Would you go to Powai to for good grub and beer, especially in a mall? The recently opened brewhouse and restaurant, Crafters Taphouse is hoping the answer is yes. The new space from the Craft Brewerks hospitality group is located within the suburb’s Haiko Mall. The team chose Powai because they thought it was high time the space had brewery of its own. They have the right idea: give people an option that saves them the trip to Andheri.
On tap
The 4,500 square-foot space is painted in dull colours, has daylight streaming in from full-length windows, and an illustration of a hand to drive in their message of serving handcrafted beer. A small stage, dwarfed by a screen, occupies the other end. This will see plays and the odd live music concert in the future. Behind it, an awkward triangle of space has been smartly converted into a smoking zone. The brightest spot in the room is the bar. It is comparatively smaller, separated from the rest of the room by pillars, and has its own seating. It’s far across the windows but the light still manages to reflect off alcohol and the bar equipment. The objects that give the place its name stand in a neat row on the wall: shining taps serving seven (later, 14) brews.
The aim is to have 14 beers on tap; at the moment they have seven including a pilsner, stout and lagers. Experiments for a cider and a sour beer are still going on at their brewery in Navi Mumbai. Master brewer Prashant Madke has received many requests for gluten-free beer, so he is also working with quinoa. It’s not just beer. Their handcrafted experience translates to food and décor — they even have their own T-shirts with quirky lines about beer. The bar will also serve artisanal handcrafted alcohol, think Greater Than gin, in the coming months.
Froth and bite
Our meal begins with a beer tasting; The Beer Paddle is ₹700 (4*200 ml). The Pilsner is the lightest we’ve had, not too bitter and quite frothy. Belgian Wit has aromas of spice, and strong notes of pepper orange and cardamom. The Saison is malty but with a sour kick. The Dark Lager and Coffee Stout are medium bodied, the latter fragrant with the delicious aroma of coffee bean and chocolate.
Our favourite is the Cucumber Lager because it tastes like a beer cocktail; it is crisp, slightly sweet and refreshing. Crafters, we realise, will be good for those trying beers for the first time. The brews are light and frothy, without much bitterness or unpleasant aftertaste. A beer connoisseur may need more convincing.
The food, we’re told, is a mix of all cuisines with emphasis on small plates and bar food that goes beyond just onion rings. There’s a distinctive Indian touch to everything and more than a few dishes have liberal additions of chilli powder. It adds extra heat to the Onion Rings (₹345), with Mexican spices overpowering the beer batter and a heavy Panko crumb coating. Their version of Avocado on toast (₹375) has guacamole on sourdough, an interesting pairing that would’ve tasted better if it was colder. Fish Tacos (₹355) has housemade tortilla filled with grilled fish and a pineapple salsa. The fish has an aromatic spice rub and the salsa adds just the right hint of sweetness, helping us forget all about the sub-par tortillas.
Beyond paneer
Our picks are all vegetarian. Chef Hansel Baptista calls himself a hardcore meat-lover but has worked hard to offer vegetarian fare that goes beyond just paneer. Ratatouille (₹255) has an eggless tart filled with a well-seasoned vegetable mixture of zucchini, yellow squash, sundried tomatoes, eggplant, with a touch of feta. Biscuits & Gravy (₹335) is warm, creamy and cheesy, with mushroom gravy overflowing on top of crumbly sage and feta biscuits. There’s a lot of mushroom (portobello, button and shimeji) in Mushroom Bianca (₹460). The pizza’s too thick base is heaped with mushroom whose umami flavour gets heightened by garlic and fresh basil.
The starters are adequate enough for a meal but leave some space for main course. There’s tender mutton Nihari (₹500), light on flavour and spice; greasy butter naan; and Kimchi Fried Rice (₹495) with juicy grilled prawns and a Malaysian peanut sambal.
Dessert has the usual: parfait, cheesecake, pana cotta, tres leches and ice cream. Our gluten free Orange Chocolate Fudge Cake (₹325) is quite dense, with the gooey consistency of a brownie and orange wedges to cut through the richness. Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta (₹315) is firm on the plate and melts in the mouth, with chocolate rocks for a variant texture.
In all, Crafters offers a satisfying though average (given the variety available in Powai) dining experience. It’s worth a visit for the free WiFi, reasonably priced beer, and the food, which though spicy is comforting and familiar.
Crafters, Haiko Mall, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai; phone: 30151675