A Guide: Eating out in Mumbai

[vcash]

Update: Just called Global Fusion. They have hiked their prices from Rs. 650 to Rs. 850 for the weekends and they will charge Rs. 1000 for Corkage for unlimited bottles excluding Beer and Wine which has to be bought inhouse. The lack of bringing my own wine is a deal killer and my initial estimates now put the entire night at close to 20K if one dines at GF with alcohol included.

Any inputs on Mumbai Times Cafe / Noodle Bar or China Gate?

[V-16]

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

Went to Valhalla last Saturday night. It's a newly opened restobar near starters n more at churchgate. First floor with a terrace for smoking as well. Food n drinks are charged at five star rates but the tapas are worth the price. Decent selection of wines as well to complement the tapas.
To enter after 1015, you must be on the guest list. No cover or entry charge though.
Music is house and good and picks up tempo as the night builds up. No Hindi music at all! Phew! Place is on till 230 generally.

Valhalla is where Straters and More used to be. Its the same premises. The place is large and gets overcrowded as the night progresses. Thankk god for the no smoking law, we can breathe easy in such places. Im not too hot on crowded places but this is a good place. To call it anything except a pub/lounge would be wrong. Its a great place to hang out with friends and after a very long time i saw very good crowd in a Bombay night spot.

Originally Posted by dkhatau

On saturday night went to a place called MasalaCraft just opposite lilavati hospital. Very good indian food and also very good value for money and the best part is that they let you sit without piling on you for orders. Great place for some good north indian cuisine.

Masala Craft is a trade mark of the Taj indian restaurants. This place will have a legal issue on their heads soon but not our problrm. Is it the same place next to Desiree where some China Bistro or something was there a while ago?

Originally Posted by mmmjgm

Great News,

The Kabab Factory is opening at Powai, Hiranandani (opposite the Yellow Chili building) bang opp Gangar Opticians.Cheers
M

Is this the same chain of restaurants in the Radisson? I have been to their Delhi outlet the food is fab and they kill you by over feeding you. You are charged per head, veg or non veg and then the food just comes pouring in like a gujrati thali.

Originally Posted by spawnofsatan

manish you just made my day, Chili's is one of my favourite places, cant wait for it to come to India. I wish they would launch Chipotle in India, it would do great !!

Chipotle would be ideal. I just adore their food.

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

Talking about wishing, i wish they would launch Cinnabon here!

Cinnbon will be here shortly. It is already there in the Emporio Mall in Delhi

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Originally Posted by V-16

Cinnbon will be here shortly. It is already there in the Emporio Mall in Delhi

What you saying!!! Awesome...! Time to find an excuse for a Delhi Trip...

Have you tried it though? Is it the same taste & that insatiable aroma?

[normally_crazy]

Originally Posted by V-16

Is it the same place next to Desiree where some China Bistro or something was there a while ago?

Yup - renamed / rebadged / rebranded as Masala Craft. The food is a tad better than average but priced reasonably ok.

[V-16]

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

What you saying!!! Awesome...! Time to find an excuse for a Delhi Trip...

Have you tried it though? Is it the same taste & that insatiable aroma?

You bet i have tried it. The taste may not be identical, owing to the change and quality of the raw materials but the mesmerizing aroma is the same and it tastes YUMMY!!

Tried Mad Over Donuts? Pretty good stuff.

[issigonis]

Moderators,

Request permission to start this thread in shifting gears.

I would love to get inputs from Bombay residents on interesting restaurants, eateries, takeaways and so on offering authentic ( the accent is on the authentic) Mughlai cuisine in Bombay and its suburbs. There is a difference between Mughlai and Punjabi cuisine and I request bhpians to specify which cuisine they are alluding to.

I will use this thread to discuss and find
1. Mughlai cuisine restaurants
2. Lucknawi (Awadhi) cuisine restaurants
3. Delhi's vegetarian ( aka, the cuisine of the Baniya community of Old Delhi, as exemplified by the eateries of Old Delhi, including Parathe Wali Gali) cuisine restaurants
4. Punjabi cuisine ( please include tandoori dishes here, ref. Daryaganj's Moti Mahal) restaurants

If there are respondents from Rajasthan and Kashmir, we can also consider Rajasthani and Kashmiri (both the cuisine of the Pandit community and that of the Muslims), respectively.

