By Sachin Murdeshwar

 

Mumbai: It’s widely believed that nothing brings people together as great food does. And if the cuisine is exotic, authentic and served to you like royalty, there’s nothing quite like it! On February 28th and 1st March, Actor-Entrepreneur Mr. Shaad Randhawa hosted a special launch party for his friends and colleagues at Bayroute – his Middle Eastern fine dine restaurant. This is Bayroute’s third outlet in Mumbai, after its extremely successful runs at Cuffe Parade and Powai.

 

In attendance on the shimmering night were Sidharth Malhotra, Aditya Roy Kapoor, TaapseePannu, Jackie Shroff, Ronit Roy, Rohit Roy, Urvashi Dholakia, Zayed Khan, Sussanne khan, Gopal Bedi, Fardeen khan, Naved Jafri, SoniRazdan, Director Milaap Zaveri, Director Abhishek Kapoor, Ramesh Sippy, Anurag Kashyap and many more. The cool whiff of the sea nearby added to the festive mood as Bayroute opened its third outlet in Juhu. If you’ve been wanting to beat the usual and indulge yourself in some gastronomical magic, walk right into Bayroute. You’d be stepping in from Juhu, and straight into one of the charming old streets of the Middle East!

 

Sitting pretty in one of Juhu’s toniest neighbourhoods, Bayroute’s charming old-world exteriors blend beautifully with its modern, minimalistic interiors. The unmistakable whiff of Middle-Eastern aromas welcomed the guests who arrived to cheer their friend on. The tables were done up in exquisite Middle-Eastern style, complete with chic rose-gold cutlery. The seasoned chefs had whipped up the most exotic dishes, prepared with generations-old family secrets from the deepest corners of Lebanon, Morocco, Turkey, Egypt and Greece. Being served generously were piping hot open-fire-cooked kebabs, KOSHARI(National dish of Egypt), ARNI ARNAKI(Butter-braised lambs shanks), BERBEREROASTEDCHICKEN (Ethiopian Spice Rubbed Chicken), LAVASH CRUST CHICKEN KABSA(Arabic Zaffran-Infused Rice), MACHBOOS AL KUZU (Middle Eastern Spiced Rice Cooked In Lamb), SNAPPER TRIPOLI (Tripoli’s Pit Roasted Snapper Filet), RUBYAN MESHWI(Charcoal Grilled Prawns), VEGETABLE TAGINE (Sweet & Tangy Moroccan Slow Cooked Vegetable) mind-numbing choices in exotic desserts like ZAFFRANI MILK CAKE, BAKLAVA, LOTUS DRAMA, THE CHOCOLATE FONDANT and SORBETS.

 

The world’s finest wines which included – MIDDLE EASTERN STYLED RED WINE SANGRIA and EGYPTIAN PYRAMID WHTE WINE SANGRIA were paired perfectly to go with the cuisine, while the bartender tossed up house-special cocktails such as FIG-IS-TAN, DRINKLIKEANEGYPTIAN, TURKISHMADNESS, DESSERT STORM, KAFFIR AND ORANGE TINI, Some GIN-ITOS including WASABI TINI, HIBISCUS COOLER and mouth-watering sheikh & shakes – SALTED CARAMEL BAKLAVA SHEIKH, ARABIC DATE PALM SHAKE.

 

Said Mr. Shaad Randhawa – “Food and travel have been my greatest passions, and Bayroute is a culmination of the two. When I was travelling extensively through the Middle East, I realized that in India, we’ve been deprived of their best-kept culinary secrets! Bayroute was born after years of extensive research, travel and training. We source some of our ingredients straight from the bazaars of the region – that’s how authentic Bayroute is. I am so thrilled to have some of my closest friends from the film industry here with me tonight. Their encouragement and support means the world to our team that have burned the midnight oil to make Bayroute one of the top fine dining restaurants in Mumbai in such a short time. We assure all gourmands that you’ve not experienced Middle Eastern cuisine in India until you’ve dined with us at Bayroute!”

Added Mr. Arjun Raj Kher – Brand Head, Bayroute,“With the success of Bayroute in Cuffe Parade and Powai, Juhu had long been on our mind. The location is precious, right on the shore of the mighty Arabian Sea, it feels other-worldly. We are very happy to have Bollywood’s prominent faces with us today and it greatly encourages us to keep innovating and being brave with our choices. With the launch of Bayroute’s third outlet, we are looking forward to keep the passion alive for all gourmands who walk through our doors!”