To add to the current World Cup cricket fever in the city, eateries and gastro-pubs are serving dishes and drinks named after top cricket players and cricket terminology. So get ready to indulge in Dhoni da Tikka (stuffed cottage cheese kebabs with mint chutney) or try a No Ball (a jalapeño stuffed cheese ball), at a hotel at the international airport. Says city-based chef Navid Sayyad, who has devised a similar menu. "There is such a huge demand for all things cricket now and I can't tell what gets more takers."
"Dhoni's Dazzling Sixer (spiced clay pot prawns), Virat's Straight Drive (chicken tikkas), Gayle's Power (grill chicken), Afridi's Boom Boom (lamb kebabs stuffed with cheese) or the Malinga's Yorker (bell pepper and spinach gallets) are all in demand," says Sayyad. And in favour of India's opponent for Sunday's India vs South Africa match, a bar at Hill Road, Bandra will serve the South African specialty, Bunny Chow (a hollowed out bread filled with curry).
Amit Singh of a rooftop bar in the western suburbs has come up with a Bleed Blue Cocktail with blue curacao, breezer and crushed ice. Also tank up on Cricket LLIIT's (Longest Long Island Iced Teas) conjured up especially for the game at a pub in Colaba.
Another bar at a five-star in Andheri East has a molecular cocktail exclusively dedicated to the Indian team for World Cup. Called 'Smoke Down Under', it contains lychee liqueur, pomegranate juice and sour mix muddled and strained over lemon ice and dry smoked with basil and orange peel, and is available in three colours. And at a shots bar in Andheri West is fanning fans' hopes with cricket-styled discounts. In Strike A Century, if Kohli hits a century, folks get a 10% discount, for the Hat-trick Shot, if an Indian bowler gets a hat-trick patrons get three shots at the price of two and if the total score of India is above 300 there's a big discount too.