[dean5545]

Hey guys,
Does any one know of a good pub/hotel which plays rock music in Western Mumbai region apart from Hardrock Cafe?

Or for that matter any place with good english music would be appreciated.

[neo007]

Totos garage at Bandra and on toes near juhu come to mind. Not been there in years though.

[mav2000]

I think on toes finally shut down a few months ago. But not sure as I have not gone to juhu in a while.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by dean5545

Or for that matter any place with good english music would be appreciated.

If you really like your music (and I mean REALLY), go to Door no.1 in Bandra. Amazingly local vibe to the place...it's always overflowing with people who are just there for the music. Nice local bands too. Anthony - the manager - is an impeccable host. Check out their band / music schedule, get there by 8ish to grab one of the tables in front of the live band and enjoy .

[Ithaca]

Navi Mumbai guys.
Visited Chulha at Sanpada the other day for lunch with friends.
Standard North Indian non-veg fare as the name suggests.
Since I have ordered food from them via Zomato, was pretty confident that the food was excellent.
The restaurant is on the 14th floor and has an amazing view of the creek.
Seating is limited too so better to book in advance. My friend had made a reservation via Dineout.
Only drawback nowadays and for the next few days - they are renovating their bar so if you intend to indulge in some tipple, I suggest you call them and enquire before visiting.
The Zomato app still shows that the bar is functional so would advise you to call them.
If you indulge, please do not drink and drive. Ola & Uber exist for a reason.

For those with designated drivers, ample parking is available inside the building itself as it is a Business Center.

[Iyencar]

My 2p on the Bambai food scene. Note that I am a purist. I hate fusion food (exception being dosas filled with Chinese stuff), a dhinchak ambience (think upside down bicycles on the wall, etc.) or food served in things it isn't meant to be in (bread in vehicle scale models, cakes in glass jars, cheese served on a stone, etc etc.). Anyways, here goes nothing-

South Mumbai:

• Thakker Bhojanalay, Kalbadevi: The most delicious Gujju Thalis I have had. Bring a very healthy appetite. Parking is a problem though.
• Cafe Marina, Colaba: Rooftop restaurant with a killer view. Overlooks the Arabian Sea and can see the Taj as well. Decent food and fairly priced drinks. Awesome choice for date night
• Gokul: Bang opposite Bade Miya's street stall/near Baghdadi. Lousy ambience but delicious food. There is a small Rolls shop near the entrance which is delicious too

Matunga: Grew up here and thank god for that. Almost everyone knows the major players here so I'll list the ones that aren't that well known and dishes I like in the popular hotels.

• Vada Pav: The one near King George school. I think he has moved to the corner behind DPs towards Mani's. It's below a building that will fall down any day so you can't miss it. The vada pav is to die for so...A safer option is the guy with a cart at the other end of Matunga station, below the stairs going to Z bridge (opp Shree Sunders)
• Mani's Cafe (not to be confused with the more famous namesake): Link. The newest South Indian entrant on the block. The food is delicious and cheaper than Sharda Bhavan and co. Love the vada sambar and the filter coffee is amazing. Only issue is you stand on the footpath like a hobo and eat. No seating
• Gupta Chaat: Right outside Matunga station's main entrance. Love their Bhel
• The chaat shop opposite Amba Bhavan. Just before Milap Matching centre. Awesome Ragda Pattice
• The Pav Bhaji waala opposite SIES school. Comes later in the evening I believe
• Amba Bhavan: Next to Asthika Samaj. Pretty sure the owner is related to the owner of Sharda Bhavan. Food runs in this family. Tastes just as good as Sharda Bhavan. Love the dosas- light and crispy
• Ramashray's Bisibele baath: Too bad they stopped giving those friems with it
• Idli house: Very unique menu. Love the Kanjeevaram idlis
• Rangoli: The place is in the Gujarati club. Next to Aurora cinemas towards Don Bosco. Good Gujju thalis
• Garnish: For their sizzling brownie
• Classic: Spring rolls and Pav Bhaji
• Rasna Punjab: Opposite Don Bosco. Good quality Punjabi Food. Nutan in Koliwada had the same owners. The turtles in their fountain have outlived a few older folks I knew
• China Man: Nr. Ruia College. Love the triple Shezwan. Huge portions too
• Brun Maska at Snowpoint near Welingkars or at Koolar near King's Circle

Sion:
Samosas in the tiny shop opposite Gurukripa. Steaming hot and a very unique taste.


Chembur:

• Sainath Kulcha: In the lane next to Acres club. Mouth watering Aloo Kulcha-chole
• Mani's: Same as the ones in Matunga and Sion. Awesome onion sambhar. I prefer this location because of the spacious seating. It doesn't feel like the guy sharing a seat with me will accidentally put his hand in my food
• Jeevan boarding house: Right next to Chembur station (towards the right if you are facing the station and behind these construction barricades) Simple south Indian thalis with very soft spoken managers (unlike the khadoos uncles at Mani's). Incredibly well priced. Also deliver on Zomato and Swiggy
• Maharana Kamath: On the highway. I find their food to be very light and tasty
• Saroj sweets opp. the station
• Badri's: Delicious Chinese food
• Bhat Vishranti Gruha: The spiciest Misal I have ever had. One of the oldest joints around. Just past the Chembur Naka (Maharana Kamath) signal and on the left

Navi Mumbai:

• Food studio at Palm Beach galleria. Very soft paneer dishes
• Nanak Krupa near Mafco market: Typical Dhaba. The biggest parathas. Every single thing here is delicious and incredibly cheap
• Kerala House near Vashi station: Superb lunches, both veg and non veg
• There's a dhaba past Karnala sanctuary. I forget the name. Will post it the next time I go there

[carboy]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

Sainath Kulcha: In the lane next to Acres club. Mouth watering Aloo Kulcha-chole

Their kulcha is good, but the Chole is just average. You should take their Kulcha & buy chole from Vigs or Satu's - half a km away on the same road.


