Here Fishy Fishy Fishy

Mumbai has to be the sea food capital of India. (Amongst other things it's the capital of). The beauty of Mumbai is that you have restaurants at so many pricepoints where you can get the same food in just differing order sizes. Anyone who's paid 100 bucks for Fried Bombil and got as good as or better at 20 bucks knows what I am talking about. But seriously if you go past the crab and lobster madness and the bloody showcasey places like Trishna or Gajalee the amount of great sea food places is astounding. I'd gone to my safety bet place Excellensea on Sunday. It's amazing in that I've been to that place a billion zillion times and very rarely have I gone beyond my core orders. The dragon fish is just brilliant - ask them to go easy on the spices and the flavor of the fish comes through. The Pomfret in green sauce is also very competently done. Sadly one of my favorite combos is no longer available. I say bring back idlis. They go so brilliantly with the prawn gassi. The appams are avoidable. And if you really want to watch your arteries harden while you eat the Konkani Sungta is very very highly recommended. And for dessert just drive out to Baadshah......

Vada Vada Voom

Everyone in Mumbai has their own favourite Vada Pav Wallah (As also Bhel or Pani Puri wallah but that's another post) but the purists amongst us prefer the Vada unsullied. No Pav no masala no chutney. Just the simple goodness of Vada with a wee fried chili the way god intended it. By far the best Vadas I have had have been Shri Krishna Batata wada in Dadar. The rate at which those vadas sell ensure that allatime you get hot hot Batata wadas. And boy are these yum. Over the years the price has increased (last I went was 12 bucks for 2 I think) but quality to quality hai. They taste the same as ever and don't seem to have acquired the incredible shrinking disease. Yumlicious....