Please note that these community identifiers are meant only to identify/classify cuisine types and no disrespect/bias in intended. These cuisine types are referred to by these terms in various books by cooking experts, including that penned by cartoonist Sudhir Dar.

I have mostly drawn a blank when I have gone seeking authentic Mughlai or Lucknawi cuisine, in Bombay. For the former, one has Khyber in Kala Ghoda and in Khar, Shalimar in Mohammad Ali Road and perhaps the restaurants in the ITC branded hotels ( viz. Peshawari) can be considered.

But the experience in general has been, well, dismal.

Request inputs on worthy eateries please...
Regards

[normally_crazy]

The Yellow Chilli at Powai.

Made the mistake of going there on a weekend - the place was packed and waiting was estimated 20 minutes which turned out to be just over 60 minutes. Also the waiting area is cramped and having chairs on both sides means people were stepping over each other's toes. And to top that - there was a solitary fan (on a stand) trying to cool 20 odd people !

We had to ask them to serve water for the people waiting outside.

After we were allotted a table we ordered soups which came cold followed by the HUGE masala papad that was chewy and stretchable across the table. Food is good, nothing great but strictly good - bland too.

The best thing is the onions smeared with a paste of amchur masala - yummyyyy.

Overall a below average experience.

[frankmehta]

Anyone here can guide me to the BEST 'authentic' Lassi in Mumbai????

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

Anyone here can guide me to the BEST 'authentic' Lassi in Mumbai????

Bhagat tarachand at kalbadevi is good.

[mmmjgm]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

Anyone here can guide me to the BEST 'authentic' Lassi in Mumbai????

At Gamdevi there's this Saraswat Colony, opposite this saraswat colony there's a trisection where the gully meets the road. There is a dairy on this intersection.

One of the good lassi's are available here. Good place.

[frankmehta]

that's JAIN dairy. i've grown up drinking Lassi there. But it's definitely not the authentic stuff. No malai on top, and the flavouring is slightly synthetic. Good lassi nonetheless. Sorry to say, but one of the best I have had in Mumbai. No good lassi available here.

@ Tejas: Not had lassi there, but chaas I have. And it's good. Waiting to go there next time to try some lassi.

[kraft.wagen]

Where can i get the best Dabeli/Kothimbir Wadi in BBY, planning a trip over this weekend, inputs would really help.

Pardon me in case its already put up, i've jus started to read this thread

[SuperSelect]

Originally Posted by kraft.wagen

Where can i get the best Dabeli/Kothimbir Wadi in BBY, planning a trip over this weekend, inputs would really help.

Pardon me in case its already put up, i've jus started to read this thread

Hey kraft.wagen, are you familiar with Mumbai ?
For Kothimbir wadi, Dadar/Shivaji park area is the best bet. Two restaurants - "Gypsy Corner" and "Aswad", a stone's throw from Shivaji Park main gate.
The best Dabelis are available at Ghatkopar (East) There's a street near Odeon Cinema where you'll get this.
Yummm, my mouth's watering already

[mmmjgm]

Update.

The Great Kabab Factory opening on the 18th of November 2009 at Hiranandani - Opp Citi Business Park. Central Avenue. (trial launch has already commenced as of yesterday.

Chili's is opening on the 23rd of November 2009, Monday. Sorry Gotty, we won't be there for the opening.

Great Kabab Factory Menus are non veg 799++ (Taxes, drinks etc extra) for that massive kabab fest, fixed menu.
Veg is at 769++ taxes etc extra.

I presume there will be massive lines outside The Great Kabab Factory, place is small, Chilis on the other hand will get the benefit of those lines (both are run by the same franchisee).

Cheers

[mmmjgm]

Any one know where the best Chicken burgers are available in town ?
The ground meat variety ?

I've tried Intercontinental - awesome chicken burgers - enough for a meal.
Very pricey 640/- with a burger and a coffee costing 175 (without taxes)

While the times were old and most of us were young (1980s') There was an outlet at the Oberoi (now after various renaming ceremonies the Trident) called Samarkand.

The best burgers i've eaten were here. Awesome stuff. For the time pricing was royal- Rs. 100 with taxes, alas, as all good things get to rest permanently, this place was remodeled into the coffee shop called the Palms, then never saw those burgers again.

Any ideas pan India where the best chicken burgers ? (meat has to be ground & grilled).

Went to the states with great expectations, then realized this is country is run by processes not taste. All food processing is factory driven, the outlet just heats/handles the food.