This Himalayan food eatery rolls out a new menu every week

In the labyrinthine streets of Mumbai’s Fort area, a new restaurant is rewriting the narrative of Himalayan cuisine. In just a few weeks since its launch, Across, the brainchild of ‘restaurant rescuers’, chef Viraf Patel and his Nepal-born wife, Prakriti Lama Patel, has captured the neighbourhood’s imagination with its mountain flavours, artisanal techniques, and cultural explorations.

The restaurant’s most dynamic concept, however, is its menu that changes weekly. Inspired by the mountain lifestyle where meals are dictated by availability, the ingredients at Across are sourced in small batches directly from Himalayan regions, with dishes on the menu changing faster than the printers can keep up. One week, diners may savour Solukhumbu white beans or freshly harvested chayote; the next, they might discover the bold, aromatic punch of Darjeeling peppercorns. Furthermore, diners can sample new flavours, in dishes that use ingredients we may have never seen before in Mumbai. Take the Jimbu, a wild herb which is a cross between a garlic and chive, that is liberally used in some dishes. “We wanted to embrace the fluidity of mountain life, where a broken road or shifting supplies forces you to adapt and innovate, so you eat what you receive,” shares Lama Patel, a Kathmandu native.

Every week, at least 20 per cent of the restaurant’s offerings change, leaving enough room to still have menu favourites with each iteration. The current menu—the fourth since Across opened last month—features the Nini-Aji (‘Grand Aunt’) momo, a winter favourite that’s made from yeasted dough and named after a Tibetan woman who established a momo shop in Darjeeling’s town centre.

Most people from the food industry may know that Patel’s journey to becoming a celebrated chef is as layered as his dishes. In a career spanning 24 years, he has transformed India’s fine-dining landscape, working in iconic establishments including Indigo, The Table, and the now-shuttered Café Zoe. Lama Patel, a strategic food consultant with a background in psychology and co-director at the couple’s FireBred Hospitality, brings her own magic to the table—with her talent for trend forecasting and innovative menu design.

With Across, the concept appears to be deeply rooted in the intimate and intentional nature of home cooking—crafted with care, precision, and a focus on timing and textures. “During Covid, in Benaulim, Goa, with the two kids, we cooked a lot,” Lama Patel recalls. “Multiple meals a day—exploring the format of how we eat at home, at the ideal time, temperature, and crispness.” Post-Covid, their company pivoted into what she calls “a restaurant rescue company, swooping in to help places that were struggling”.

While this delayed the launch of Across, it allowed time for some deep research and strategic thinking. Then, after weeks of journeying through the eastern Himalayas—tasting, discovering ingredients, and mastering local techniques—Across began to take shape. What started as a pop-up experience across the country found its permanent home in Kala Ghoda. “We wanted to begin with exploring the cuisine I grew up with, which Viraf also loves,” Lama Patel explains, “The idea of Across came from a shared love for the mountains. The name reflects not just a crossing of borders and cultures, but a bridge connecting flavours, stories, and people,” she says, adding that the team has also been training to understand and work with the region’s unique ingredients. 

Across isn’t just about food; it’s a philosophy, say the two. Take the Fry Bread, a Tibetan-style flatbread traditionally enjoyed by mountain trekkers. Here, it is reimagined with melted Kalimpong cheese and a scotch bonnet honey dip—fiery, sweet, and utterly memorable. The buff choila, hay-smoked buffalo slivers prepared using traditional Newari techniques, exemplifies their commitment to authenticity with a contemporary twist. The mutton curry—with the meat braised for eight hours and served with soft, fluffy rice—is another bestseller reflecting the ‘slow living’ motto of the region.

Another highlight that is likely to become a mainstay on the menu is the Estate Manager’s Evening Tea, a playful nod to mountain evenings when tea might just hide a splash of something stronger. Smoky and warming thanks to bourbon, the drink paired beautifully with a slice of Kanchan cheese—slightly sweet and nutty—is a perfect homage to chilly Himalayan nights. Then there’s the Lākhāmaari, traditionally a rock-hard Nepali sweet offered to the gods—a dessert so dense it could “break teeth”, jokes Lama Patel. It has the approval of her most discerning customer, her brother. “Our version has the fluffiest puff pastry. My brother, who has grown up eating it, was shocked by how the flavours remained intact despite straying from the original,” she says.

Right now, Patel is most excited about the upcoming Chef’s Table experience he’s gearing up to unveil at Across. Featuring hyper-limited ingredients from the Himalayan region that might be available for just a single evening, the concept can yield intimate, curated dining experiences. “As we source ingredients for the restaurant, we often come across items that are either highly seasonal or available in such small quantities that they can’t feature on the regular menu—even for a week. For example, some varieties of fresh cheeses must be consumed within two days of arriving. The Chef’s Table allows us to experiment with these rare finds and present our evolving culinary ideas in their purest form,” he shares.

Beyond the food, the restaurant’s walls also extend the storytelling with curated works of artists and photographers from the mountains. Each work is accompanied by a barcode, allowing diners to directly connect with the creators. “For us, it’s not just about the cuisine, but promoting the whole ecosystem that is there,” adds Patel.

Next up, the couple is headed to Goa, where they will open Oitogoa, a European restaurant deeply rooted in local ingredients, later this month. “If Across is the mountains, this is the sea,” explains Patel. “We want to explore how nature shapes cuisine. While the menu won’t change weekly, there will still be specials every week.”

Meal for two: ₹3,000 + taxes without alcohol
Timings: 5:30 pm to 1 am (Wednesday-Sunday)
Address: Across, Hari Chambers, 58/64 Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, Fort, Mumbai - 400001
Contact: 07506 128945