The one thing the past year in Mumbai’s culinaryscape has shown us plainly is that our casual dining scene is as exciting as our fine dining scene is stagnant. Cafes are the prefered format for proprietors these days, with the likes of Andheri’s The Homemade Cafe and Bandra’s Villa Vandre and Desi Deli being launched by first-time restaurateurs. It’s also been a good time for quick service joints such as Wok This Way, Wok Express and Farmik, each finding success by specialising in a particular cuisine or product. The biggest boom, however, has been enjoyed by well-priced bar chains like Hoppipola, Monkey Bar, Social, The Bar Stock Exchange and The Beer Cafe. While there were multiple worthy contenders in each category featured in our Best of 2015 list of honourees, we made our selection based on the places that impressed us the most and had us going back to them through the course of the last 12 months.
The Bombay Canteen.
Best Restaurant
The Bombay Canteen
Before he returned home to Mumbai to set up his first restaurant, chef Floyd Cardoz had spent nearly three decades in New York. We wondered what Cardoz, feted in the US for his culinary chops, would offer a city he was now far removed from. In February, when The Bombay Canteen opened, he hushed our doubts with a first-rate pan-Indian menu that prioritised underutilised seasonal local produce. The culinary credit is shared by chef Thomas Zacharias who steers the kitchen while Cardoz is away. Theirs is a contemporary and clever take on regional nosh notably without gimmicky molecular effects: tandoori pork ribs; seafood bhel; pork vindaloo methi thepla tacos; arbi tuk rendered as chaat; and rum soaked gulab jamun. The classics-with-a-twist menu is perfectly complemented by the vintage Bombay charm of the decor, the work of The Busride Design Co. Ten months in, the restaurant is as packed as it was during the opening week.
The Bombay Canteen, Unit 1, Process House, near Radio Mirchi, Kamala Mills, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel. Tel: 022 4966 6666.
Best Home Caterer
The Bohri Kitchen
Until December last year, if you craved Bohri food, the only way to get it was to find a Bohri friend and get them to invite you home. That changed thanks to Munaf Kapadia who persuaded his parents to host elaborate Bohri lunches at their Colaba residence. Kapadia’s mother Nafisa prepares their weekly multi-course meals, which have garnered much praise and a devoted following across the city. Munaf manages the flourishing business on Facebook, through which they screen attendees to ensure they comply with their ‘no serial killer’ policy. With such delicacies as raan, Bohri chicken roast, kheema samosas, khichda, haleem, paaya soup and chicken tikka biryani, sometimes all in a single sitting, for the price of just Rs1,500 per person, theirs is possibly the most value for money non-vegetarian meal in Mumbai. Be warned however that it leaves no scope for any physical activity other than sleep.
You can sign up for The Bohri Kitchen meals on their Facebook page
Best Patisserie
La Folie Lab
In October, La Folie, the high-end French patisserie chain launched its third outlet, in Bandra. It’s set apart from their Kala Ghoda flagship and Palladium branch, which opened in March 2014 and March this year respectively, by the stellar savoury offerings, such as the croissant Caprese and chicken and orzo salad, served from 8.30am until 6.30pm daily. Post sundown, the cafe becomes a date-friendly, dessert-focused spot. Depending on what time of day you pop in, apart from the signature confections such as the Infinite Caramel and macarons, you can choose from a rainbow range of artfully-structured entremets. Our any-time picks are the freshly torched lemon meringue tarts and baked-on-the-spot, fudge-like chocolate cookie. The homely pecan pie will make you wish for crisper winters.
La Folie Lab, Shop No.1, Libra Tower, 70 Hill Road, opposite Saint Peter’s Church, Bandra (West). Tel: 91679 37019.
Maakapow.
Best Take-away/Home Delivery Joint
Maakapow
As a city that only serves buff as opposed to beef, Mumbai has little cred as a burger town. However since the launch of Khar delivery kitchen Maakapow in October, our prospects have somewhat improved. They’ve astutely drafted a pork-heavy menu that is ably executed by chef Caleb Veigas. Their meat-laden burgers are uniformly juicy with well-cooked patties enriched with garlic butter, cheese and a secret hot sauce. Their Goa Sausage Pow served as a bunny chow stuffed with ham, caramelised onions and spiced and smoked Goa sausage is our pick of the lot. Notably, all their burgers are priced under Rs500.
Maakapow, Shop No.3, opposite St. Elias School, Haji Siddiqui Building, near The Hive, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Road, Khar. Tel: 022 3312 6067.
Best Quick Service Restaurant
Wok This Way
In Mumbai, you’re never too far from a traffic jam or a South-East Asian joint. And the last 12 months have seen an explosion of kitchens peddling China boxes brimming with well-sauced noodles and rice tossed with assorted veggies and garnished with spicy and crunchy condiments. Wok This Way, which has branches in Bandra and Andheri, gets our vote for its heftily portioned, well-priced meals, which while firmly in the category of bastardised Asian grub, are undeniably tasty. The service is prompt and their selection of meats, vegetables and sauces is varied enough to satisfy even the most picky eater.
Wok This Way, Shop No.5, Pearl Heaven Society, Chapel Road, opposite Salt Water Cafe, Bandra (West). Tel: 022 6555 6051. Also at Shop No.8, J. P. Road, Versova, Andheri (West). Tel: 022 6555 6071.
Best Cafe
Bombay Salad Co.
