Edit – This restaurant has permanently closed.
Mibonasa only opened a month ago, but its reputation has been burnished by the bling-bling reviews on zomato by food lovers from Navi Mumbai. Located on Palm Beach Road, the restaurant is growing in popularity for serving South East Asian food that’s as delectable as it is Instagram worthy.
AMBIANCE
A swanky red door leads to a lobby with that smells strongly of lemon and I make my way up the stairs to the restaurant. The first thing that catches my attention is the wall decor. Two walls covered with what looks like wallpaper, but I later find out, they’ve been covered end to end in newspapers from around South East Asia, with beautiful scenes hand-painted on it in black. An auto rickshaw from Thailand and a lively floating market are two of them.
Nina, the owner, extends a warm welcome and offers a table. I can’t help but notice the calmness of the restaurant. Along with the intimate lighting from lamps overhead, the instrumental, oriental music and floral-lemony scent that I’m getting accustomed to, I get the feeling of instantaneous calm you experience when you enter a spa, even before the relaxing massage has begun.
The decor is smart – a black and white colour scheme with a candle in the centre of each table atop metallic meshed table mats.
SERVICE
The staff is well acquainted with the menu, ingredients, and are near at all times, without hovering. They are a friendly bunch who keep checking if customers need anything every now and again. One of them gives an all knowing nod when I tell him I want to take a picture of the food as he is about to serve it. *sigh*
THE DRINKS
Desi Aam Panna – I let the bartender take the liberty of choosing my mocktail, and boy, was I happy! Not only did this instantly cool me down after the insanely long trip to Navi Mumbai, but every sip was like a medley of childhood flavours. The flavours of chilled mango juice with raw mango syrup, cardamom and salt was amplified with lip smacking chaat masala on the rim of the glass.
Orange Temptation – Worth a shot, if your inclination towards mocktails is neither sweet or tangy. I wasn’t too impressed with the Orange Temptation. It was a mix of orange juice, sprite, orange pulp, and I think I tasted a bit of apple juice in it as well.
Buckle in, here’s THE FOOD
Vietnamese Chicken Salad – Fresh and summery, this salad was anything but boring. Lightly pickled vegetables, boiled chicken, glass noodles and flecks of red chilli was all it took to make it. It was crisp, cooling and the chilli added heat without being fiery. I took a second helping of salad for once – and that’s saying something!
Tender Coconut Soup, Thailand – One sip of this soup and I was completely floored (in a good way!) I’d even go so far as to say it was the best soup I ever had. Between the lush coconut milk, tender chicken pieces and subtle flavours of red chilli and basil, this refreshing soup hit the spot. Try it, and you’ll know what I’m talking about. It’s going to be hard to not crave it on a rainy day.
Pork Baos – I’ve always felt that baos are the friendliest looking food on earth! And if I had to imagine a face on Mibonasa’s pork baos, they would be that of a marshmallow-like smiling Chinese man with a Fu Manchu mustache. I mean, c’mon, how can you not want to stuff this in your mouth? The buns pillowy soft bread-like texture gave way to juicy, barbecue pork filling. An East Asian Spin on Choris Pao? I think so! Nonetheless, it was my second favourite on the menu, the first being the soup.
Cantonese chicken dumpling – What Asian meal is complete without dumplings? The lid of the bamboo steamer, when lifted, revealed these translucent treasures containing diced chicken seasoned with Chinese herbs and a mild vinegar sauce. I expected it to be different from other dumplings, but apart from the great sauce, it was pretty much the same.
Curried white fish dumpling – I personally liked these more than the chicken dumplings. Tender basa marinated in Asian herbs and wrapped in silky, almost translucent wrappers came to the table in the traditional bamboo steamer. Inside, it was nestled on a plate of thick, vibrant Burmese curry and crunchy curry leaves for garnish. Yum!
Crispy Fried Tulip with Corn – I was pretty surprised when I heard the term “fried tulips” but thankfully, they weren’t actual flowers. Crispy batter in the shape of tulips were stuffed with fresh, seasoned corn and red masala – like a modern take on a spring roll. If you’re looking for light starters before your meal, choose these, rather than the dumplings.
Sushi Platter – God, this was love at first sight! Can we just take a minute to admire this amazing plating? Each sticky rice ball was covered in paper thin slices of a vegetable or fish. Dipping into soya sauce and wasabi is a must because the first couple of pieces, it can get a little monotonous. Check out the little brown stick-like works of art that garnish the plate. Those are actually prawns that were held in place with a touch of thousand island sauce. If you haven’t had your first sushi roll yet, or have eaten it and not liked it, I promise, you’ll love it once you’ve eaten at Mibonasa.
That’s a lot of food, right? But wait, I’ve not started on the ACTUAL dinner yet!!!
Coriander Pot Noodles – This could be a meal in itself. At first bite, you can’t help but notice how fresh the ingredients are, possibly because the starters didn’t have much scope for the vegetables to shine. Loaded with coriander, baby corn, carrots, juicy mushrooms, red and green pepper, this dish was so healthy and flavourful. We’re so used to soups being either sweet or sour or tangy – this one was neither, yet each flavour of these soupy pot noodles was distinct and harmonious.
Sri Lankan Sambal Rice – I was already slipping into a food coma when the Sri Lankan Sambal Rice arrived. Steamed white rice on a bed of fragrant tamarind and tomato chicken curry garnished with curry leaves. It was both spicy and sweet, and I can’t fault it in any way. However, there are much more exciting items on the menu, so it’s better to skip this one unless you REEEAALLLY want some rice.
Thai Mango Fantasy – Though thoroughly stuffed by then, I couldn’t leave without sampling dessert. And if you thought Goan food used a lot of coconut, you’re wrong, my friend. The chef’s recommendation was this mango and coconut mousse with sago and seasonal fruits on top. Don’t miss the sticky, crunchy honey noodle garnish.
Belly distended and head swimming in umami, I concluded a fabulous meal at Mibonasa. As you can probably tell, it was well worth the trip. There’s still a lot of tempting things on the menu that I haven’t tried yet – like the crab meat baos, prawn chaophraya, thai sesame prawns and barbeque pork spare ribs, to name a few.
Go ahead, try it out and report back!
Highlights – Coconut soup, crispy fried tulips, pork bao, coriander pot noodles
Meal for two – Approx Rs. 2500/- for two (excluding drinks)
Till next time!
