SOURCE OF HAPPINESS

mool:kitchen&bar, restaurant in Fort, Mumbai, believes in going back to roots to give diners an experience to cherish

- Shruti Pandit

The concept of mool: kitchen & bar is clear in the name - getting to the source/root of everything. The restaurant has recipes borrowed from varied home chefs and made from the original ingredients that those chefs used. Sarvesh, the consultant for mool:bar and kitchen, explains the concept passionately, "We explored lengths and breadths of the country and zeroed down a few states."

The best part is that a percentage of the profit made from the recipes by these home chefs goes back to them as royalty. "It is us giving back to the source; source of our happiness."

You are welcomed with some ragi straws served with a tangy, tasty beetroot sauce. The extensive region-wise menu can be overwhelming. It is a good idea to refer to the a la carte menu to order.

Signature cocktails are named after regions in India. "We have used ingredients from those regions," informs bar manager Pooja.

She recommends Pauri from Uttarakhand. Gin infused with rhododendron from Uttarakhand and finished with local lime and lychee liqueur. Half of the glass exterior is covered with hemp seed powder, again from Uttarakhand, to give it textural finish. The powder also adds umami to the drink that is refreshing.