exactly What The Foodie In You Needs On A Friday
That “Frinally Friyay” wala mood is best enjoyed when you have a great plan to go with it. And, what better way to bring in the weekend than with some cocktails, conversations and plenty of fooood!
My stop for the night was at Keiba where the Black & White PLATTER 2.0 was to be held. Keiba is South Asian cuisine restaurant located in Mumbai’s very popular Mahalaxmi racecourse premises.
Now, you’d think that it’s always a good day for some sushi and dumplings but that was not the only highlight of this event. The B&W PLATTER curated by Food Talk India is so much more than just a 5-course dinner.
I walked into a comfortable communal sit-down soiree and was invited to #EatSipShare with a bunch of strangers who became friends. Here’s what a night of sushi-ing and socialising in Mumbai looked like.
Let’s Talk Cocktails
The cocktails on the menu were perfected for the cuisine to be served at the event. From classics like a Whisky Cherry Smash and a Strawberry Whisky Sour to B&W specials like the Mandarin and the Nutty Professor, all the drinks were mixed with the Black & White 12- Year Old Scotch.
One sip and I was convinced that this Scotch is not just a neat sipper but quite the cocktail maker. A round of cocktails at the table was enough to break the ice and get the conversations rolling.
Did Someone Say Food?
The B&W PLATTER event began with, no guesses here, a “platter” of assorted starters. For the first course, a platter of grilled vegetarian and non-vegetarian skewers were served with some dips. From corn cob, mushrooms, tofu and broccoli, to chicken, pork, prawn and squids, everything on the platter made for great munchies with the cocktails and conversations.
Course 2 saw a round of small plate meals. I picked the warm dumplings served with a spicy sauce. All I can say about this dish is that it was comfort food AF. For non-dumpling fans, there was plenty of other options like turnip cakes, bird chilli prawns and supashi chicken too.
After the first two meals, I decided it was time for some palate cleansing with another cocktail. The sweet Strawberry Whisky Sour was just the right amount of cooling on a warm October night in Mumbai.
Don’t Shy From DIY
Sipping a cocktail is always fun but making one…can be even better. The entertainment for the night was our own bartending kit with a Black & White whisky bottle, mixers, tools and garnish to make a DIY cocktail. We began by taking instructions from the host. He introduced us to the ingredients and took us through each step. From muddling the basil leaf in our hand, to mixing the right juice with the alcohol, we had a fun time experimenting with bartending. After some hard work and lots of goofing around, everyone at the table concocted their very own Black & White cocktail.
Food + More Food = Best Night Ever
Next in line was some good old sushi. The vegetarians gorged on avocado sushi, while the non-vegetarians enjoyed prawn tempura sushi.
As the main course began to pull up, I began to understand what a PLATTER event really meant. Sharing a meal with strangers who were now friends felt a lot more natural as I passed along the jasmine rice and Thai curry. Another friend from across the table insisted I try the lotus root and water chestnut in oriental sauce with the noodles because apparently it felt like a “warm hug”. And, I couldn’t disagree!
Sweet Talk Your Way Through
From sweet beginnings to a sweet ending, quite literally, the B&W PLATTER had it all. Our eyes lit up as the final course was set on the table. It was a molten chocolate cake infused with Black & White 12-Year Old and had us licking the cutlery to the last bite.
By the end of the night, I was walking out with a happy belly, a few more Instagram followers and foodie friends I’d definitely want to bump into again. And that’s not just wishful thinking, I might actually have the chance to meet them again at another Black & White PLATTER event being held at more venues.
*Drink Responsibly!
