Feed your mood at this new restaurant in Mumbai's Kala Ghoda

Afternoons in March can be gruelling On one such sultry one we walked into Portal a new bistrobar in Kala Ghoda by hospitality entrepreneur Punam H Singh The space moves seamlessly from breakfast and coffee to small plates wine and cocktails by evening Itrsquos hard to tell there was a dive bar there before dark and gloomy The current avatar breathes light Singhrsquos brief was clear create a neighbourhood bistro that feels elevated but still homely And because it is in the art precinct it should reflect history without feeling like a museumPunam SinghThey preserved the neoclassical pillars and high ceilings opening up the previously dark interiors with a new skylight and cobbled texture flooring The palette with ivory green and deep accent tones with brushed gold accents were chosen to enhance light Local artisans were brought in to capture the culture and spirit of the area To complete the experience a vinylled music programme is introduced with the Revolver Club to curate music nights and therersquoll be vinyl DJs to allow collectors and enthusiasts showcase their passion in a live setting6 pm showAll of this comes from Singhrsquos wisdom with over three decades across the Taj Group of Hotels FabIndia Fine Foods and cofounding Mustard in Goa and Mumbai the latter shuttered during COVID19Croissant shakshukaldquoI wanted to study hotel management but in the rsquo80s girls from socalled lsquogood familiesrsquo werenrsquot encouraged to enter hospitality My parents said if I cleared the entrance exam theyrsquoll consider it I did and joined IHM Pusa followed by training at The Taj which later culminated into an 11year stint in FampB operations including the opening team at Taj Palacerdquo It taught her resilience with long hours weekends handling pressure A move to Mumbai saw her shift briefly into golf course operations and membership sales before a maternity break led her to FabIndia where she set up the Kala Ghoda store and rose to head the western region with Goa as a key marketGenova right Cheesecake with seasonal fruitsHitting a ceiling at FabIndia where growth meant relocating to Delhi Singh struck out on her own launching a retail consultancy and a home store Freedom Tree in Goa The space needed a cafeacute ldquoNo one wanted to expand into Goa in 2014 Wersquod already taken the lease so I said lsquoLetrsquos do it ourselves The country was moving towards molecular gastronomy and fusion We had teenage kids and kept asking what food legacy are we leaving behind Bengali cuisine rich yet underrepresented became the anchor paired with French for balance in a holiday market like Goa Food historian Pritha Sen was onboarded for Bengali cuisine and chef Gregory Bazire for French cuisine who demanded separate kitchens teams and equipmentrdquoThe space is designed to move seamlessly from breakfast and coffee to small plates wine and cocktails by evening PicsAshish RajeA Mumbai outpost followed but shut within 18 months due to the pandemic Goa endured through catering but the brandrsquos tight identity became a constraint ldquoWe couldnrsquot stretch beyond a point and there was so much more we wanted to explore Thatrsquos where the idea for Portal took shape Creative freedom No boundaries no cuisine labels Just a space where we cook what we feel like as long as we stay true to the ingredients and intentrdquoWe tried a Croissant Shakshuka R650 crisp and soaking up spiced tomato and baked eggs We then move into a Chicken Katsu Sando Rs 700 layered with Gochujang heat fried egg and pickled crunch The Romesco Chicken Wings Rs 650 are messy and bold We then drift into Sea and Smoke Rs 850 scallops kissed with miso and paired with kimchi and fries and then an eastern take on fish and chips Rs 950 with zucchini fries our new favourite The handmade Genova Rs 750 was comfort in a bowl tossed in pesto The Gateway bowl Rs 550 of grains and roasted vegetables feels grounding as does the caramelised onion tart Rs 450 The Cheesecake with seasonal fruit Rs 575 and an apple cake Rs 450 thatrsquos soft and dense are about no rules or rush just follow the moodWHERE Portal 105 Mubarak Manzil Bombay Samachar Marg Kala Ghoda