After a decade of dishing out khao suey and momos to grateful Colaba patrons, Busaba goes midtown, moving into a lofty space across from Blue Frog with plush couches, fiery curries and inexplicably, a Scottish chef. The question is this: does this second sister live up to the original?

A Chib off the Old Block?

Well, she certainly looks different. Unlike the brightly-lit Colaba branch, this new space is sexier, hipper, dimmer (in some instances  too dim – but we’re told they’re working on the lighting). It is also much bigger, with soaring ceilings and exposed ducts, steel grey walls and red accents, minimalist bar lights and terrible views. Suffering from an Industrial complex?

While we were deciding on whether we wanted the updated model or preferred the old one, the bartender sent over long stemmed martini glasses coated in colour, embellished with glistening slices of fruit, smelling of long, intoxicated nights in Phi Phi. These included a frothy lemongrass concoction called Aja and Gateway Sunset, ruby red and thick with pulp. Also try Good Morning Vietnam and King of Hearts, old favourites that reminded us why the cocktails have always been a draw at Busaba.

Taste Management

Our tasting menu started out strong, with an elaborate platter of aubergine Carpaccio, comely enough to incite even the staunchest baingan-bashers on our table – sliced thin, deeply pickled, and unexpectedly delish. Also good were barbequed spare ribs, less sweet and more pleasant than most anywhere else in the city, and a bowl of crispy tofu tossed with salt, pepper and a whole lot of chillies.

Mouths afire, we reached gratefully for hearty portions of Tom Kha soup, an intensely silky, salty broth rooted in coconut milk. This was followed by reliably good stir fried vegetables and Busaba’s signature yellow Thai curry, which earned the approval of a persnickety fellow-diner who has lived extensively in Malaysia and went perfectly with sides of burnt garlic rice.

Dessert, like all good things, came in twos – a fruit salad and banoffee pie. Piled high on ice and topped with a basil leaf, the former was less sweet and more interesting than the latter, a thick slice of toffee, bananas and crust that only the sweetest tooth can conquer.

Snack That!

Busaba also plans to open a take-away counter at its entrance, initially operational just for lunch and dinner, but which will eventually stretch long into the night. It is a clever idea, and will be a huge draw for party-goers at Blue Frog who fancy a bento box or roll to snack on in between gigs.
But Busaba has always been a clever restaurant, holding its own in the culinary cauldron that is Colaba. Armed with a strong kitchen and loyal patrons, it is likely to succeed in Lower Parel as well, upcoming hub and newest battleground of Mumbai’s topmost restaurants.

Getting there: Todi Mills, opposite Blue Frog, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, set to open early February, Rs 1,500 for a meal for two without alcohol, opens January 31, call 9833090380 for updates.