Patina: Relish hearty, comforting Parsi flavours at this new diner

Soon as you enter the diner, you’re instantly calmed by teal and yellow décor, despite how hot the day might be. Run by Chef Mathangi Kumar, who has That Madras Place and The Summer House Eatery to her credit, along with Krithika Swaminathan, who is all of 21, this new diner embodies what two women madly in love with comforting food can result in.

As we sit down for a brunch, classics by Kishore Kumar and RD Burman keep us company, lifting our spirits in no time as they bring in the energy of bustling Irani cafés in Mumbai. “Having grown up in Mumbai, Irani cafes were an intricate part of my food experiences. So, Mathangi and I decided to take a trip across the cafés in Mumbai when we had the idea of starting this restaurant,” says Krithika. Think of home-style Parsi food, beachy flavours or some chicory-free rich coffee after an evening by the sea side, Patina has got it all.

Being filter coffee lovers, we begin the brunch with a dabara coffee, which is brewed from coffee sourced from Cauvery Peak Estate in Yercaud, sans any chicory — offering a perfect start to the day. Papeta par eeda, an egg-based dish with thinly sliced potatoes cooked in tomato sauce can be a great beginning to the meal — just simple ingredients working together devoid of unnecessary spices. Don’t miss their rava prawns — juiciest of rava-coated shrimp fried to crisp, as they are sure to remind you of your last Goan holiday. Their mutton pattice served with pav are fried in ghee and come with the softness like the famed Lucknow’s shammi kebabs. The menu also features few Bengali favourites — jhalmuri given an interesting twist by being made of cheeslings instead of the traditional puffed rice and peas infused luchi (similar to puris) served with aloo saag, that sings flavours of home.

“We also wanted to include few dishes we particularly liked from our travels to South East Asia, like the kaya (coconut and pandan infused jam) toast, which is a classic in Malaysia and Singapore,” adds Mathangi. We weren’t surprised that it made it to the menu considering how creamy and comforting the toast is. Make sure to end your meal with their Parle G cheesecake served with kheer — which is sure to take you back to your childhood days. This restaurant is certainly hitting all the right notes with simple ingredients and home-style flavours that are to stay in your mind even after the meal.