A Refreshing Gesture

Ishaara, the newly launched restaurant designed by Minnie Bhatt Design at Palladium Mall in Mumbai, is the talk of the town not only for its bright, airy and modern conservatorylike setting but also for recruiting a differently-abled staff who communicate through sign language.

- Deepa Nair

When the first images of Ishaara, the newest restaurant at Mumbai’s famous Palladium Mall came up, its conservatory-like interiors took me by surprise. It seemed like an oasis in the desert, a respite for those who flock this luxury mall in busy Lower Parel for entertainment and for its high-fashion brands. A venture of restaurateurs Prashant Issar and Anuj Shah of Stratix Hospitality with Riyaaz Amlani of Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt Ltd, Ishaara has been created by one of the leading names in restaurant design in India today, interior designer Minnie Bhatt. Minnie was a natural choice for the client as she had collaborated with the owners on their earlier ventures Mirchi and Mime, the first Indian restaurant which employed speech-and hearing-impaired serving staff, and Madeira and Mime. “The only brief from the owners for Ishaara was to have a decor with international appeal, one with a fluid aesthetic language that could be located anywhere in the world,” Minnie explains when asked about the client brief. “As the cuisine served here is ‘Indian with a twist,’ the typical requirements were a bar, an artisanal