TRUE BREW

You’re bound to get a bit curious when an eatery and pub brewery calls itself Brewbot and opens in the fairly saturated suburb of Andheri West. Armed with curiosity and hunger, we marched into Brewbot for a dekho of this newly opened micro brewery.

As soon as you enter, you know that something good is going down here – Brewbot – designed by the funky folks at Busride Design Studio, is a large, expansive space. Microbrewery equipment, like steel pipes and enormous vats, extends itself across the length of the bar, which becomes part of the industrial décor. The massive glass windows have robot artwork on them, scattered with quotes like these – “Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza”.
Anand Morwani, one of the partners at BrewBot, certainly has gone the whole hog in ensuring that the culinary delights at Brewbot go well with beer. A Cordon Bleu Chef, Anand has been waiting for an opportunity to design an eclectic menu he can be proud of. He got his hearts’ desire when he met Ketan SS Gohel and Ansh Seth. Ketan has been in the hospitality industry for 15 years and has helmed restaurants like Hakkasan, Ellipsis and 212 Bar and Grill before deciding to set up a restaurant on his own. Ansh is a hospitality graduate and financial whiz who is now using his expertise in the food and beverage service and production. However, this Brew Crew was only complete when the trio brought in professional brewer Julie Baggett. Julie has the unique distinction of being the first woman to brew in India! Yay to girl power and bring on the beer!

BrewBot is spread across two levels – one enters through an al fresco area into the main bar and seating, and then stairs lead us up to the second level – the unfinished brick walls give the mezzanine floor a grungy, raw look – a welcome change from the recent spate of over-accessorized eateries. There is plenty of seating upstairs and a roomy open space for the smokers. Brewbot is clearly looking to be a versatile space because they have taken care to include a small performance area on the mezzanine floor, if patrons so wish to have some live music or comedy with their tipple.

Comfortably nestled in the booths on the ground level, we soaked up the ambience while we waited for our food. The first appetizer was Goat Cheese Lollipops. Interestingly presented, this is a crumbled ball of goats cheese stuffed with a secret house blend of dates and jalapenos, served on a bread stick. One pop and you really can’t stop – the lollipop bursts with flavor in your mouth. Well begun is truly half done. The Roasted Beet Salad with caramalised walnuts was a fine balance between sweet and savoury. The Jerk Chicken Skewers were perfectly marinated and had just a hint of orange juice. The remoulade that accompanied the skewers was tangy and a great compliment to the herby pieces of chicken.

Some very interesting items appeared on our table after we polished off the starters. The first thing that surprised us were Crab Sliders. Really? Crab? In a slider? Oh but it was perfect – succulent, tender crabmeat, marinated with a hint of lemongrass, packed in a soft bun; this item really hits the spot for the seafood lovers. Rest assured, the other gourmet burgers include a pulled pork burger, and also something called the Big Bot – to satisfy those with large appetites. The other item that scores on innovation were the Gratinated Mussels – these came with two different stuffings; one was pizza style and the other was with goat cheese and bacon. I haven’t tried mussels like this before and they were packed a combination of cheesy and tangy flavours.
We also sampled a perfectly roasted Spinach and Ricotta Canneloni – which will surely be a hit with the vegetarians. We ended with a warm apple strudel, that felt like a comforting hug. Crumbly and delicious, this one is a must try.
Brewbot is evidently a labour of love. The space has been created and designed with a strong need to break away from the regular conventions of what a restaurant or even a micro brewery should or does look like. This lends Brewbot an identity that will be unique and will set it apart from other pubs. From the well planned restrooms (this is very important to some of us!) to the intelligently crafted menu – great care has been taken to ensure that the customers who come to Brewbot, will come back for more. And then even more.

Brewbot Eatery & Pub Brewery
G-01 & 101, Morya Landmark 1,
Off New Link Road, Andheri (W),
Mumbai – 400 053
tel: +91 22 4003 4448 / 4449
info@brewbot.in
www.brewbot.in
https://www.facebook.com/brewbotmumbai
https://twitter.com/brewbotmumbai
instagram: brewbotmumbai

-By Shagun Luthra
She is a thoroughbred Bombay girl. A television producer by profession, she feels she might actually be a writer at heart. She enjoys the good things in life – shopping, eating and hours of bonhomie with friends.