Bandra is bursting with new eateries. New places are sprouting like mushrooms. And, I mean it in a good way. Amidst that, I happened to be at a newbie in the Queen of Suburbs called Los Cavos that has cosy day vibe and, so I’m told an insane night vibe.
Vibe Of Los Cavos In Under 70 words:
Where once stood a Coffee By Di Bella, stands Los Cavos with its green, powder blue and pink-walled exteriors. After surpassing the colours of Powerpuff Girls (ah, nostalgia!), you step inside and the feeling of instant transportation to a Latin American bar, more specifically one in Peru, washes over you. The interiors are done by Maze Concept Design Studio. And, the nooks are ‘grammable!
What I Tried At Los Cavos:
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Cold Appetizer:
- Los Cavos Ceviche
Hot Appetizer:
- Marinated scallops in pisco
- Mushroom croquette
Mains:
- Pork belly
- Seco
- Pan-seared Chilean sea bass quinotto
- Veggie chaufa rice
- Grilled tofu quinotto
Desserts:
- Banna Tiramisu
- Churros
Cocktails:
- Nikkei Sour
- Manzana Fresca
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How Was It?
Gastronomical. Different. Fresh and hits the right spot. Extra points for presentation.
When it comes to cocktails, they are punchy. While you wait for your food to arrive, I suggest doing what we did, order a bowl of Truffle poatato fries that come with a creamy garlic aioli dip. The dip is heavenly and you’d certainly ask for more. We did!
Image Courtesy: Rachna Srivastava
Digging into the food, I was floored by Los Cavos Ceviche. With the fresh catch of the day, the dish had fried calamari, chulpe corn, a sweet potato puree at the base, and a rich, creamy yellow chili Leche de Tigre (Tiger’s milk). Packed with crunchiness, sweetness, and tartness, this one dish is gonna play with your senses. A sure highlight for me.
Image Courtesy: Rachna Srivastava
Mushroom Croquettes were okay according to me. Not too bad in the taste and presentation, but I would suggest giving this a skip.
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Marinated Scallops in pisco, was a beautifully presented dish. With parmesan foam, grana padana (a cheese from Po River Valley in northern Italy), chive oil, and it was the crumbled garlic lent the extra punch to the whole dish. Even though by the time I got to the dish it was attaining room temperature, the crunch was intact.
Image Courtesy: Rachna Srivastava
Coming to the Mains, my oh my, what a flavour explosion that was. I dug into Pan-seared Chilean sea bass quinotto and the fish simply melted in my mouth. It is quite easy to overcook a fish, but this was done quite well. The yellow chilli sauce was the same for Grilled tofu quinotto, so skipped the tofu and just had the fish. Good flavours and the portion size is quite appealing for a meal for one.
Chef Rafael highly recommended Seco, lamb chops cooked in cilantro chilli sauce served with assorted potatoes, carrots, and peas. The lamb was well done and not chewy at all. Just how I like it. The sauce complemented it well. But I can have the lamb on its own as is, too. It was that juicy good!
Image Courtesy: Rachna Srivastava
Another Chef’s recommendation was Pork Belly. It might come off as a regular pork belly dish to you, but it wasn’t until I squeezed a togarashi-spiced lemon upon it. Game changer is the word. The dish came with avocado, asparagus, and an anticuhera sauce. The fat of the pork held the dish tight and the lemon levelled up the eating experience.
Image Courtesy: Rachna Srivastava
I did a very small tasting of Veggie chaufa rice that’s made in oyster sauce. The feeling of having it is the same as that of having a bowl of wok-fried Chinese fried rice. If you are not feeling experimental and want to treat your palate with familiar flavours, you may have this. Even Chef himself added that, “Peruvians are married to everyone because we got the influence of China, Japan, Spain, Italy, and also Africa.” So chaufa rice tasting like veg fried rice is a completely reasonable explanation.
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Time For Desserts
Image Courtesy: Rachna Srivastava
For tiramisu lovers, the Banna Tiramisu that is served in a coffee cup might be a grand experience. I, for one, have never been a Tiramisu person when it is overtly sweet. This one was. But when it came to the Churros, there was no stopping for me. Hands down, it can compete and even win the tag of best churros in Bandra. They are THAT good. Especially, the dark chocolate dip with orange in it and a Nutella-inspired hazelnut dip that it is served with. Fan!
Meet The Makers:
Just a couple of weeks old, it is already a hit amongst Mumbaikars. For their first week, they were only open during the evenings. But lately, they have also opened their doors for lunch. During the day, it is gonna give you the feeling of sitting, probably, in a bar in Havana.
From the house of VRO Hospitality, their fourth gem (after Hangover, Badmaash and Cafe Noir), this place will certainly take you on a culinary adventure. And Peruvian chef, Rafael Estremadoyro García, has woven some magic marrying Peruvian flavours using Indian ingredients.
He is working for the first time in India and had certain apprehensions about how he would be able to source the ingredients to pack a Latin American punch. However, Chef Rafael is adamant about exploring the Indian markets, playing with ingredients, and also trying to fuse more Peruvian and Indian flavours in his dishes.
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Toh Jaau Ya Nahi? (Should I Go Or Not?)
Haan, haan, of course. If you are looking for a new hangout spot with your gang or want to have a breezy brunch with your family, head here. I am yet to see what crowd this Bandra newbie attracts at night. Till then, you go and tell me na, how did you find Los Cavos?.
I am heading back for Los Ceviche and Churros for sure!
Where: Ground Floor, Kiran Kunj, 24th Road, Off Linking Road, Opposite Elbo Room, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra (400050)
When: Monday to Thursday – 5 PM to 1 AM | Friday to Sunday – 12 PM to 1 AM
Cost: ₹2500 for two
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Cover Image Courtesy: Rachna Srivastava and Supplied