To understand POH we must first understand progress. Free of connotation, progress usually means forward advancement. It can mean ‘never-been-done’ or it can mean ‘reimagined’, but it always signals a change of what once was. True to its name, Progressive Oriental House, or POH, located at Mumbai’s buzzing Kamla Mills district, does its part to push the boundaries of Southeast Asian cuisine.

Most notably is the treatment of material. Texturally speaking, the space combines raw natural elements like bamboo and jute with modern elements like metal and concrete. Architect and interior designer Sumessh Menon’s current interpretation of traditional Japanese and Chinese design elements translated into larger-than-life custom cane chandeliers, wood inlays and metallic jaalis with botanical patterns, and a wall decorated with a concrete interpretation of bamboo shoots.

Menon—the interior designer behind Pa Pa Ya at Colaba and KOKO in Kamla Mills—particularly invested in lighting design and curated a warm, yellow glow within the more avant-garde elements at POH to ground them in a sense of familiarity. One of the more striking uses of light can be found along a massive wall to the left of the dining space, where dozens of vintage Chinese-inspired lanterns line the entirety of the wall. In the cozy, private dining nook that can seat 8 guests, a large chandelier takes its design cue from a traditional Chinese fan.

The centrifugal design element that dominates POH is the bar. In homage to a traditional Chinese apothecary, over 150 small wooden drawers line the wall behind the bar, each holding an Asian herb or ingredient. The modern interpretation of this Yàodiàn Bar provides customers with a delightful and sensorial mixology experience; based on the ingredients in the drawer, the bartender plays “traditional doctor” and concocts an alcoholic potion.

This treatment of material and progression extends beyond the interiors. Chef Vikramjit Roy’s menu does more than recreate the dish of origin, he evolves it. Take his ‘Not a Capri Salad’, which replaces the traditional tomato and mozzarella with soymilk, seawater extract, tofu, olive and chilies. By sight and texture, the dish is akin to a traditional Capri, but the unconventional flavours draw out a unique experience within the usual parameters of the salad. This is Roy’s interpretation of “southeast Asian food for today”.

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If we can agree with the idea that progress means forward advancement, than POH does its due diligence contributing to the growth of Southeast Asian dining experience in the city.

Address: POH – Progressive Oriental House, Kamla Mills Compound Gate no 4, Lower Parel, Mumbai | Timings: 7:00 PM – 12 midnight | Tel: +91 7506980738