Our nomadic foodie scouts the city to bring you the ten best treats from its culinary landscape.
There’s a lot to eat in Mumbai. But, from where is the big question. Though it is fun to randomly eat from anywhere, it is always better to go by the advice of someone who has lived in the city and knows the culinary landscape by heart. Now that ‘must-have in Mumbai’ is trending on Twitter, our in-house foodie lists out the best treats that you can satiate your tastebuds with. And it’s all out of a personal experience of living in the city for more than five years, and eating out invariably every other day.
- Mac and cheese and Irish coffee at Cafe Zoe (Lower Parel): Get over those fake Irish Coffees served at CCDs and if you are a real fan of the drink, you will never get a better version anywhere else in the city than at Zoe. Also, while mac and cheese happens to be a common find on the starters’ menus of many pubs, Zoe scores way more on the texture and flavour of the dish. It is better than Hard Rock Cafe.
- Pizza Margareta with sundried tomatoes and basil leaves, and espresso martini with kahlua at Woodside Inn (Colaba): The most basic of pizza preparations and ever so flavoursome, Woodside has nailed the preparation of classic Margareta to perfection. Don’t go for the garlic and cherry tomatoes option from the menu, instead just ask for sundried tomatoes and basil leaves and relish your meal. lf they don’t have kahlua and ask your drink to be made with baileys, go for something else. They have a lot of Belgian beer brands on the list.
- Aloo matar at Cafe Mysore (Matunga): Well, this popular South Indian joint at the famous King’s Circle is mostly thronged for dosas, idlis and other specialities from the region’s cuisine. Opt for aloo matar and puri from the menu and you will always thank me for the suggestion.
- Jam and cheese pizza from H. Paramesha (Fort): It is quite hard to be disappointed with any sandwich you have from anywhere in Mumbai. Still, our pick is this scrumptious jam and cheese open grilled toast with a dash of oregano. They call it pizza and you may wonder why. Just let it be. It’s a dollop of sinful goodness for a meagre price.
- Tiramisu at Deliciae Patisserie (Bandra, West): The owner and chef Bunty Mahajan is quite a pro when it comes to making desserts. You may have had tiramisus from all those fancy places in the city, but this one will give you a high that you may never want to break free from. It is infused with a generous dose of rum and just melts in your mouth.
- Mawa cake from Yazdani Bakery (Fort): Freshly baked, with a mild hint of cardamom, they can be your best accompaniment to your evening cup of tea. And all that you have to pay is 13 bucks!
- Banana pancake with lemon curd at Moshe’s (Colaba): Soft, supple banana pancake, cut into small triangles, sprinkled with maple syrup and lemon curd. Ah! Sundays can never have a better start.
- Aloo paratha from Samovar (Kala Ghoda): While a lot of eateries will lure into trying out their preparations stuffed with virtually anything that you can remotely associate with parathas, there is nothing like an authentic aloo paratha. The ones served at Samovar come closest to those buttery motherly treats.
- Egg bhurji and pav from Kyanis (Marine Lines): The eggs have a perfect texture – neither too dry nor too runny – and a perfect smack of masalas. Quite flavoursome.
- Tandoori chicken from Khane Khas (Bandra, West): Evenly roasted chicken which is slightly crispy from the outside and all juicy and succulent from the inside. You can’t get a better deal in the city if you are scouting for palatable north Indian cuisine.
