Winning notes coaxed into poignant combinations, then presented to you like gifts from the Gods...dip your soup spoon into 'Liquid Gold'.

Follow Vinod Advani's gastronomic trail to the Earth Dragon's Secret Heart and more at the newly-opened THAM in Mumbai

Henry Tham was born with a palate. And as far back as he can remember, his palate danced with a thousand flavours. Father Tham for many decades ran the legendary Mandarin restaurant. Those crabs, that tofu, the beef chilli noodles. Remember?

Henry also remembers, as do Chinese food passionatas like myself, the dishes cooked by his late mother. Auntie Tham was a petite woman with a grand talent. Conjuring up recipes that one can only describe as memorable. Hearty soups, bubbling with tasty tidbits, served in a huge pumpkin shell. As Abba once sang, 'Thank you for the music'.

Did Henry unwittingly kill the music? By downing the shutters of Mandarin for a complete and expensive makeover? Gazing into the crystal ball of restaurant trends, he wanted more than just a change of name. New flavours, new ambience, new seductions, new music, would all figure in the equation. So Henry travelled with a blank canvas in his mind. Absorbing the colours of Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong. Ate street food there. In restaurants with fancy décor and lousy food. In restaurants with unimpressionable interiors and great food. International restaurant architects were wooed. Slowly, the new avatar took shape. So slowly that friends christened him 'Henry Snail'. Now that it's almost open, what's the verdict? Admire the confidence of a man courageously calling a new restaurant by his own name!

Let me lead you into it. Open the door. A black sun with a flaming orange corona stares unblinkingly back at your surprised eyes. To your left, a human-sized mirror hangs from the lofty ceiling. To your immediate right, a tall standing Buddha statue gazes inwards into the mind's infinite horizon. Elsewhere, sinuous shapes shelter inside geometric niches. Bold design and architectural statements being made here.

As does the food. Commence the experience with the Kiss Of The Empress (king-sized white prawns drenched in wasabi mayo), Tall Dark Stranger (tenderloin steak tenderly marinated in soya-flavoured pepper sauce), Earth Dragon's Secret Heart (steamed dim sums stuffed with juicy chicken morsels). As your grateful tongue tingles with unusual tastes, your mind grapples for labels. Call this Chinese or Japanese? Meanwhile, dip your soup spoon into Liquid Gold (tofu, seaweed and spring onions swim in a clear miso broth), Treasured Heirloom (pureed carrot simmered with vinegar), Magic Potion (Shitake mushrooms mulling around in vegetable stock).

I got willingly chained to Silken Shackles (crispy tofu soaked in light soy), dug into the Barnyard Bonanza (chicken roasted with shallots), gorged on the Memories of Beijing (the time-honoured Peking Duck), and fell in love with the Beloved Stranger (steamed fish in black bean sauce). Winning notes coaxed into poignant combinations, then presented to you like gifts from the Gods. Each time I have dined there, I have had fun, pairing the food with the wines on offer.

There are not one, but four set menus. That's a daring concept to introduce even to globetrotters and spotters of food trends. Can you order à la carte? Sure, but there will be subtle dissuasion to do so. Each dish will be individually plated. Which means, you can't order four chow miens (there are none on offer) and share it with five kids. (Also, sorry, no American chop suey, no fried rice) There is no bar. So you can ask, "What no bar?" Then get led to a rather special cove. The music is more Italian opera than 'Indipap', more smoky chanteuses than DJ crap, so much more far out, it's in! So what can you finally call the food? Fusion? Neo Asian? Modern Chinese? Trendy? Just call it an experience with Henry Tham.