Wine Villa

Diana's Culinary Coup

When Roopanshi Bhatt launched a new restaurant to introduce wine on tap in Bombay, she got the best hands to create the perfectly paired signature dishes



Text: Shraddha Mishra   Photographs: Vijay Barathe

Diana Chan became a household name when she was seen being awarded the title of Masterchef Australia by millions of viewers all over the world on their TV screens. Being a popular contestant and the judge's favourite consistently, it came as no surprise the accountant-turned-chef was inundated with amazing opportunities post her participation in the popular cooking reality show. Ever since, she has been on an adventurous culinary journey; she chose to start her own restaurant, write a food column, engage in food photography as well as host several pop-ups.
Recently, her journey brought her to India as she joined Roopanshi Bhatt to create signature dishes for a new venture.
Serial restaurateur Roopanshi, known for the popular Tea Villa Cafe with multiple outlets across Bombay, launched a new restaurant in the city. A connoisseur of wine, she wanted to bring a new experience to the city when it comes to how they consume wine by the glass. Thus came to life Roopanshi's new restaurant,  Wine Villa.
A bottle of wine, once opened, can't be preserved for much longer. Serving wine by the glass therefore is not ideal for a restaurant that has a wide offering. A much better solution, Roopanshi says, is wine on tap. And that is the unique concept at the newly launched Wine Villa.
The cozy and casual restaurant based in Juhu boasts of housing over 70 varieties of wine served on tap. As you take a table at Wine Villa, you see an 'ATM' card on your table loaded with a certain amount of credit. You can use that card to tap on the 'wine ATM machines' to pour yourself a glass of wine of your choice. If you see an interesting wine that you haven't tried before, you can even pour yourself just a taster. "Our central idea was to encourage people to try more varieties of wine and find the one they love," Roopanshi tells us.  With a sommelier there to help you with suggestions for new varieties of wine you may want to try, Wine Villa is as much an attraction for connoisseurs as it is for people who want to try new wines for the first time.
"I want people to have a wonder experience here, not just with good wine, but with the best food," says Roopanshi who brought in Diana Chan all the way from Australia to create some recipes that will go well with the concept of the restaurant.
It was here that we met Diana Chan, the smiling, charming, young chef who, until a couple of years back was just an amateur cook at home.
"I used to spend a lot of time with my grandmother, who was a wonderful cook," she shares with us. And that is how her interest in cooking began. When she participated in the popular cooking reality show, she became a favourite among the judges and even among audiences watching her with excitement at home. Winning most of the challenges and test rounds during the competition, she proved long before the show ended that she is a talented chef.
The charming Malaysian chef created a buzz of excitement in Bombay, awaiting to try the dishes she has introduced for the diners of Wine Villa. Malaysian at heart, she loves working with spices. "I have noticed that Indian food shares a spice palate with the Malaysian cuisine so I am sure the diners here will find a liking to these dishes. I am eager to give to Bombay a taste of Malaysian flavours," she said, introducing us to some of the interesting fusion recipes that she has created. Breaking the myth that European wines pair best with flavours that are more western and not very spicy, at Wine Villa, you will experience something different. The gourmet offerings here, created by Diana have a rather spicy, masaledar, flavourful touch to it.
We try a vegetarian appetiser, Deep Fried Okra with Onion Sambal. A simple dish, with a burst of flavours, so beautifully presented, this was an exciting introduction to what the signature menu at Wine Villa looks like. For the seafood lovers, there is Grilled King Prawns with Belachan Butter. This mildly flavoured dish lets the perfectly cooked prawns be in the focus and the melting butter atop, do all the talking.
There is a Cured Salmon Ceviche too, presented beautifully, dressed in impressive Asian herbs. For mains, there is Diana's Signature Pearl Barley Risotto with Wild Mushrooms and Pecorino, which is one of the most popular offerings at Wine Villa. End the meal with a Rice Cream, Lychee and Mango Jelly for dessert, and you have experienced the best of Bombay's newest wine-n-dine restaurant. With a gorgeous view of the sea, a glass of a beautiful red in your hand and exclusive gourmet offerings on the table, this is the place to be at!