Offshoot of celebrated USA-based chef Preeti Mistry’s creative Indian street food-inspired restaurant
January 30th, 2016
Update June 2016: JUHU BEACH CLUB has closed
California-based chef Preeti Mistry has garnered considerable attention for her first restaurant – Juhu Beach Club – that opened in San Francisco’s Bay Area in 2013. London-born of Indian origin, chef Preeti’s culinary skills and Indian street food-inspired cuisine have been highlighted by stints on U.S. Top Chef, cooking at the Google campus cafeteria, and most recently, recognition from American chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain in his latest series. Establishing her second restaurant – and first overseas outpost – Preeti brought her casual dining concept and whimsical interpretations of Indian street foods to Hong Kong in December 2015. Diners at Juhu Beach Club in Hong Kong can expect the bold flavours of Indian-inspired cuisine in an eclectic menu that offers street food bites, pavs, and creative interpretations of traditional Indian curries. Drinks from the bar include Indian and American craft beers, and cocktails and mocktails suffused with Indian culinary ingredients.
Design Taking its name from Mumbai’s famous Juhu Beach, know for its vibrant beachfront and street food stalls, the Hong Kong restaurant occupies a compact street level space in the lively SOHO dining and nightlife enclave. The narrow interior has been transformed by Californian design firm ID-entity Design into a fun dining space – with the gleaming stainless steel open kitchen extending across one side the centre of attention, while gold leather banquette settings opposite reference an American diner influence. Antique Indian tiffin boxes arrayed along shelves above the kitchen give a nod to the Indian culinary heritage.
Cuisine A concise seasonal menu showcases the creative cuisine of chef-owner Preeti – dishes that characterise her approach include the Bombay Sandwich – a satisfying assemblage of beets, cilantro, potatoes and cheese – dipped in a cup of tomato soup; Vada Pav – with fried potato puff, with pickled onions and ghost pepper chutney; and the signature Holy Cow short rib curry – a braised short rib marinated with cardamom and served with root vegetables and lemon rice. Notably, the majority of the dishes at Juhu Beach Club are vegetarian-based.
Drinks In addition to craft beers and wine, the drinks list includes interpretations of traditional Indian non-alcoholic beverages like the mango and lime yogurt cooler SassyLassi, and the classic spicy Masala Chai. Popular cocktails include the Desi Drop – vodka, lemonade, cilantro water float, toasted cumin; and Monkey Margarita – tequila with tamarind and lime.
Juhu Beach Club serves dinner Tuesday to Sunday, with weekend brunches, and is closed on Mondays.
