Featured image credits: (L): Rohit Koul, (R): The Bombay Canteen
Mumbai’s culinary repertoire is coloured with some timeless favourites — chaat (street food fare), vada pav (potato buns inside bread), and pav bhaji (spiced, mashed vegetables in a thick gravy eaten with buttered bread). But they’ve had their moments of fame; we’ve eaten, relished and applauded them.
So, this time, we decided to take the road less travelled; quizzing chefs, bloggers and those well-versed with the city’s gastronomy about the most unique dishes they’ve sampled instead. Here’s what they have to say:
1. Ghewar Chaat at Trèsind Mumbai
The traditional Rajasthani dessert ghewar (disc-shaped sweet with a honeycomb-like texture) is a well-known favourite. So, when chef Karishma Sakhrani saw it combined with chaat in a never-before-seen avatar at her meal at Trèsind, she was in for a surprise. The chaat, she points out, brings dynamism to the otherwise subtle flavoured ghewar. The first morsel becomes a celebration of these complex flavours and contrasting textures.
“The dish was a revelation, marrying sweet and savoury elements perfectly. It brought back memories of festive celebrations and its playful, modern twist made the experience truly memorable,” she says. Not just this, but rather every dish on the Trèsind menu, designed by chef Himanshu Saini, is a cheeky nod to how well traditional recipes pair with modern flavours. If you’re planning a visit, don’t miss out on the nalli nihari (mutton stew) eaten with khari (puff pastry).
2. Rawa fried bombil at Chaitanya Restaurant
Growing up in Shimla meant that seafood wasn’t as omnipresent in his diet as corporate chef Sarfaraz Ahmed would have liked. He recalls the time he first sampled seafood in Kerala. He fell in love instantly. His travels in the southern parts of India, Bengaluru and Mumbai, led him to discover the centrality of fish and prawns in their cuisines. Ask him to pick the dish that left him most impressed and he’ll say it’s the rawa fried bombil (Bombay duck marinated in semolina) at Dadar’s Chaitanya Restaurant.
A deep dive into the roots of Chaitanya tells us that their authenticity borrows from the family history that is closely rooted in Malvani culture. The Walke family hails from the Malvan area — Sindhudurg town famous for its fishing history — and wields their time-tested recipes at Chaitanya. If the endless list of items has you mind-boggled about what to go for, just blindly order the rawa fried bombil. It’s a winner.
3. GSB Saraswat Cuisine at Maaslli
Saddled with ingredients such as coconut oil, tamarind, jaggery, vegetables, fruits, and seafood, the vegetarian-centric GSB Saraswat cuisine is native to the coastal regions of India. And Chef Vikrant Sablok of Masala Library points us in the direction of a gem of a place whose menu features some GSB cult classics.
“This seafood-based cookery is native to a very small community of Konkan-speaking, fish-eating Brahmins that had migrated here through the last five decades,” chef Vikrant explains. “When I moved here and started working in the restaurants of Mumbai, it was a task dealing with the poor renditions of North Indian food. But there were certain afternoons when we’d shut the restaurant after lunch service and head to Maaslli in Worli just to grab the bombil thali (platter of Bombay duck) and fried seafood,” he shares.
4. Sanju Baba’s Chicken at Shalimar Restaurant
The Shalimar Restaurant is located off Mohammed Ali Road’s Bhendi Bazaar. Telling the origin story of this dish, celebrity chef Ajay Chopra shares that the owner was a huge fan of actor Sanjay Dutt.
“The day Sanju Baba was released from the jail — the actor was convicted for the Mumbai bombings (1993) — the owner distributed free ‘Sanju Baba chicken’ and rotis (Indian flatbread) to more than a thousand people that day.” But the name isn’t the only draw of the dish. Its medley of flavours is also the reason for its long line of patrons.
5. Savoury spicy churros at Lyla
Chances are you’ve eaten the usual versions of churros (cylindrical star-striped pieces of fried dough) until now. The ones that ask you to dip them in generous helpings of chocolate. Welcome to the other side of the churros world where things are done slightly differently. Chef Ananya Banerjee was sceptical at first when she spotted savoury spicy churros on the menu at Lyla.
But its flavour profile is now what keeps her going back to the restaurant. “What makes this dish truly unique is the delightful twist it offers — taking the world-famous Spanish churros, traditionally a sweet delicacy, and transforming them into a savoury, spicy treat. These churros are not just inventive but incredibly delicious and undeniably addictive,” she points out.
The other menu hits are the Mexican sandwiches, ‘Ceviche De Pescado’ (shellfish marinated in citrus and seasonings), and Setay Trufa Empanadas stuffed with a mushroom and truffle filling.
6. Banana walnut ice cream at K Rustom
Since 1953, this spot in Churchgate has been churning magic (literally) through its sandwich ice creams. Here’s a mental picture for you: imagine two wafer slabs hugging a chunk of ice cream. Delicious, right? A few other flavours to sample are the paan (betel), ginger lemon, and choco-roasted almond crunch.
As the influencer behind DTC Eats, a food channel, shares, “Whether it is to lap up the ice cream that is so lovely in its simplicity or to spend a little time on a breezy day with this family that has kept alive its sense of humour and K Rustom’s legacy, we’d be coming back to this Mumbai classic again. Finally, I wrapped up at the legendary K Rustom for their banana walnut ice cream sandwich. The crisp wafers, creamy ice cream, and perfectly balanced flavours made it an absolute winner. No overhype here — just pure dessert magic!”
7. Pulled pork theplas at Bombay Canteen
What to eat when at The Bombay Canteen? The answer is unanimous: methi theplas (flatbreads made of fenugreek) filled with Goan pulled pork vindaloo (a Goan curry characterised by its intense heat and tangy flavours). Food consultant Karen Anand calls the dish “a marriage made in heaven”.
While we acknowledge the dish is piquant, if you’re looking to ease your way into unfamiliar territory, there are some other less adventurous hits you can try. These include poha (flattened rice), crushed paneer (cottage cheese) with watermelon curry, and their kebabs which have many fans, including yours sincerely.
Edited by Arunava Banerjee
