Around Town: Crave smoky meats? This new Bandra smokehouse brings African fire cooking to Mumbai

In Mumbai, smokehouses serving African-style grilled meats are becoming increasingly popular. One such new establishment in Bandra is Tavora Smokehouse. Drawing inspiration from the African tradition of braai, a social gathering centered around grilling meat over open fire, Tavora Smokehouse offers a unique culinary experience to Mumbai residents.

The modest 18-seater smokehouse, located within a sprawling residential complex, emulates the casual and interactive feel of a neighborhood cafe. Guests are encouraged to get close to the action at an open counter, as they enjoy wood-smoked meats, sandwiches, bowls, coffee, and kombucha.

Chef Nicole Gonsalves, the brains behind Tavora, conceived the idea after a visit to London’s Borough Market. Upon seeing The Black Pig, a sandwich shop known for its pulled pork, Gonsalves began contemplating a similar concept for India. She reimagined the idea around slow smoking, focusing on making the meat the center of attention.

Gonsalves, with years of experience working in hotels across India and abroad, including Hilton and Ambassadors, brings extensive knowledge of meat sourcing and cooking techniques to Tavora Smokehouse. She collaborated with master butcher Chef Richard Sawyer at London’s oldest restaurant, Rules.

The smoky meats at Tavora Smokehouse are prepared using the traditional braai method, with meat cooked indirectly and slowly at temperatures ranging from 110 to 135 degrees Celsius. Tavora experimented with various woods, ultimately settling on tamarind wood for its earthy, fruity smokiness.

The menu at Tavora combines wood-smoked meats, sandwiches, and bowls with coffee and kombucha, resulting in a casual cafe-like atmosphere. One of their most popular dishes is the 12-hour wood-smoked pulled pork burger, served with house-made banana chips and tomato relish. The burger features brined meat, roasted onions, West African pepper sauce, and parmesan, accompanied by green apple slaw and roasted tomatoes.

Tavora Smokehouse also offers a chicken sampler, with three African spice profiles — peri peri, harissa, and Moroccan — each layered over the smoky base. The South African braai pork chop, served with mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables, is smoked with paprika, garlic, cumin, and brown sugar, which caramelizes on the meat.

The berbere chicken with jollof rice is another standout dish among the bowls. While jollof traditionally uses Scotch bonnet, Tavora uses a chili that closely matches the heat and flavor of the traditional spice. The menu also includes Goan smoked chorizo, chimichurri mutton with pickled beetroot, and a chocolate malva pudding for dessert.