Two days in Bombay

[jjread]

I am a food and wine consultant in the Philadelphia area and I am excited to be going to Bombay for the first time next January (though only for two or three days days). It will be my first time in India. With only this much time to work with, where should I go to feel like I go (or more specifically eat) so that I can feel that I have been to India. I understand that Bombay is not exaclty a food mecca, but I am looking for some of the most inspired options currenlty available within the city. Thank you for your time.

[mongo_jones]

I understand that Bombay is not exaclty a food mecca

you have been misinformed.

your best bets on this board for info are episure and vikram.

[jjread]

mongo_jones,

You are right to correct me and I misspoke. By writting that "Bombay is not exaclty a food mecca", what I meant to say was that the city is, as I am lead to understand, more business minded that food minded. But of course I would expect there to be enourmous variety where food is concerned. I am just trying to find out about some of the better ones.

[Vikram]

I understand that Bombay is not exaclty a food mecca

I was about to send off an explosive reply to this when it occurred to me that I've actually written something similar on this list at some point. I think what I was saying is that relative to certain other cities like Hyderabad in the south, Calcutta in the east, Lucknow in the north and Ahmedabad in the west, Bombay is not as insanely food obsessed, since who has the time here.

But that's not to say you can't eat very well here - in fact, you can probably eat a greater variety and better in Bombay than anywhere else in India. Partly because of that lack of time, the restaurant culture is very well established here and it being a business city means that people have the money to pay for it.

Above all, I think Bombay scores in variety because of the number of different communities who have come to make up the city. As a result, almost uniquely for an Indian city, there is no dominant community like the Punjabis in Delhi or Tamilians in Madras or Bengalis in Calcutta. So the cooking for Bombay really is an amalgam of all the communities that have made up the city.

A friend of mine from the Asian Wall Street Jounral, Stan Sesser, was in Bombay earlier this year to write a fairly rapturous piece on the city as a part of a series he was co-authoring on the best places to eat out in Asia. He came to Bombay, he said, with no great expectations, but it turned out to be one of the really pleasant surprises of his survey.

I can mail you Stan's full piece directly if you like, but for now I'll post a very rough list of different restaurants, divided up by region, that I'd sent him to give him a basis for his piece,

Vikram

Bombay eating

- Mangalorean (seafood, all downtown)

· Trishna

· Mahesh

· Apoorva

· Excellensea

- Malvani

· Anantashram

· Saayba (Bandra)

· Gajalee (Vile Parle East)

· Sindhudurg (Dadar)

· Konkan Cafe - five star hotel style (President)

- Gujarati

· Rajdhani

· Friends Union Joshi Club

· Shree Thakker Bhojanalaya

· Panchavati Gaur

- Bengali

· Oh Calcutta

- Tamil

· Udipi Shree Ramanayaka (Matunga East, this is more Mysore Tamil)

· couple of more places, some possibly more typically Tamil in that area

· Dakshin - five star hotel style (Grand Maratha), all South Indian regions, far out near airport

- Parsi/Irani

· Britannia

· Jimmy Boys

- Muslim (Chillia)

· Olympia

- Muslim (Mughlai)

· Shalimar

· all the small places near Minara Masjid

· Dum Pukht - five star hotel style (Grand Maratha), for the Lucknowi dum pukt (closed cooking) style, far out near airport

- Punjabi/Frontier (tandoori)

· Crystal

· Peshawari - five star hotel style (Grand Maratha), far out near airport

- Goan/East Indian

· Martin’s

· Goa Portuguesa (Mahim)

- Sindhi

· Kailash Parbat

- Malayali

· Rice Boats

- General

· Swati Snacks

· Indigo

· Tea Centre

· Prithvi Cafe (Juhu)

· Samovar

[Episure]

Look no further, come to papa.

Whilst you are at it, bring some expensive wine and in return we will turn you into a curry addict.

No seriously, look forward to seeing you. Will send you all my contact nos.

Bombay may not have Le Bec-Fin or Striped Bass, but there are some that are worth writing home about.

Are you an adventurous eater?

[Vikram]

Whilst you are at it, bring some expensive wine and in return we will turn you into a curry addict.

What are you planning Episure-dada? Take his wine and dump him in a khau-galli off Mohammed Ali Road for casting aspersions on eating out in Bombay?

Vikram

[jjread]

Vikram,

Thank you very much for your reply and your understanding. Everything that you said makes complete sense. As you describe it, Bombay sound a bit like Osaka, Japan to me. While it is bussiness minded, the hustle and bustle of the of the city raises the bar for it's food... from haute cuisine to street venders. The restaurant list you attached is quite helpfull as well, and yes (if it is easy enough to do) I would love a copy of the article that your freind wrote.

Episure,

Thank you very much for the invitation and you have got a deal. I tried to email you (and Vikram for that matter) directly but I was unable to do so. I looked quickly at the the personal information that you give on this site and I saw that you you are a Scotch fan as well as a foodie. Well before I got into wine professionally, I was (and still am) into Scotch. I have travelled through much of Scotland on "reaserch" and have been to Islay a few times too. I think we will get along fine. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks again both of you .

[Episure]

QUOTE

Whilst you are at it, bring some expensive wine and in return we will turn you into a curry addict.

What are you planning Episure-dada? Take his wine and dump him in a khau-galli off Mohammed Ali Road for casting aspersions on eating out in Bombay?

Vikram

Taking a wine consultant to the Khau Gullys(roadside eating places) of Bombay may be a bit much for a guy who's only used to Botyritis.