We never imagined we’d be willing to queue for salad but there’s always a frustratingly long wait at the city’s busiest salad bar. Since it opened in December last year, the 20-seat Bombay Salad Co. has been uncomfortably crowded prompting proprietor and former Suzette chef Karishma Dalal to scout a 40-cover venue across the road from their current address. They’re slated to make the move by mid-January. In the year she’s been in the business, Dalal has made a compelling case for salads as meals. Her bowls are typically heaped with fresh avocados (all year round!), chunks of feta, kale, quinoa, cranberries, pomegranate and other vibrant veg and fruit that can convert even the health food-averse into a salad junkie. It helps of course that the ingredients include Goa pork sausage, tuna, bacon and grilled prawn. You can choose from about two dozen innovative variations or customise your own regular or super-sized bowl. We’ve been washing the contents down with their excellent range of smoothies.
Bombay Salad Co., Ground Floor, Rita Apartments, opposite Syndicate Bank, near Mini Punjab and Hawaiian Shack, Bandra (West). Tel: 022 2600 0270.
Best Regional Food Restaurant
Aagri Culture Express
We always have our periscope raised for regional food options in the city. While a lot of the initiative in this area has been taken up by the city’s growing tribe of home cooks, every couple of months a restaurant focused on the cuisine of a particular community springs up, much to our delight. The notable ones this year were vegetarian Andhra joint Gonguura and SodaBottleOpenerWala in BKC, which caters homestyle Parsi nosh. However Lower Parel’s modest lunch home Aagri Culture Express won our palates over the most. The restaurant offers a primer on the Maharashtrian community’s spice-rich cooking with affordable, homestyle thalis that typically comprise a meat-based curry, rice, rice bhakris and pungent condiments. All the food is made in clay pots, which impart a distinctive and delicious earthy flavour to the fare.
Aagri Culture Express, across the road from the Anita Dongre showroom, opposite Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel. Tel: 84259 02219.
Taj Mahal Tea House.
Best Decor
Taj Mahal Tea House
The Bandra food landscape is constantly in flux. Restaurants open and shutter before you get around to even knowing that they exist. If we had the power to preserve one establishment, it would be the Taj Mahal Tea House. Time seems to slow down and the craziness of Mumbai fades as you step into the well-lit bungalow soundtracked by unintrusive Indian classical music. Interior decorators The Busride Design Co. have tastefully used the 3,500 square feet of space they had at hand by filling the rooms with capacious colonial furniture (thereby also providing cosy nooks for customers who come alone toting a book or a laptop) and blue and white tiles with motifs inspired by the titular monument. The food is subpar, but the polite service and their willingness to allow patrons to linger over a cup or four of their superb spiced milk teas make it one of our favourite getaway spots.
Taj Mahal Tea House, John Baptista Road, near Bungalow 9, opposite Federal Bank, Bandra (West). Tel: 022 2642 0330.
Best Bar
Monkey Bar
If we were to break down the experience of going out to a bar, then we would have to consider the drinks, food, decor, music, pricing and that undefinable aspect called ‘vibe’. Monkey Bar scores on all counts. Okay, maybe the music could be a bit more imaginative but with cocktails such as the marvelous Mangaa, affordably-marked pub grub like the luscious laal maas tacos (which we’ve subsequently seen on numerous other menus), and wall posters that will make you do a double take, the Bangalore export gave us, and seemingly everybody else, plenty of reasons to return. It gets uncomfortably packed at times, but when all the people around you are singing along to that childhood 1990s hit, you can’t help but join in and feel at home in the sardines-like crowd.
Monkey Bar, Ground Floor, Summerville, junction of 14th Road and 13th Road, same lane as KFC, off Linking Road, Bandra (West). Tel: 022 3015 1853.
Best Microbrewery
Dollaly Taproom
This was the year Mumbai finally got to a respectable position in the craft beer stakes, with a couple of microbreweries getting long-pending licences to serve and a few others offering their suds on tap across the city. Pune’s Doolally opened a very brightly lit taproom here in March and though it looked more like a cafe than a bar, the beers did not disappoint. We’ve got our individual favourites from all the other suppliers but for its sheer consistency and variety, Doolally has been the one we’ve frequented the most. When you’ve got so much on offer, not everything always hits the spot but we’ve found something we’ve loved each time, from the perennial apple cider to the creamy oatmeal stout and the very bacon-y rauchbier. It’s no wonder that by November they launched a branch in Andheri.
Doolally Taproom, Shop No.5/6, Geleki, ONGC Colony, Bandra Reclamation, Bandra (West). Tel: 98205 70311. Also at: C18-21, Dalia Industrial Estate, New Link Road, Andheri (West). Tel: 98205 70311.
Best Wallet-Friendly Chain
The Bar Stock Exchange
As bootstrappers on a budget, we’re extremely grateful for the surge in affordably-priced bars. From Hoppipola to Social, there’s a bunch to pick from these days. We get the most bang for our bucks, we’ve found, at the Bar Stock Exchange chain, which expanded to Kurla, Andheri West and Bandra after the flagship outpost opened in Andheri East in November 2014. By offering drinks at prices that change according to demand and supply, BSE combines two of many Mumbaikars’ favourite activities: playing the share market and partying with the spoils.
The Bar Stock Exchange, 89, Shivani Industrial Estate, opposite Times Square, Saki Naka, Andheri (East). Tel: 022 2850 1214. Also at: First Floor, Club House Equinox Business Park, Kurla. Tel: 022 6900 0146. 28, Ground Floor, Meera CHS, Oshiwara Link Road, Oshiwara, Andheri (West). Tel: 022 3015 1092. Third Floor, Kenilworth Mall, in the same building as KFC and Bonobo, off Linking Road, Bandra (West). Tel: 022 2600 8833.
This list covers the period from mid-December 2014 to mid-December 2015. Look out our picks of the Best in Culture in 2015.
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