Thali!

For truly authentic Indian food, I was introduced to a restaurant (located inside the Highway Gomantak hotel) that serves cheap and delicious food.  We ordered Thali, which is several dishes served in small bowls on a round tray.  It usually consists of rice, dhal, vegetables, chutney and roti.  I also ordered a shrimp curry dish.  The purple liquid that you see in one of the bowls is actually a salty yogurt flavored drink that aides in digestion.  Everything was so good that I literally wiped my plate clean.  To top off lunch, I ordered malai, a sweet milk-like jello flavored with saffron. See for yourself

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Bombay Blue, Mumbai

Bombay Blue is the perfect restaurant to go to when you’re with people who are each craving different types of food.  This place offers so many different kinds of food and cuisines including pizza, burgers, pastas, kabobs, sandwiches, sizzlers, you name it.

I ordered a chicken sandwich with mango and apricot chutney, but I got a little overzealous and ate it before I could snap a picture…lol…oops.  For a starter we ordered breaded cheese balls, which were delishhh.  But the showstopper of the evening was definitely the sizzler.

This sizzler came with a multitude of ingredients like cabbage, peas, carrots, potato, tomato, spinach, green beans, caramelized onions, all smothered in this AMAZING garlic sauce and topped with a beef pattie and an egg for good measure.

And just when I thought nothing could top the sizzler, I was surprised once again with this colossal dessert…a chocolate brownie on a bed of chocolate syrup, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and sprinkled with nuts. I think the end result picture speaks enough for itself of how good it was.  With its great food and clean atmosphere, Bombay Blue is a MUST!!

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The Good Earth, Mumbai

If you want a great fine dining experience, and perhaps are looking to get some STEAK in India, then Good Earth is the place to go.  Not only is the food great, but the ambiance and decor is to die for!  I couldn’t get over how pretty it was.  The pictures do not do it justice.  But of course, we were there for the steak. I couldn’t bear the deprivation any longer.  We started with a prawns appetizer, tried some Indian red wine, then ordered, not one, not two, but 3 steaks between 2 people.  Followed by coffee and tiramisu. Everything was delishhh and I’m so happy I found a spot to get my steak fix

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Jai Jawan, Mumbai

Alright, this is the MOTHER of all places to go if you’re looking for some great chicken.  If you are ever in Mumbai, you MUSTTT try Jai Jawan. One taste and now we’re hooked.  This was another food stop that we went to based on recommendation and OH MY!  It was freakin amazing!!!!  We were going there up to 3 times a week but decided to cut back to once a week so that we don’t go broke from eating chicken.  Since it was my first time, we tried almost everything on the menu: tandoori chicken, fried fish, fried prawns, and seekh kabob.  Each plate comes with a side of onions and some cilantro chutney that tastes like salsa.  Everything was delicious, but the chicken is on a whole other level.  The marinade along with the fact that they cook it on the grill makes everything about the chicken so perfect and delicious.  Just to give you an example of the cost, one whole chicken costs 220 Rupees, which comes out to about $5 U.S. dollars.  Not bad for just about the most amazing meal everrrr!  Apparently, we’re not the only ones who think so.  Jai Jawan opens up at 6:30 p.m. and there is always a line of people just waiting for it to open and they usually sell out within a few hours.  I’m telling you, this is one gem from Mumbai that I’m so happy I found.

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Amrut Sagar, Bandra West, Mumbai

On the corner of Hill Road and Globis Street in Bandra West, there is a busy little restaurant serving only vegetarian food called Amrut Sagar.  Here, they are known for their Dosa’s, which are very large and round crunchy crepe and tortilla-like hybrids.  You can get them plain or filled with vegetables.  There are over 20 different options.  They are served with two types of sauces that are eaten with the Dosa.  One in particular that differed from anything I’d tried before is the coconut chutney (great for coconut lovers).  To drink, I ordered a lime-flavored soda called Limca, which to me tasted more like grapefruit.  For dessert, I ordered a wild concoction called falooda.  You may recognize that name if you remember my posting about “palda” aka “faloodeh.”  It’s their version of the same dessert except I’ve never had it served up like this before!  There are different flavors, and we happened to order the Kesar flavor, not knowing what it was.  I later found out Kesar is saffron.  The falooda dessert was layered with the noodles at the bottom, ice cream, whipped cream, gelatin-like seeds that I still have no idea what they were, surrounded in a saffron flavored cream for taste and for that yellow color that you see.  Next it was topped with whipped cream, rose syrup and cashews.  It was a very interesting combination.  If you are a lover of saffron, then I HIGHLY recommend this particular dessert simply for the uniqueness of it.  Otherwise, I would at least get a different flavor if you are ever in India.

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Golden Crown, Mumbai

When I want to get out of Bandra West, in Mumbai, sometimes I’ll take a taxi over the bridge to “townside” Mumbai.  Its such a nice view driving over the water and seeing all the skyscrapers from a distance.  It just feels like you’re in a different city altogether.  On this particular night, we went to a restaurant called Golden Crown.  The meal started out with mini snacks of peanuts, mint chutney, potato chips, garbanzo beans, cucumbers, carrots and a side of a masala powder that you can sprinkle on the snacks to give it more flavor.  For our entree we ordered vegetable biryani, which is spiced rice with vegetables.  This is a meal in itself. You may also order it with meat.  This was so delicious that it inspired me to make it at home, which came out great as well.  Alongside the biryani, I orderd a mutton masala.  The mutton masala can be very heavy and rich in flavor, so I preferred to eat it with the Raita (cucumber yogurt) and the vegetables.  The yogurt and vegetables added a freshness to everything.  It’s chow time!

Raita

Vegetable Biryani

Mutton Masala

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Ja’hind, Mumbai

I was told there’s a great seafood restaurant within walking distance of me called Ja’hind.  I was impressed with the very modern decor and the way they were able to fit so many people in such a tight place.  Although, there still was a 30 minute wait.  I was not feeling so well in the beginning, as I had come down with a cold and was in a miserable mood. But by the time lunch was over, I was as happy as a clam.  I ordered 2 kinds of fried fish: Pomfret and Bombil.  They were both delicious and easy to eat.  I devoured the whole thing excluding the bones, not caring what part of the fish I was eating LoL.  Next up was this flavorful Prawns Masala with a side of rice.   It was loaded with spices and a hint of coconut milk.  It is amazing how much flavor they can pack in such a little dish!

Fried Pomfret

Fried Bombil

Prawns Masala

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Mcdonalds!

Being in India, I really wanted to see if a chicken sandwich at Mcdonalds here would taste the same as the ones back home.  Was it a sight to see or what?! It was packed with people just pouring in.  There were some familiar options and some new ones as well like the McSpicy Paneer sandwich.  I was really craving a McChicken sandwich, but was torn when I saw the Chicken Maharaja Mac.  It’s basically their version of a Big Mac since beef is not commonly served in India.  My stomach was saying go for what I’m craving, but my adventurous side was telling me to try something new.  Naturally, I ordered the Chicken Maharaja Mac.  To be quite honest, I was not really happy with it.  In fact, I could not finish it, which is VERY unlike me.  The fries and chicken nuggets were pretty much the same as usual.  I later tried the spicy McChicken sandwich and THAT was tasty.  If I’m ever in the mood for McDonalds again, I would definitely get that next time.

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