It may take your eyes a few minutes to adjust to the dark interiors of Bumipura, but once they do, a wealth of details emerge. In the age of social media, even restaurants need to have flashy concepts to survive. But the magic happens when concept and curation align to not only bring you a one-of-a-kind experience, but a meal that can alter your perception of the cuisine it's showcasing. And Bumipura, a new cocktail bar in the business hub of Mumbai’s Lower Parel is checking all the boxes.
The Concept
The bar's name combines two words with roots in Sanskrit: "bumi," meaning land, and "Singapura," Singapore's original name. Together, they symbolise "the earth and the city," merging the essence of nature and modern innovation. The idea was born from founder Ming Yang Chai’s experiences in cocktail bars in Singapore, Tokyo and Malaysia, and the realisation during a one-week trip to the city that Mumbai’s burgeoning bar scene didn’t have anything equivalent to those experiences. “There, people go for the cocktails, some places don’t even serve food, or at best a few small snacks that are designed to accompany the drinks,” he explains, “I wanted to bring that idea to Mumbai. A place where people come for the cocktails and focus on their flavours.”
He wanted to capture the essence of a future 100 years from now where India is an economic superpower; where ancient recipes, traditions and flavours from three cultures harmonise with modern concepts. In this almost Orwellian setting, Ming – an architect by trade and an artist at heart – has carefully curated every element of the experience to reflect his vision of a multicultural cocktail bar from the future. From customised glasses made to Ming’s specifications in Chembur or traditional Malaysian Songket fabrics echoed in bursts through in the tableware and decor, to the sleek stainless steel bar with modern touches like a (shockingly loud) glass chiller and panelled soundproofing, past and future coexist comfortably.
The menu revolves around 8 cocktails, each paired with a small plate inspired by favourite dishes from Singapore and Malaysia. While they also offer a more robust all-day dining menu of mains and more traditional cocktails, it’s their signatures that really emphasise the concept. Their mixologists didn’t pull any punches and that translates to ideas like a Singaporean Chilli Crab Cocktail, or the flavours of Hainanese Chicken Rice in a martini glass.
The Menu
While Bumipura has plenty to offer its vegetarian clientele, there’s no denying its cocktail specialities are meat-forward – a description you don’t often hear about a drinks menu. When you take a seat at the communal bar, which is designed to bridge the gap between bartender and customer and encourage people to actively appreciate the artistic process of mixology, you’re welcomed with a small shot of a Jungle Bird inspired cocktail. Their reinterpretation of the Malay cocktail includes the warmth of rum and Campari with hints of brown sugar contrasted with pineapple to set the mood.
Every cocktail comes with a fascinating story, from the ‘Fat In-Between’, named after its accompanying plate of mutton satay (Ming’s personal favourite) which features a fatty piece of meat between two leaner bites, paired with rice squares, cucumber, onion and a peanut and mango sauce. The cocktail itself is rich and almost creamy with the mutton fat-washed rum and reduced beer syrup enhanced by an earthy smoke as the embers of the singed wooden slowly burn out, designed to evoke the smells of a street food satay stall in Singapore.
Another unexpected delight is the Gloves and Bibs, named for the items you’re handed to eat Chilli Crab without endangering your evening wear. The drink is made with a distilled, raw crab-infused vodka, and a tomato-laced rum. Served in a crab-esque bowl, it’s deliciously savoury, with the chilli creeping up as an afterthought, and the crab balanced nicely by the tang of tomato and vinegar. The pairing of a Chilli Crab Bun is a compact, easy-to-eat version of the popular chilli crab dish, designed for flavour without the mess. This innovative take features succulent crab meat infused with a rich, spicy chilli sauce, all encased in a soft, golden bun.
Spurred on by the success of two meat-driven cocktails, you may be enticed by the Old Hen, a savoury martini with a drop of chicken oil and a garnish of a caramelised cocktail onion coated in chicken floss. While the cocktail flavour itself is quite mild, the aroma may be a little too reminiscent of raw chicken for some. Its pairing, the CR Burger – a nod to Hainanese Chicken Rice – is an absolute winner in every way. Compacted rice buns, laced with beautiful chicken fat and layered with a chicken patty and cucumber along with two sweet and sour sauces pay homage to the simplistic beauty of the original dish.
The O Is The New Black paired with their take on Kaya Toast is the ideal answer to dessert. This Kopi-O sweet coffee negroni is intense but balanced with a rounded butter-washed vodka and pepper-infused gin. With the sweet caramel notes of the eggless Kaya toast, it’s a decadent contrast to the more savoury side of the menu. For fresher options, the Dear Seri with a thick Nasi Lemak foam and coconut and pandan notes is a deadly trio of gin, vodka and sake. It’s also paired with one of the few vegetarian savouries, the Nasi Balls with coconut pandan rice and a centre of punchy sambal.
You can go anywhere in Mumbai and be served a decent drink, but Bumipura’s taking things a step further. It fulfils Ming’s vision of a quick post-work hangout, where coworkers can enjoy a quiet drink and a bite, but for a more prolonged session, it offers a diverse menu and creations that offer a glimpse of Singapore’s cuisine through a new lens.
Address: Kamala Mills, Trade Tower, Unit No.1, B Wing, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400013
Timings: 12 pm to 1:30 am (Mondays closed)
Cost for two: ₹5,000