Sarah Todd Takes Over House of Akina, Bandra, for One Night with Dewar's

Guest-chef nights backed by spirits brands have become a reliable way for Mumbai restaurants to create a sense of occasion, and House of Akina in Bandra is the latest to try the format. On Thursday, 1 October 2026, the restaurant will host Sarah Todd, the Australian chef, restaurateur and cookbook author, for a one-night-only, four-course dinner presented in association with Dewar's. Todd, whom the restaurant describes as a MasterChef Australia favourite, has built a career across restaurants, television and cookbooks and has a longstanding connection with India.

The pairing is a natural fit for the venue. House of Akina takes its cue from the story of Akina, a woman who travelled the world and returned home with the flavours, experiences and friendships she collected along the way. Todd's menu follows a similar line, drawing on her Australian upbringing, her time in India and her travels.

The dinner opens with The Harbour Tomato, a golden tomato and kokum consommé with heirloom tomato, cucumber and brun maska. The second course is The Bombay Coast, seasonal surmai in a Madras coconut gravy, or Carrots of Mumbai, a vegetarian dish of roasted carrot, savoury halwa and East Indian bottle-masala.

For the main course, Todd joins Armaan Jain in reimagining his family's Junglee Maas, or its vegetarian alternative, Junglee Sabzi, pairing the spiced preparation with handmade tortellini, curry-leaf herb oil, peanut-podi crumble and bajra. Dessert is a choice of Spiced Pumpkin Tart with Coca-Cola ice cream, or a Sweet Cheese Board with blue-cheese and dark-chocolate ice cream, caramelised fig and Dewar's 12 jaggery caramel.

Dewar's has created a cocktail pairing to run alongside the menu. The first course is paired with The Mumbai Melting Pot, a Dewar's 18 cocktail with Irani chai, kokum, ginger and sweet lime. The main course comes with The Konkan Blend, made with Dewar's 15, kokum, coconut, green chilli and ginger, clarified for a lighter finish. Dessert is matched with The Bombay Sunset, combining Dewar's 15, saffron and ice cream soda.

Tables are limited. The dinner begins at 8pm, and tickets are available exclusively on District at INR 5,500 + taxes per person. House of Akina is at Golden Palace, Turner Rd, opposite Mala Sinha Bunglow, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050, and can be found on Instagram at @houseofakina.ind.

Images: courtesy of House of Akina via Sparkplug Inc.