Three and a half years back, they took you on a flight of fantasy as they served you a meal. Now they are ready to take you underground in the bowels of earth as you fill your stomach.

The owners of Fly Kouzina, which they claim to be the country’s first aircraft-themed restaurant, have now opened Kouzina Mining Co., inspired by coal mines. And they are both in AD Block, a five-minute walk from each other.

“Fly Kouzina so far has had a dream run. For a year and half, we had a coal mine theme in mind. We even went to the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum where they have India’s only underground mock-up coal mine to get a first-hand experience. But people discouraged us, pointing out that since coal mines are known to be dark and dingy places they would not make for suitable restaurant atmosphere. Quite a few interior decorators backed out. But we went ahead on our own and got it ready in two months,” said Mohit Harlalka, one of the two directors of the company.

The restaurant had a soft launch in end-September. “Since there was no time for food tasting, initially we served the walk-in guests free seeking their feedback,” said Rishi Singhal, the other director. “We know that people may come once for the novelty of the theme but unless the food is great they will not come back. Our Fly Kouzina experience has taught us that.”

The look

The restaurant is spread across 2,200 sq ft and seats 90. Black expectedly is a dominant colour from the ceiling to the menu card. But the owners have slightly compromised with the mine ambience not to make it too depressing for the guests. “To make it an authentic mine, we would have had to have water dripping from very low ceilings. That would have made it claustrophobic,” says Singhal. Yet to create an illusion, black acoustic boards have been used for the false ceiling. The lamps - with incandescent light bulb - hang low from it and are kept switched off in unused sections of the seating space in a bid to keep the illumination dim.

The walls have pine wood planks, meant for packing cases, nailed to them to give the place a rugged look. On them are hung pictures and painted words related to mining. The bell metal cutlery also is heavy and lacking polish.

The restaurant has a mascot — Milo the Miner, a gritty muscular figure in a sleeveless vest, shovelling away.  His story features at the start of the menu card that waiters in mining helmets bring to the customer. The coasters also catch the eye — with movies on underground treasures like Mackenna's Gold and Kaala Patthar.

The sound

Walking up the steps, you turn left and follow the railway tracks down the short corridor to reach the restaurant entrance.

And then the sound hits your eardrums — drilling, blasting, clanking of carts as it moves on tracks… You are transported into the pits as you picture the activities in your mind's eye while making your way. “We mixed sound clips digitally to create the effect,” says Singhal.

The taste

Kouzina Mining Co. has gone one up on Fly Kouzina. Unlike the latter, it serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. “We are engineers taking baby steps in the food and beverage industry. In our third outlet, we plan to have a bar,” say the two Lake Town boys who quit their jobs down south to start the business. The restaurant serves Indian, Italian, Chinese, Thai and a bit of Burmese.

“Delicacies that you will love to dig,” promises the menu. And the food by chef Soumalya Banik does stay true to the promise right down to the dip — an aamsatva puree served with tandoor and tikka dishes that leaves one licking one’s fingers.

Picture by Shubham Paul