Hookah Heaven: Sigara, Andheri

I put a lot of thought into which restaurant I should review first on my new blog and went back and forth weighing the pros and cons of which path I wanted to follow. Should I do a big fancy number to start off this new venture? Should I start out small and quaint to appeal to people who don’t want to shell out a crapload for a meal and are just looking for something satisfying? Should I start with something completely exotic to draw attention and prove that I know what I’m talking about? I decided to go with a place that’s close to my heart, holds personal importance to me and is one that I visit pretty much daily, for its food and other “amenities.”

I wonder if this place has ever even been reviewed since it’s a hole in the wall and is frequented more so by teenagers spending hours at end there. But don’t be too quick to judge this establishment based on its crowd, it definitely offers some really memorable things! I’m sure my friends will be thoroughly humored by this choice of venue, but it had to be done eventually, why not start out with a place where I have tons of memories, pretty much all good!

So ladies and gentleman, I bring to you a review on my near and very dear Sigara!

At first glance, Sigara located by Fame Adlabs Andheri, comes off as a low key hookah bar where youngsters come to hang out and look for an inexpensive way to spend a few hours with friends gorging on hookah and snacks. However, don’t let this modest exterior fool you, they offer a comprehensive menu spanning across Indian, Continental and Chinese dishes that are very standard yet, impressive. They do not serve alcohol but do offer some non alcoholic beer (cringe!), and have a standard drink menu including flavored iced teas, the fresh lime fiasco and pretty much any carbonated drink you can think of.

This place serves the best Hookahs in Mumbai, vastly outshining chain establishments like Mocha’s and other independents like China Blue. They have one of the largest arrays of hookah flavors to choose from including all fresh fruits, paan rasna, paan masala, licorice, milk based hookahs (Shahi) , mango juice based hookahs, pretty much; you name it they got it. Hookah’s here are long-lasting, extremely smooth and are catered to constantly (coal change etc.) The staff is weirdly passionate about their job and take it personally if you don’t like the hookah and will go out of their way to change your order.

Now since the hookah is so great I didn’t really expect the food to be anything special because I didn’t consider it being a possible selling point for them. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The food at Sigara is extremely well made and though it’s nothing gourmet, elaborate or spectacular, the chef does more than justice to the dishes he prepares. Though I am extremely wary of “multicuisine” restaurants since I believe you can’t do one well without compromising another, Sigara has proven me wrong. I would stick to the Chinese and Indian cuisines at this restaurant. Personal recommendations are Butter Chicken, Palak Paneer and the American Chopsuey. For starters their Bruschetta, and Crispy Chicken Thread are a great Chakna along with hookah and drinks. If you are in for a quick bite you can grab one of their rolls which are also delightful with a mint chutney sauce that ties all the flavors together.

A major plus point of this place is the ambience. If you are looking for a quiet, sophisticated place where you want to have deep conversation or propose, I would definitely NOT choose this place. But it’s great for kicking back with friends, listening to the latest hiphop/trance and even playing cards or working on your laptop (no free Wifi.) I make it a point to take all my friends visiting from other places to Sigara for a chill evening out! Don’t beat it till you try it!:D

Meal for 2 including hookah approx: Rs.600