My Mumbai Food Journey

Food literally has been my life over the last month. An incredible food journey through India, going back to the place I first started. A place which has developed a reputation for some of the best eats but also akin to a lot of Asian locations it offers some of the BEST street food in the world. “There is no sincerer love than the love of “streetfood.” I was in chaat heaven throughout my stay in India.. every city I visited had it’s own take on this.

This trip was actually meant for shopping but I ended up enjoying the food, drink and nights out more. There are so many places I want to share with you but there are so many that blew my mind. Here are some great recommendations, a mix of places that will give you a great feel of what the Mumbai food scene is about….

Elco pani puri centre – Mumbai

You have to have the Pani Puri here! The flavours are amazing combined with just standing in the street eating with the hustle and bustle of Mumbai life in the background adding to the experience. You will see people from all walks of life, from locals, to tourists and the occasional actors everyone’s a fan of this place

Standing on the pavement with Bandra’s locals in front of the cart and munching on these is part of the fun! As the vendor pokes a thumb into a crisp fried puri, fills it with potato, chickpeas, onion and sprouted lentils, then dunks it into the mixture of a sweet-and-sour mix of tamarind and jaggery, then a liquid blend of coriander, mint and garam masala. It’s a mouthful but you’ve just got to eat it whole!

Union Park Khar – Mumbai

Strolling in union park and grabbing freshly made street food literally roadside was so much fun.. from kebabs to dosa’s to momos, there’s something for everyone.. not all tourists dare to try this but we absolutely loved it, the fresh ingredients and flavours were out of this world!

Ashok Vada Pav – Dadar Mumbai

An area which we would never have stopped in had it not been for the advise of our driver. It always helps to have a streetwise savvy local on hand to direct you on where to go. Vada Pav.. (a bun stuffed with a fried potato patty and green chilies) something I have tried before but this local joint took me straight into a food coma. Luckily I was on a calorie deficit and was happy to have this quick shot of carb and paired with a small cup of ‘cutting tea’ which hit the spot.

Trishna Vs Mahesh – Seafood

It would have been a sin to come to Mumbai and not eat the seafood here In particular the crab and lobster..

Both restaurants serve up very tasty dishes but for me Mahesh’s was more about eating where the local’s eat, I’ve found in a lot of my travels that eating in local haunts is the best way to experience ‘REAL’ food. I was dining with the locals and it gave me a good feel of Mumbai..

Trishna’s was full of tourists and expats so it really does depend on what sort of dining experience you want. The jumbo butter garlic crab with a roomali roti to wipe up the crunchy bits of garlic and chilli was just a perfect combo.. and the lobster was equally as flavoursome. You’ve got to eat with your hands.. it’s messy buts that’s the fun of it.

Samrat Restaurant – Churchgate Mumbai

Great for that perfect Gujarati Vegetarian Thali…

One thing I’ve always loved about India are the unlimited amounts of fresh vegetables being sold on every corner. Even if you don’t eat a lot of vegetarian food, you will leave Mumbai converted. It’s great for those evenings where you just want something fresh and light after a hot day of walking around and if you don’t have much time to spend eating out. Quick turn around, no booking required.

Tanatan

Just loved this whole dining experience: the ambience, the décor, the service from being shown to the bar and immersing ourselves in the many cocktails combinations to being seated at the table and eating the amazing flavours. And all whilst listening to great live music. Each dish excelled the previous one and as full as I was I just didn’t want stop eating.

The were two stand out dishes for me, firstly the Crispy Prawn Tempura in a Curry Leaf Lemongrass Broth. Then the plate of ‘Bombil Fry’, the soft ‘bombay duck’ actually a fish, with a perfectly crispy skin was something I’ve never tried before but glad I did. A must try for those of you that love fish. Check out the images of the prawn broth below, the theatrics of it being served made it taste even better….

The dessert we had was interesting – A take on the Falooda, ‘The Raspberry Sorbet Falooda’ served on a dish with liquid nitrogen made it a showstopper.

Candies – Bandra

Trendy but oddly quaint with a Mediterranean feel, mixtures of quirky chairs and tables, every section of this eatery had it’s own vibe. A great place to hang out, a place for everyone and the views of Mumbai from the terrace was an added bonus.

No trip to Mumbai is ever complete without the Famous Bombay Sandwich from Sandwizzaa, in Santa Cruz. A whole day can be taken shopping for Indian outfits, you will get showered by shop staff offering you drinks and food of your choice in a bid to get you to buy from them. It’s become a tradition that I get My ‘Sandwizzaa’ fix brought to me whilst selecting my outfits.