Binge, a Mexican tapas restaurant, is a perfect Friday night hangout with friends

Let’s start with a confession. I haven’t done Friday night scenes in a while. Meeting friends, grooving to great music and forgetting all about the 9 -to-5 rut, that fun and carefree laughter and how great it feels. It all came back to me at a month-and-a-half-old Binge, a Mexican tapas restaurant by Bastian Hospitality, in Khar, last week.

Oh, what a vibe! The 35-seater outdoor and indoor restaurant is like a tiny tropical oasis in the midst of Mumbai’s busy western suburb. As soon as you step inside the restaurant, which has, both indoor and outdoor seating, you are in the chill zone. The decor screams earthy elegance, accentuated by Mexican macrame and tassels hanging from the walls, a vertical herb garden, cacti lined up against a wall, white pots lined in another, and comfy beige chairs and tables and cosy lights.

Binge tapas restaurant

Top that up with upbeat, trippy music and Chef Darius Madon’s warm hospitality and Bastian Hospitality’s Executive Chef, Victor Murguia’s amazing food stories. Victor was earlier with Sancho’s and has also worked at the three Michelin star restaurant Akela Re in Spain. (Fun fact – Akela Re means a reunion of witches in Basque, tells us Chef Victor. Quite the contrary to its Hindi meaning – the lonely one, I add).

And just about then comes in the greatest party makers of the night, the flavourful Latin American treats – elotitos, esquites, tacos dorados, volcans, croquettes, ceviche, and guacamole followed by indulgent desserts. “A tapas place is a relatively new concept in India,” says Chef Victor. “We are Binge because we want you to binge on different dishes with different flavours and while a  lot of people have loved us, some expect a more conventional meal menu, which we are not,” he adds.

And thankfully not. For me, a vegetarian who is easily bored of the starter-mains-dessert routine, a tapas restaurant like Binge by Bastian is my heaven. The small plates, not to be mistaken as tiny portions, give the diners an option to order a variety of dishes and enjoy different flavours all at once. I and a friend had almost all the 21 vegetarian dishes of the 38-dish strong menu. Chef also threw in a couple of non-veg dishes for my partner in crime, followed by desserts. No, we are no monsters, just foodies who requested bite-size portions, for this review.

First came the small heap of Guacamole and chips, the only actual-size portion that lasted us the entire meal. We would keep getting back to the subtly flavoured dish in between other arrivals. Our next was Jackfruit Tinga, shredded jackfruit, tomato, onion, chipotle, lettuce, sour cream and salsa, followed by Mushroom Volcan served like a sev puri and just like the Tinga, this too has lots of mushrooms, and cheesy flavours. This one is one of my favourites.

Then came what chef called the dish of the lifetime and I couldn’t agree more, the Pomelo Salad, which has hydroponic arugula and mixed lettuce, pomelo, sliced almonds, cucumber, beetroot, soya honey and vinaigrette. Sweet, sour and nutty, this dish is an absolute delight and I scraped my plate clean. The dish that followed after, the Sprout Salad, with ripe pineapple, ginger, vinaigrette and ginger, fell a little short of the earlier dish, especially on a Friday night. For me, it’s more of a refreshing, afternoon dish.

For the fans of a filling salad, there is the Esquites, a warm corn salad that is quite creamy and subtle.

The next one is a dish with sentimental value for Mexican Chef Victor that’s made from Chayote, a light green, pear-shaped fruit with a single, large pit and edible flesh and skin, which is only found in Mexico region. The vegetable’s texture is similar to bottle gourd, and the dish served made of a creamy chipotle sauce, Italian cheese and red jalapeno, is one like the most delicious bottle gourd dishes you have ever had.

There are a lot of taco options as well. The Mixed Mushroom Taco has mixed mushrooms, garlic and butter, cheese chicharron and roasted pumpkin seed. Totally recommend it. Spinach Taco has shimeji mushroom, jalapeno, corn, feta cheese, pickled onions, crispy kale on handmade tortillas and Birria Lamb has pulled and shredded lamb served with birria stock, chopped onion, coriander, chipotle salsa and cabbage.

That’s done with the tapas. While I do not enjoy alcohol, I know for a majority a Friday night is not complete without great mocktails. And I hear that Mixologist John Leese and All India Bar Wars Champion Krishna Murthy Latin-inspired light and fruity and even spicy flavours are a must-try. There is the Binge-Gin Mule with fresh pineapple, chili flakes, lime juice shaken with simple syrup, gin and topped up with ginger beer. The Ring My Bell Pepper has Absolut, green and red bell peppers slices shaken with mint lemon juice and peach syrup. Sangritini mixes El Jimador Blanco, lime and orange juices, green chilli, grenadine and tomato juice stirred and laced with drops of coriander oil. And the Crudo Killer is a Beefeater gin with cucumber, jalapeno, coriander leaves, lemon juice and simple syrup, topped with soda water. Binge Tropicana, Absolut vodka, homemade melon liqueur shaken with mango puree and cranberry juice and more.

And now for my favourite part, the desserts. Binge’s parentship Bastian is known for its classic-comfort desserts by Chef Dhiraj Jankar. Desserts like Crème Brûlée – baked vanilla custard, caramelised sugar, seasonal fruits, pomegranate and mini leaves or Stuffed Donuts – donut holes, hazelnut mousse, lotus spread, caramel, garnished with hazelnut crunch, lotus crumble, candied nuts caramel sauce, and chocolate ganache (simply amazing!) or Petit Chocolate Pancakes, Tres Leches, Binge Strawberry Cake and more are perfect to end your happy and happening Friday night. And do make room for doggie bags in your car.

Binge, Sant Kutir Apartments, opposite Coffee by Di Bella, off Linking Road, Khar west.
Opens after 5 pm,
Meal for two with alcohol: approximately ₹3,000.
For reservation call – 5033-3555.
Pro tip – Do not go without a reservation.

By Riddhi Doshi

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