Taj hotel reopens Wasabi and Harbour Bar

The Wasabi by Morimoto restaurant and the Harbour Bar are officially re-opening their doors to guests this month. The two renovated spaces at the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel have been the focus of a fair amount of curiosity this month, for a number of reasons.

Firstly, Wasabi was, and now still is, the city's most exclusive and expensive restaurant, serving Japanese haute cuisine, while the historical Harbour Bar, opened in 1933, has played host to decades of high-powered meetings. It was also Mumbai’s first licensed bar.

Secondly, both spots were severely damaged in the three day terrorist assault on the hotel last November. But the spirit and speed with which the owner of the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower has resurrected his hotel property has symbolized the city's proud defiance. The brief was for both restaurant and bar to be remade to the highest global standards.

Finally, the Rockwell Group Europe were commissioned for the redesign of this sensitive project. The Rockwell Group has a strong history in upmarket hospitality projects, including the Alma de Cuba in Philadelphia; Django, Café Gray and Nobu Fifty Seven in New York; and Olives and Zen in Tokyo. 

These are the details from a preview where Diego Gronda, Madrid-based Creative Director of the Rockwell Group Europe, took us on a tour of the two neighboring nightspots.

“Today, we have come one more step closer to fulfilling our promise of rebuilding the Taj to its former glory. The opening of Wasabi and Harbour Bar is an important milestone...”

— Karambir Kang, General Manager, Taj Mahal Palace & Tower.

The design and décor of the Harbour Bar is influenced by its history with Art Deco furniture and finishes. The center bar is a solid, carved piece of white marble, while the back bar framed in cut glass has an inviting warm glow. More windows and a raised seating area overlook the Gateway of India harbor. Intimate and classy, it exudes an old world charm offset by contemporary Indian art. I love this redesign. People will make life-changing decisions here in business and in love, as they always have done at The Harbour Bar.    

Prohibition era cocktails under the heading "Since 1933," include almost 30 whiskeys from the 1930s and 40 single malts. "Global Tapas" such as guacamole panipuri with tamarind dressing, crab samosas and Iberico ham with figs go well with varieties of craft beer which you won't find anywhere else in the city.

Placed like freestanding furniture, the sushi counter and teppanyaki kitchen serve as focal points of activity.

Wasabi is approached via a winding staircase from the Harbour Bar or through a new glazed elevator. The stairs in a dramatic bright red lacquer frame the restaurant entrance giving it instant appeal. The overall look is crafty, traditional Japanese and the sushi counter and teppanyaki kitchen serve as focal points of activity, with the teppanyaki area defined by a large art piece by British artist Petr Weigl. The key feature of Wasabi is the private dining enclave for eight people with a personal chef and exclusive sushi preparation. A bold, sculptural table dominates the room, complemented by an over-scale custom hammered metal light fixture, like dining in a huge metal pearl.

"Guests will be happy to know that the popular old menu has been retained completely. They can still order any of their favorite dishes," says Executive Chef Hemant Oberoi. His team have also incorporated 14 new dishes, including an authentic Japanese curry. You will be equally spoilt for choice when it comes to drink, whether it's Japanese beer, premium whiskey or Japanese rice wine (sake) of which they have introduced 12 new varieties.

For reservations contact Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, P J Ramchandani Marg, Apollo Bandar, Colaba, Mumbai, tel. +91 (0) 22 66653366