Bye-Bye Bombay...

Mumbai (Bombay), India

August 25-26, 2007
N 18°57.250
E 072°48.667

When we arrived in Bombay a little over a week ago, Abbas advised us there isn’t a lot to do in Bombay except eat and drink. Abbas and Zainab ensured us we would hit some of the best places in Bombay, but at the same time enjoy proper meals in the comfort of their home. After six nights in Bombay, I have to admit, we ate our way through the city just like Abbas promised!

Night clubs were on the agenda as well. The night life in Bombay is buzzing with activity as all the hipsters hit the clubs to drink, dance, gossip, and listen to thumping house music. The women are beautiful; all immaculately dressed, with perfect hair, and sparkling jewelry — as if they just left the set of the latest Bollywood movie.

Below is just a sample of the food we enjoyed during our visit. This doesn’t include the fabulous breakfasts and lunches we ate at home, all prepared by Abbas and Zainab’s cook, which were outstanding. We both loved all the food; however, I think Marc’s favorite part of eating in India was eating his meal with his hand (right hand only) and not using utensils. I have to say—I enjoyed it too.

Dining:
Bade Miya, located in Colaba—we hit this place around 11:30 PM the night we arrived in Bombay. The popular take-away place is located on a small dark street (more like an alley) that has a few tables for walk-up customers, but the majority of the customers eat on the trunk (or boot) of their car. Smoke from the grill, placed right on the sidewalk, filled the air as horns honked and people piled into the area looking to score their late night fix of tika.

A waiter takes your order and then tosses a few newspapers across the trunk before returning with plates of tender chicken tikka, lamb, and mutton. The dinner isn’t complete without mint chutney on the side, spooned over the meat, as you use the piping hot roomali roti to scoop up the tasty treat. This was one of our favorite meals in Bombay, for both the atmosphere and the food!

Samrat, located in Churchgate—we experienced this typical Indian vegetarian restaurant that serves Thali the day after Sana’s big birthday party. Different dishes, such as Chana Masala and Aloo Palak, are served in multiple small metal bowls. As soon as a bowl is empty it is refilled, and then refilled again, and refilled again, until you just can’t eat anymore. The place was packed for Sunday brunch as everyone scooped up the all-you-can eat dishes with an endless supply of roti and naan.

Trishna, located in Fort Area—this restaurant specializes in seafood and it really is some of the best seafood I have ever had. We started the meal with spicy prawns, dipped in mint chutney, and accompanied with onions and fresh lime juice.

The second course, a grilled, or possibly baked, white fish, was the star of the show. The white, flakey fish was crusted with pepper and what tasted like crushed coriander seeds. The flavors blended together perfectly, with the fish melting in our mouths. If we used forks, someone might have been stabbed in the hand; instead the one with the fastest hands got it. I would actually say this was the best fish I have EVER had!

I was still in shock over the fish, enjoying the peppery taste in my mouth, when the next course was delivered. A large, cracked crab tossed in butter, garlic and cilantro was shared among the four of us. The large crab legs had loads of sweet meat that we picked out with our fingers.

Yes, we were all stuffed to the at this point, but one more dish was delivered to our table—a traditional Indian prawn curry. The curry was served with roomali roti and naan depending on our preference—I preferred the roomali roti, Marc the naan—to each their own, right?

This is definitely the place for seafood; everything is fresh and has an Indian twist to the recipes. The restaurant was packed with locals and everyone ordered the famous specialties.

Kareem’s—this small kebab joint is located along restaurant row in Bandra West. The various takes of tandoori here are top-notch. Similarly to Bade Miya, the place serves great, consistent food in a very low key atmosphere. This was our last meal in Bombay, and it was one I will remember for a very long time.

Nightlife:
Like I mentioned, we hit several of the hot night clubs. Many of them, like New York City, are places to see and be seen. Here are a few of the places we enjoyed:

Indigo, located in Colaba—the bar of this place gets packed early as the tables are filled with diners enjoying the latest European cuisine. There are two bars, one upstairs and one downstairs, that each has their own charm. The lounge upstairs has couches that make it comfortable to sit in a group and gossip over a Belvedere martini. However, the main action is definitely in the bar downstairs, where people stand at least five deep, making a serious challenge to squeeze through to the bar for a drink.

Starwood inside Taj Mahal Palace—hip place located inside the beautiful Taj Mahal Palace and Tower. Even if you don’t stay at the Taj, a visit is a must, and you might as well grab a drink while you are in there.