Mumbai is full of options. You name it and they have it. There’s nothing that is unavailable. My recent visit to Mumbai was a short trip but I was firm to make most of it. Food being the only option to erase the tiredness and draw me closer to Mumbai – I dived into all options that were available.
a foodie, how could I stay away from exotic food and drinks that Mumbai served us. Here’s what I tried and where I tried.
China Gate, Andheri West
My first food stop on arriving in Mumbai. China Gate turned out to be a boon for my tired bones, cracking nerves, scorching heat, and a full appetite. I was asked to choose from their Indian seating or Chinese – I went for Chinese. The ambiance was soothing. It was decorated with bamboo stands and had a red effective background. It worked in many therapeutic ways.
I ordered Crispy Potato, Vegetable Thai Pot Rice, and some chilled beer to satiate my taste buds. The crispy potato and beer came along with crispy noodles and a complementary salad to gulp with drinks. Together, they soothe my nerves. The potatoes were marinated in good gravy, which made it easy for us to slurp them.
Vegetable Thai Pot Rice gave an authentic taste and smells of Thai food. I was able to smell strong coconut flavor and lemon grass. Every grain was exotically smeared with lovely Thai flavors. It was an indeed a lovely affair.
Dishkiyaoon, BKC
Another day, another restaurant. Strolling around, I literally mean, strolling around we came across this wonderful restaurant. We seated ourselves to another yummy helping for lunch. We were not too hungry but thirsty definitely.
My quests to have something wonderful lead me to order a new cocktail – Bloody Banerjee. It was a bold cocktail, consisting of tomato chutney, vodka, farm fresh celery, and micro greens. This drink is for them who loves to experiment. If you are well acquainted with other palate, you won’t enjoy it.
With it, we ordered Bhavnagri & corn flat bread. If you are visiting this place, do not give this a miss. Truly a revolutionary in taste and style of flat bread. Every nook & corner of the bread was baked to perfection. In every bite, you could feel evenly distributed topping and cheese.
The ambiance was suitable for youngsters. It was open and spacious with loud music playing that gave you some time to be with yourself.
Café Mezzuna, Infinity Mall, Andheri West
A café thriving with young blood and affluent people, it is a cool place to hangout. Inside of café is done with brilliant architect and with lots of alcohol flowing. I personally like the bar that was decorated with greens of all sorts.
Here, I ordered Volt cocktail with Smirnoff vodka. It was a classic combination of vodka, thyme, lemon, and soda. It was a refreshing cocktail and you could feel vodka in every sip. To me, a successful cocktail is something that lets your palate taste the alcohol in its truest form.
With it, we ordered Meaty soya and mushroom mini burgers and rosemary-roasted potatoes. The small and cute burgers have the capacity to melt your heart away. They are the tiny blast. O! Just a single bite and you can feel the strong chunky soya and mushroom patty flooding your tongue. It came along with coleslaw salad and French fries. They are a healthy way to slurp down the vodka.
The rosemary-roasted potatoes being a side dish did justice to their name. The slightly roasted & toasted potatoes with the right dash of rosemary can work wonders. It uplifted our meal’s soul by being a refreshing platter.
Local Roadside Shop for Bhel, Nr. Hanging Gardens
Next day, I set out of South Mumbai Darshan. As I came out of Hanging Garden, I spotted a local vendor selling bhel and sev puri. Being a crazy and frantic lover of Bhel Puri – how could I not devour into it?
Asked the vendor to make a normal Bhel Puri. The taste was unbeatable and I loved the way in which, he set the sukhi (dry) puri on top of the Bhel. It was a mixture of Mamra (puffed rice), onions, tomatoes, boiled potato, and lots of chutney’s (Indian sauces). Just one word – sheer awesomeness.
Sadanand Restaurant, Crawford Market, CST Area
Once I was here, the place reminded me of Ahmedabad’s Lal Darwaja. There was so much resemblance. And this restaurant, reminded me of Kalapi restaurant at Lal Darwaja – I remember dining there always whenever we were out shopping.
Before I kick started my shopping, it was time to fill fuel for it. I made my way to this place and what a decent and charming place. There was no VAT, SLAT, YET,MAT or any kind of tax on the food despite it being an air-conditioned place. The place was cozy and comfortable. It was just an Aam Janta Wali Place.
I ordered our good old Hakka noodles. When it arrived, it was pure brilliance in a bowl. The perfect cooked noodles and vegetables with the right amount of sauces – just perfect! I gulped it down with a chilled cold drink!
Juhu – Chopwaty
This doesn’t need any introduction. We all are crazy for its slurping Pav-bhaji and other dishes. Along that, I tried a Pizza too and Ragada Pattice. I have never ever see such beautifuly and perfectly baked Pizza on a roadside stall. It was just a WOW experience. Trust me, I was so full in stomach but not in my intention. I don’t know how I gobbled… literally gobbled a pizza and pav bhaji. Maybe it was feeling of uncertainty as to when I would be back to this lovely place! I am not writing about Pav Bhaji because everyone knows how famous and scrumptious it is. About the Ragda Pattice, it was an exuberant dish with balanced flavors and tanginess.
The Other On-the-way stuff
Breakfast
Our breakfast was included in the package with room booking. Yet there were many different things, I tried:
Day 1: I am light breakfast eater. I just cannot eat paranthas and other heavy stuff in the morning. Therefore, my first-day breakfast included cornflakes, boiled egg, and butter & toast. Contrary to this, my dad preferred his usual Indian breakfast of Paranthas, curd, and some fruits. Since it was included, I couldn’t complain much. The taste was normal, nothing exotic and nothing bad.
Day 2: I mixed some western and Indian cuisine. Since, they were serving Sev Usal, I couldn’t miss a chance to taste it. But I found the taste okayish. Nothing spectacular, I had more tasty Sev Usal in Ahmedabad.
Day 3: It was again a mixture of some toast & butter, coffee, and pav bhaji. The Bhaji tasted quite similar to Usal. Period.
Night When We Left : Before leaving for our train back home, we decided to dine in at our hotel’s restaurant space. We ordered Veg Kofta and Roti. It was good. Seeing the breakfast, the dinner took me by surprise. The soft and hot chapatis with Kofta curry went very well. Just what we needed – a dinner that is not too heavy nor too light before our train.
On the Rail:
We had boarded Karnavati Express en-route Mumbai. And when you are in train and you do not try something local then what’s the point of traveling in train? I savored in:
Local tea:
Not all dip-dip tea (tea bag infused tea – that’s how I call it) is great. Especially train tea. I prefer something that is brewed lightly and not too strong that kills the taste. Somewhere near/and on Vadodara Railway Station, my dad and I savored into our morning tea. It was good than what I had expected form India railways.
The breakfast
The breakfast
We were up since 3Am to catch our 5Am around the train. Of course, we were hungry and when Surat Railway Station came – we treated ourselves to whatever was available. I had some spoons from the fresh and hot Poha and the soft Vada Pav. Both of them had distinguish taste that reminded us that we are crossing Surat.
Overall, I must say that the food was filled with all kinds of food flavors. From exotic to roadside – Mumbai captured by heart by serving such lovely food!
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