The dining room at Brasa is expansive and has an open kitchen, so you can watch chefs toss ingredients and juggle pans.

I begin dinner with peri peri grilled paneer, which is crunchy around the edges. When I bite into a thick slice, the mild sweetness of malai paneer compensates the heavily spiced green chutney. I am convinced that this paneer is perhaps the best thing that could have happened to vegetarians, till the grilled broccoli interrupts me. I can’t help but be impressed at how well it is cooked: soft, with a crisp, coconut crumb sprinkled exterior.

“For grilled broccoli, we wanted a strong hint of masala, prepared by grinding chilli powder and dried garlic paste. We have used manchego cheese,” explains head chef Ganesh.

The broccoli is served with mint leaves, thereby saving you the trouble of having to cleanse your palate, when it is time for cocktails.

I order amour pour la mango, a rum-based drink blended with mango, orgeat and lime. Admittedly, picking this cocktail is like looking for love on Tinder. You know it’s not authentic. You know it probably won’t end well, but you still swipe right. On the plus side, the fiirst sip is not too bad — it is jaggery-sweet with a strong flavour of mango syrup.

Smokey Gonzales, a tequila-based drink infused with apple and butter sauce, screams for attention, especially if you’re a film geek (Guilty as charged). I take a swig, hoping to get gently tipsy and hum ‘My Name is Anthony Gonsalves’ to myself. I guess it was a wrong swipe after all, for the aroma curling up from the lid reminds me of the resin sambrani. Heady, bitter and tangy, it is reminiscent of ayurvedic medicines that my grandma used to forcefeed me. A word of caution: Gonzales is strong and hits hard, especially if you sit back and stare at Brasa’s ceiling, stacked with gravity-defying decorative wine bottles.

Smoked Duck Breast   | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The staff bring in platters of seafood sausage, smoked duck and grilled chicken. The latter offers nothing new. But the seafood sausage is a revelation, with a terrific texture that results from deftly combining minced seafood and vegetables, liberally peppered with herbs. A dish of smoked duck breast, dressed in pumpkin purée and apple brandy sauce, steals the spotlight. Despite the sweet sauce, it is never sugary and has a pleasant caramelly flavour.

Seafood Sausage   | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Portions are fairly small, which is admittedly a given with tapas. However, Brasa is not cheap — so if you’re hungry and planning to order multiple dishes, brace yourself.

I wrap up the meal with smoked dark chocolate cake. Everything about it — the molted chocolate sauce, chocolate slabs, cocoa nibs and hushed drama — is cleverly designed to make you want to revisit Brasa. Swipe right here.