The opening of Toa66 in Mumbai’s Churchgate district marks a striking moment in the city’s dining scene. Conceived by Bangkok-raised Ishaa Jogani Shah and her husband, hospitality entrepreneur Deval Shah, Toa66 is Mumbai’s first all-vegetarian Thai tasting menu restaurant—a concept that upends the city’s expectations of what Thai food can be. In a metropolis known for its culinary diversity, this 26-seater stands out not with spectacle, but with quiet conviction and a singular vision.
Toa66’s approach is rooted in authenticity and personal history. Ishaa’s childhood in Thailand, surrounded by a wealth of vegetarian options, inspired her to challenge the stereotype that Thai cuisine is inseparable from seafood and meat. The restaurant’s menu, crafted in collaboration with chefs Kanchit and Natanong Vongvichai—veterans of Thai kitchens with over three decades of experience—eschews the familiar curries and pad Thai in favor of a seven-course journey that introduces Mumbai diners to the lesser-known corners of Thailand’s culinary landscape. Each dish is a reflection of both tradition and reinvention, with the kitchen reimagining recipes from scratch rather than simply omitting animal products.
An Immersive, Ingredient-Driven Experience
The experience at Toa66 is designed to be immersive and intimate. The dining room, with its minimal yet warm decor, features personal touches: framed front pages of the Bangkok Post commemorating milestones in the founders’ journey, and a red display shelf lined with Thai spices and family memorabilia. These details, along with a window into the kitchen, create a space that feels more like a thoughtfully curated home than a conventional restaurant.
The menu is a tightly choreographed procession of courses, beginning with Miang Kham—a Thai-style paan assembled with chaplu leaves flown in from Bangkok, and an array of toppings that encourage playful experimentation. Dishes like Larb Tofu Two Ways, inspired by both Thai and Indian traditions, and Kway Teow Lod, featuring handmade rice sheets stuffed with vegetables and served over Penang curry, demonstrate the kitchen’s commitment to complexity and surprise. The main course offers a choice between rice and noodles, such as Khao Phad Krapow paired with Tom Kha, balancing spice and creaminess with a deft hand. Desserts, too, are given thoughtful attention, with Thap Thim Krop—crunchy water chestnuts in coconut milk—and a dramatic chocolate mousse finale, both visually striking and texturally layered.
Drinks at Toa66 are currently non-alcoholic, but far from an afterthought. The zero-proof cocktail menu, curated by Feruzan Billimoria, draws on Thai botanicals and inventive techniques. Drinks like the Bangkok Glory, infused with kaffir lime and galangal, and the cheekily named Bad Thai, capture the spirit of the cuisine in liquid form. Plans for Thai beers and wine are in the works, hinting at a future where the beverage program will match the food’s ambition.
Toa66’s opening is culturally significant for several reasons. It challenges the prevailing narrative that vegetarian food is an afterthought in Thai cuisine, and it does so with a level of craft and intention rarely seen in Mumbai’s vegetarian restaurants. The tasting menu format, more common in European fine dining, is a bold choice that allows the kitchen to guide diners through a carefully constructed story, rather than letting them default to familiar favorites. For Mumbai’s cosmopolitan crowd, Toa66 offers not just a meal, but a new way to experience Thai food—one that is both deeply personal and universally inviting.
The restaurant’s early days have already attracted the attention of Mumbai’s food-literate elite, with word-of-mouth and social media buzz building around its distinctive approach. In a city that prides itself on reinvention, Toa66’s blend of tradition, innovation, and intimacy feels timely. It is not just a new restaurant, but a statement about the future of dining in Mumbai: more thoughtful, more personal, and more willing to challenge expectations.
