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The majority of Mumbaikars who dine out frequently would agree that The Table in Colaba, which opened in 2011, is among the best restaurants in the city. The husband and wife pair of Jay Yousuf, who used to run a telecom business in the US, and Gauri Devidayal, a former senior tax manager at auditing firm KPMG, are the force behind The Table, as well as the recently-opened Magazine Street Kitchen in Darukhana in Byculla. We asked Devidayal, 35, who selects wine for the restaurant, to tell us about her favourite Mumbai spots.
Neighbourhood
I grew up on Altamont Road, where my parents still live. Now, Jay and I live on Nepean Sea Road.
Neighbourhood gems you show off to visitors
We’re lucky to live in an apartment that has a 360 degree view of the city around us. I love showing friends the stunning greenery that is the 50-acre Tower of Silence gardens from our bedroom window, and the ocean view on the other side. We’re also lucky to have a sneak peak view of Dubash Mahal, one of the last remaining historic bungalows of the city. Unfortunately there aren’t too many great eating options nearby but it’s always fun to take out-of-towners to the Willingdon Club for some eggs Kejriwal.
Neighbourhood haunts you frequent
The Ghetto (by the way, that’s where I first met my husband!).
Places of interest near Darukhana
Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Gloria Church, Masina Hospital and the yummy Persian Darbar!
Three favourite spots in the Colaba area
Royal Bombay Yacht Club, Tarq art gallery and The Table!
For an iconic Mumbai meal, you take visitors to
Thaker Bhojanalay for the thali, Trishna for crab and Madras Café for set dosa.
Best restaurant in the city
Yauatcha. The food is delicious, but more importantly, consistently so. I love the crispy prawn cheung fun, the spinach prawn and water chestnut roll and the steamed pork buns. Classic and perfectly executed.
Best place to get a drink in the city
Dome at InterContinental – for the sunset view.
A city restaurant with an impressive wine cellar
San Qi at the Four Seasons.
Favourite street food and where you go to get it
Dosa outside Sophia College.
Favourite Bombay book, film or play
Mani Ratnam’s Bombay.
The best view of Mumbai is from
A boat leaving the Gateway harbour – when you can see the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and the Gateway of India.
Best place to go shopping for cooking ingredients and kitchen supplies
Crawford Market (I believe, since I don’t cook!).
The word that best describes the city
Melting pot (both literally and metaphorically!).
A local phrase you use frequently
Gateway malum hai? (Used virtually every day to give someone or the other directions!)
You know someone is from this city when
They call it Bombay, not Mumbai.
Mumbai is unlike any other city because…
It just has a soul that I’ve never come across anywhere else. In spite of all the incredibly irritating aspects of the city, you just can’t help but love it. It’s like you’ll have a day when it pours relentlessly and traffic is a nightmare, the roads are pothole-ridden and trains don’t work, and then suddenly you’ll see a gorgeous sky and the beautiful skyline while driving on Marine Drive, and you’ll just forget everything else.
Who is a son of the soil?
Someone who just can’t help moving back to the city even after living in some of the greatest cities in the world.