On the same road, there is also Sindh Pani Puri - I think that guy invented ice cold pani puri 25 years back. Really good stuff.

Originally Posted by Iyencar

Bhat Vishranti Gruha: The spiciest Misal I have ever had.

Bhat is a very old joint. Even 25 years back, autoguys used to queue up early in the morning before starting for the day - because Bhat used to open really early - around daylight. No idea if it still opens that early.

[Iyencar]

Originally Posted by carboy

Their kulcha is good, but the Chole is just average. You should take their Kulcha & buy chole from Vigs or Satu's - half a km away on the same road.

Agreed on the Chole. However, I don't like Vig's chole either. It's just that the Kulcha outshines anything else on the plate.

Originally Posted by carboy

On the same road, there is also Sindh Pani Puri - I think that guy invented ice cold pani puri 25 years back. Really good stuff.

Been there but I personally didn't like it which is why I didn't post. Gupta in Matunga is my fave for pani puri as well

Originally Posted by carboy

Bhat is a very old joint. Even 25 years back, autoguys used to queue up early in the morning before starting for the day - because Bhat used to open really early - around daylight. No idea if it still opens that early.

Interesting. According to Google it opens at 7. Does this mean you are a resident Chemburkar?

[carboy]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

Does this mean you are a resident Chemburkar?

I have lived in Chembur for many years. Not there now, though. But I visit frequently. If you eat meat & fish (I don't much), you should try Sunny in Shell Colony Road in Chembur - not so good location - but it is spoken of very highly among Mallus in Chembur.

I also used to travel to Matunga for a few years, so I am familiar with many of your Matunga mentions also.

Going to Dadar TT, I like D Damodar's Kachoris. It's not so much the Kachori, but the very unique chutney he serves with those - he has 2 kinds of wet chutneys - the sweet chutney & the spicy chutney. The spicy chutney is really superb - unlike any other similar chutney I have seen - I take only the spicy chutney.

Originally Posted by Iyencar

Sion:
Samosas in the tiny shop opposite Gurukripa. Steaming hot and a very unique taste.

I was told that there are 3 brothers. One brother runs the Gurukripa rest. One runs a rest adjacent to Gurukripa. And the 3rd one manages the shop opp Gurukripa. The samosa he sells is the same as is served in Gurukripa & also sold in shops all over the eastern suburbs (A-1 Samosas).

If indeed we are talking about the same shop opp Gurukripa - they sell Samosas, Kachoris, puffs & various different things displayed behind a glass thingy.

[Iyencar]

Originally Posted by carboy

The samosa he sells is the same as is served in Gurukripa & also sold in shops all over the eastern suburbs (A-1 Samosas).

If indeed we are talking about the same shop opp Gurukripa - they sell Samosas, Kachoris, puffs & various different things displayed behind a glass thingy.

Yup, that's the one. I prefer the plain samosas to GKs overpriced samosa chole combo.

[Mortis]

Originally Posted by carboy

...

I was told that there are 3 brothers. One brother runs the Gurukripa rest. One runs a rest adjacent to Gurukripa. And the 3rd one manages the shop opp Gurukripa. The samosa he sells is the same as is served in Gurukripa & also sold in shops all over the eastern suburbs (A-1 Samosas).

If indeed we are talking about the same shop opp Gurukripa - they sell Samosas, Kachoris, puffs & various different things displayed behind a glass thingy.

Yup the samosas in both joints are the same. My lab is right next door so I have to resist the temptation to have them on a day basis. These are the same samosas I used to get in our school canteen and are also sold in Gaiety Galaxy and some other samosas. No doubt the best in Mumbai
. For interesting vada paos and daal bhajiyas there is nice stall outside Asha Parekh hospital in Santacruz W

[carboy]

Originally Posted by Mortis

are also sold in Gaiety Galaxy and some other samosas.

Even 15 years back, they used to supply a lot single screen theatres in the eastern suburbs. Plus they are deliver everyday to many shops in the eastern suburbs. If you find a sign saying "A-1 Samosas" in a shop, it's from them.

[Iyencar]

Originally Posted by Mortis

These are the same samosas I used to get in our school canteen

That's exactly how I got addicted too. Used to be subsidised at Rs. 2 or so. We had to run down two flights of stairs and queue up behind what was always a very very long line. If you were a little further behind they would run out. It just made them so much more desirable

[Mortis]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

That's exactly how I got addicted too. Used to be subsidised at Rs. 2 or so. We had to run down two flights of stairs and queue up behind what was always a very very long line. If you were a little further behind they would run out. It just made them so much more desirable

Exactly the same experience. Did you go to Maneckji by any chance ? Samosas were in the 2-3 bucks region and 5 bucks for 2. If you didn't rush down as soon as the short break bell rung they would be gone in a few minutes. Also remember Simba wafers, do you still get those ?

I also recommend Dynasty in Santacruz for Indian Chinese. Consistently good for years

[Iyencar]

Originally Posted by Mortis

Exactly the same experience. Did you go to Maneckji by any chance ?

Nope. Seems like these guys really captured the hungry school kids' lunch market!