Photo: Sriram Bala via Flickr.
Every bar distinguishes itself by its food menu and there’s never been a time where we’ve been drinking without a plate of something at the table. We called our podcast Adventures of Cheap Beer because we feel that going out to drink should be an adventure. Going out to a new place and opening a menu for the first time are occasions for us to be surprised by something completely new. Our section, Karan’s Masala Corner, is a testament to the ingenuity of Mumbai’s establishments. This is a selection of some of that section’s biggest hits plus a few favourites at other places we frequent:
Buffalo Chilli at Yacht Restaurant and Permit Room
It’s good to see that beef, buffalo or otherwise, is still on some menus, especially when the meat is as tender and juicy as it is at Yacht.
Yacht Bar and Restaurant, near St. Andrew’s Church, Hill Road, Bandra (West). Tel: 022 2642 2718. Open daily, from 10am to midnight.
Channa Garlic Oil Fry at Gopalkrishna Boarding House
Three simple ingredients are fried together to create a near-perfect drinking snack. Oh how we love the crispy and garlicky nature of this dish.
Gopalkrishna Boarding House, Shops No.20/22, Dr. M. C. Jawle Marg, Dadar (West). Open daily, from 8am to 11.30pm.
Cheese Chilli Ice at Café Oval
This is an old-school beer bar with a truly old-school snack. Cheese cubes with slices of green chilli skewered to them by a toothpick that you pop into your mouth with an ice cube. A strange sensation that needs to be experienced at least once.
Cafe Oval, Kambatta Building, Maharishi Karve Marg, Churchgate.Tel: 022 6634 5721. Open daily, from 9am to 11pm.
Chicken Rosali Kebab at Quarter Pillar
Quarter Pillar’s signature dish is a chicken kebab stuffed with a creamy and spicy potato mix. This is a delicious stomach liner to help keep hangovers at bay.
Quarter Pillar, The Unicontinental, Third Road, off S. V. Road, Khar. Tel: 022 2646 0617. Open daily, from 11am to 1.30am.
Chicken Tikka at New Punjab Restaurant and Bar
Our pick at a place that is a kebab haven in the veggie-dominated neighbourhood of Matunga East.
New Punjab, Shops No.2-6, Plot No.461, Durlabh Niwas, Bhaudaji Road, Matunga (East). Tel: 022 2401 0020. Open daily, from noon to midnight.
Dal Khichidi at Shree Sainath Restaurant
Order this if you want something simple, familiar and wholesome.
Shree Sainath Restaurant, near Wadala Market, Katrak Road, Wadala. Tel: 022 2412 8174. Open daily, from 10am to midnight.
Dal Makhani at Lamba Punjabi Restaurant and Bar
We visited Lamba with guest podcaster Mayank Shekhar who told us to portion out the dal makhani into small bowls and eat it with a spoon while we sipped our beer. It worked so well that we think it’s the dive bar equivalent of wine and cheese.
Lamba Punjabi Restaurant and Bar, 15/16, Chhadva Apartments, Sion Trombay Road, near Diamond Garden, Chembur (East). Tel: 022 2522 2878. Open daily, from 11.30am to 11.30pm.
Double Butter Masala Popcorn at Kit Kat
Light, flavourful, and easy to eat, this popcorn is an ideal accompaniment with any type of alcohol.
Kit Kat, Palekar Chambers, opposite Metro Cinema, Anandi Lal Poddar Marg, Dhobi Talao, Marine Lines. Tel: 022 2209 4112. Open daily, 9am to midnight.
Kheema Gotala at Cafe New York
As a breakfast dish or bar snack, this egg and kheema preparation is hearty and filling.
Cafe New York, 44, Dhabolkar Building, Hughes Road, opposite Reliance Jewels, Girgaum Chowpatty. Tel: 022 3015 1998. Open daily, from 7am to 12.30am.
Pulimunchi Prawns at Saheb Restaurant and Bar
This is south Indian seafood at its very best. The sweet and spicy paste known as pulimunchi is so good it needs to be shared with the world.
Saheb Restaurant and Bar, Shree Shradha CHS, Building No.36, Service Road, Bandra (East). Open daily, form 12.30pm to 3.30pm and from 6.30pm to 12.30am.
Red Pepper Coconut Chicken at Akshaya Restaurant and Bar
We’ve tried many great dishes at Akshaya over the years but chose this because it packs in the most flavour.
Akshaya Restaurant and Bar, Kalpataru Building, Dr. S. S. Road, near Citibank, Parel. Tel: 022 2416 7765. Open daily, from noon to 3.30pm and from 7pm to midnight.
Soyaben Chily at House of Food
Yes, it is a typo, they meant Soyabean Chilli. This is quite an oddity because they take the soya-based Nutrela chunks and cooked it like mock meat in a Chinese-style sauce.
House of Food, 8, Universal Industrial Estate, Bank Of India building, J. P. Road, Andheri (West).Tel: 022 2623 3970. Open daily, from 11am to midnight.
Schezwan Sprouts at Liberty Family Bar
Busting the myth that all bar bites are unhealthy and bad for you, this is a wonderfully light snack with three tried and tested Indian pub grub flavours (garlic, ginger and Schezwan sauce).
Liberty Family Bar, Shanti Niketan CHS Society, Liberty Garden Road, off Marve Road, Malad (West). Tel: 022 2888 9494. Open daily, from 11.30am to midnight.
Squid Manglorean-style at Aparna Bar and Restaurant
Squid is a very rare offering on a dive bar menu and even if it is available, it is rarely done as well as it is at Aparna, where the masala doesn’t overpower the taste of the dish.
Aparna Bar and Restaurant, Suryodhaya Building, Plot 8, near the Railway Station, Sion. Tel: 022 2404 0285. Open daily, from 11am to 4pm and from 7.30pm to midnight.
Veg ‘Chasmie’ Toast at Amrut Restaurant and Bar
To be clear, they meant to say “Veg Seasame Toast” they just spelled it like they say it. It’s a fairly common Chinese starter of fried toast topped with a fried veggie pate and these guys get it right.
Amrut Restaurant and Bar, Narottam Niwas, opposite Gandhi Market, Sion. Tel: 022 2401 8155. Open daily, from 11am to 12.30am.
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