But you never know, he may turn out to be more adventurous than us.

Edited November 3, 2003 by Episure (log)

[Vikram]

I think he'd find Khau-gullis easier to deal with that certain Indian wines... jjread, for your sake, I hope you haven't been conned here by certain unmentionable Indian winemakers to give your professional opinion on their products....

Vikram

[jjread]

Please don't take this as a challenge, but I am rather adventurous with food assuming that there is a tradition or a refinement behind it. I lived in Japan for two years where I ate allot of things that most Japanese don't even eat. That being said, I have my limits and I couldn't be dared in to eating that old green sandwich that was found behind the couch (even if some of my dorm-mates at the time could be).

No, I am not coming to look and any Indian winery. I have a seminar to go to in Australia and given some of my other stops on the way I thought that I should stop in India while I am passing over it. I have twice had Indian wine and despite their best efforts, I still want to go to India.

Edited November 3, 2003 by jjread (log)

[anil]

Bombay eating

I agree this is quite a good list - A few comments:

Mahesh has opened one in Juhu - next door to JW Marriott. With exception of

Dum-pukht, the other restaurants in Grand Maratha were iff-iffy.

(while Vikram might have a positive bias towards Sheraton - I had a terrible experience with ITCGM. They overcharged me, and I had to come back to US and sort it out with Starwood & Amex)

For Punjabi - I'd add Pritam in Dadar. I'd highly recommend Gajalee in Vile Parle -

[Rushina]

I hope you had a good time in Bombay,

I live here and I have eaten at or heard of most of the pleaces in the list but I feel humbled at the combined food knowledge about Bombay on these pages.

Rushina

[yamraj17]

Hello I was just browsing the threads when I chanced upon this one. I live in Bombay and visited Goa sometime last year, fell in love with the food I got at this small, nondescript bar on the way to Candolim beach and have been suffering from withdrawal symptom ever since(I ate there twice a day for the 5 days that I was in Goa, that was a lotta hardwork considering I was staying in Miramaar).

I guess what I ate was Malvani food. There is nothing like a plate of Fried Mussels with a large Ol' Monk-on the-rocks.....getting back to the point, can you gimme good directions to these eateries-

- Malvani

· Anantashram

· Saayba (Bandra)

· Gajalee (Vile Parle East)

· Sindhudurg (Dadar)

I intend to drive there and hate to ask people for directions and not get anywhere.

[Vikram]

I guess what I ate was Malvani food. There is nothing like a plate of Fried Mussels with a large Ol' Monk-on the-rocks.....getting back to the point, can you gimme good directions to these eateries-

- Malvani

· Anantashram

· Saayba (Bandra)

· Gajalee (Vile Parle East)

· Sindhudurg (Dadar)

I'm assuming some minimum knowledge of Bombay, otherwise you'll have to ask for some directions!

Ananatashram - From Churchgate drive down Marine Lines till you're about to come to Charni Road station (coming the other way, drive via Opera House). Take the right (coming from Churchgate) at Charni Road station bridge onto the road that leads to Central Plaza cinema hall. There's a pay and park here you better use since up ahead parking will be impossible. Walk to Central Plaza, cross the road and turn right. One of the lanes on the left will be for Khotachiwadi. Just go down that and (beyond a small grotto) you'll see Anantashram on your left. Be warned they only cook small amounts and once its over, its over.

Saayba - that's easy, just drive to Bandra and once you cross the main Bandra-Mahim junction with the big flyover (keep going straight) just keeping looking on your left and after a big petrol pump and then a small lane, you'll see it on the main road.

Gajalee - OK, this is the tough one. To be honest, I usually get lost getting here and almost always have to ask for directions. Just drive to Vile Parle east (you'll have to take the service road if you're driving on the highway) and ask for the Hanuman Mandir road. Once you're there, ask for Gajalee, sorry, that's the way it is.

Sindhudurg - from Prabhadevi drive towards Dadar station and at Portuguese Church (that modernist, nuclear reactor like structure) take the main road to Bandra. You'll come to Shiv Sena Bhavan on your right, take that right road and I think Sindhudurg is the second road on your right.

Hope this helps and BTW, jjread, did you come to Bombay in the end? Never heard from you.

Vikram

[yamraj17]

Having lived here for 6 years, my claim to eating the "real" Bombay food is pigging out on Bhunaa and Nalli-Nyari at Madanpura and the occasional Seek-Kabab near JJ. Colaba is where I live and have never gone hunting for some place 'coz I've heard that you get something different there.

Thank you, Vikram. I'll give you a review, probably by the weekend.

[anil]

Was in BOM for a few days last month A few new finds Urban Tadka a pseudo punjabi dhaba style restaurant in North Mumbai (actually North of JWM near Lokhandwalla maybe ....)

Then there is a new trend - Winebar,Coffee bar with sandwiches - "Mocha" - One in Churchgate, one in Bandra, and one in Juhu Beach.

[yamraj17]

Hey Vikram, thanks to your directions, I got to Anantashram without any problems. In fact, I had lunch twice at AA. The fish was good and the setting even better - I liked the the tables and the slow fan. There is a large board saying' "3rd class Eating House", but was much cleaner than many 2nd class eateries in Bombay.

I then went to Gomantak Boarding House at Dadar for a meal. Here, the food did remind me of Goa, but only just. The others on the list you put up in your previous post, I shall visit soon. Thank you.