Inspired by the warmth, generosity and ‘easy chaos’ of a Gujarati household, Makaan has opened in the coastal Mumbai suburb of Juhu.
Nair is the restaurateur behind LSL Capital, which operates London restaurants Jamavar, MiMi Mei Fair, Nipotina, Bombay Bustle and Miko Mei Fair as well as MiMi Mei Fair Dubai, while Shah ran vegetarian casual dining restaurant Swati Snacks in Mumbai and Ahmedabad for seven years.
Makaan serves a vegetarian menu that explores the breadth of Gujarati cooking. Highlights include locho, the soft, steamed Surat speciality served with butter, spices, sev and onion; pudla - a savoury gram-flour pancake; and panki. Other dishes include dahi batata puri; fada khichdi; satpadi roti with gatta shak; and vatana muthiya with pudina roti.
For dessert is soft serve ice cream in shrikhand and kesar pista flavours.
The opening marks a return to Juhu for Nair, who spent her early childhood in the neighbourhood. Makaa is also her first restaurant project in India.
“Makaan feels like a homecoming in more ways than one. I spent my early school years in Juhu, welcomed into Gujarati friends’ homes where there was always room for one more at the table,” she says.
“Returning to India and building Makaan with Karan, whose family has long been close to mine and a friendship that grew through our shared love of food, brings that story to a full circle. Together, we hope to share that same warmth and generosity, making every guest feel like a part of the Makaan family.”
Designed by Esha Pandya x Design Practice, Makaan draws on the warmth and texture of a lived-in Gujarati home with a terracotta colour palette. It has 58 covers across indoor and outdoor seating.
“Makaan is our way of giving Gujarati hospitality a home of its own in Mumbai. Food is an expression of affection in our homes, and that spirit shapes everything here, from the cooking to the way we welcome our guests. We want people to settle in, share generously and leave feeling well fed and looked after,” says Shah.