The Sushegad Life (2)

Review: Sushegad Gomantak

Once in a while you discover an unassuming restaurant that makes you want to kiss the chef’s hands. Sushegad Gomantak is one of those. Owned & managed by a mother and son duo, the chef here is the mother – a lady who seemed to be in her mid 50’s.

My boss, a proud Goan, decided to treat me and a few other colleagues to this place. A stout man, my boss has had access to the best of ‘Goan’ food in his life so if he recommends something I’ll go with it blindly. But that is only limited to ‘Goan’ food, his choices for other things? Well let’s not get there, high possibilities of me losing my job

A hole in the wall, Sushegad Gomantak barely can accommodate 20 people at one time. With the famous Sneha (Mallu cuisine) & Kakori House as its neighbours this place may just go unnoticed.

My boss begins talking to the lady in full Konkani while ordering our food. It’s quite amusing to hear this man, who yells at the top of his lungs in office, to speak in this saccharine tone. I savour the moment; it’s very rare after all!

Rava Prawns

We begin with the Rava Prawns – a traditional goan delicacy, these are simply batter fried prawns. You can’t go wrong with this and aunty does full justice.

Tisrya Masala

We move on to the Tisrya Masala – clams cooked in freshly ground spicy coconut masala. Finger-licking goodness!

Stuffed Bombil

We move on to the Stuffed Bombil – This is the best I have ever tasted. Bombil batter fried in rava and stuffed with some really delicious masala. This is a #MuseMustEat

Prawn Cutlets

We then had the Prawn Cutlets – melt in the mouth patties of shrimp. Again yummy in my tummy!

Prawn Curry

Crab Masala

We ended the meal with Prawn Curry and Crab Masala  – both flavoured with the tanginess of kokum and the balminess of coconut. Pair these with bhakri (rice flour pancakes/dosas), Vade (multigrain puris) or just some steamed rice and you will know no other love. Eat it with your hands and experience the myriad of flavours with all your senses.

The Co-ordinates

Sushegad Gomantak

Shop No. A 11, Shiv Sagar Society, L J Road, Mahim, Opposite Paradise Cinema, Mumbai

02224445555

No Credit/Debit Cards facility

Goan Cuisine, Seafood

Fishy Business

Review: Fresh Catch

Hidden away in what I would call ‘patli galli’ next to the Mahim station is this traditional Goan eatery called ‘Fresh Catch’. A board hangs there claiming ‘Gems of the Kokan Belt Cuisine’. Is it? Well we are about to find out. Also placed outside is a pelican with fish tale hanging out of its mouth. Cute! In a wierd way. Crowded and chattery with only about 6 tables, it starts almost where it ends. We wait for a while till we are guided to small table with traditional cloth mats.

Right opposite is the wall hanging with alot of media cut outs of all the reviews written. Think I missed this big time because I have never heard of this place and had to wait for this cute couple, I have befriended some time ago to introduce me to this place. The stout man in the photo’s comes to take are orders. He seems to be the owner and has had the privilege click pictures with Sachin (twice!), Busy bee and quite a few others!

Prawn Rechad

We open the menu, a mix goan Konkani dishes listed. I let the couple order- We order for Prawn Rechado – beautifully spiced shrimps that are soft and yet give you that crunch in your mouth. Impressed. The other dishes are suggested by the man in the photos/owner, Crab Butter Garlic- good but I prefer eating it with shell, this was the meat culled out and served. Next Calamari Chilli Fry – yum yum yum! Usually am not a very big fine of calamari but this one was not the chewy gummy kind, just beautiful soft rings. We had the Bombil Fry – crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside just like it should be, Grilled Rawas- soft succulently grilled fish that just melts in your mouth, the Clam Sukka – clams cooked in delicious masala and grated coconut. Slurp.

Clams Sukka

For the mains we order the Pomfret Rossa Curry and Neer Dosa- again delectable flavours, not too spicy, just right. I think to myself while I sit back and savour the meal, a satisfied grin on my face, how do only few restaurants get it right? The big launches, celebrity parties and all the hoopla, all in vain! Only a few restaurants get that. They get the fact that simplistic and true flavours and are the ones that really satisfy people. Fresh Catch definitely is one of them.

Pomfret Rossa

For desserts we have the Caramel Custard, the humble owner accepts that he likes the one at Britannia better. All we do is smile and savour the perfect end to the perfect meal.

A meal at Fresh Catch would cost anywhere between Rs 650 per head

Verdict:

Food: Yummy

Ambience: Simple

Service: Helpful

Quick Tip: Simple & true flavours. One of the best sea food restaurants in my opinion. Must have the Prawn Rechad & Calamari Chilli Fry.

Just by the way Culinary recommended this restaurant in Rashmi Uday Singh’s Bombay Times column, here is the piece.

The Co-ordinates:

Fresh Catch

Where: Lt. Kotnis Marg, Near Fire Brigade, Off L.J. Road, Mahim West, Mumbai

Tring Tring: 022 24448942, 022 32968981

Timings: 10am-3pm; 6pm -12midnight

Food Type: Seafood, Goan, Konkan

Payment Methods: Credit cards accepted

The Seafood Diet

Review: Pratap Lunch Home

A:  Do you eat fish?

Me: I love seafood!!

A: Do you eat Pomfret?

Me: No, I like Surmai better…

A: Aah, Surmai fish eaters are the real fish eaters!

This was the fourth or the fifth time we were having this conversation however it didn't seem to amuse us any less. Everytime felt proud at being acknowledged for my eating habits by a father figure and he feels proud for having made a conversation with a daughter he never had.

This post is dedicated to a loved one who passed away recently…..

Situated in the part that I love most, reminds me of our history, the british legacy and their majestic architecture – Fort, Pratap Lunch Home, was originally this dimly lit permit room kind of place. But recently it has been done up, inspired by Suraj Barjatya’s film – family friendly!!

On the walls you will see a sketch of a coast with burlesque’s of typically koli women selling their catch of the day to their customers.

The menu is a mix of Koli, Malvani, Mangalorean, Chinese and Mughlai fare.

We begin with Chow Chou Prawns – king prawns batter fried and topped with dhania seeds (coriander seeds) and green chillies. The potent dish was a rare yet divine combination. The next was the Tawa Ravas – again brilliant grilled Rawas and coated with traditional Malvani spices.

Chow Chou Prawns

Tawa Rawas

The next was the Crab Butter Garlic – steam crustacean topped with dressing of garlic and butter. Armed with a bib, bone marrow spoons and crab crackers we dig in. I thought the gravy was too thick, it did not combine well with the juicy crab meat to give that wholesome taste. It also lacked flavor. The one at Apoorva (check: http://luv4allthingsyum.blogspot.com/search/label/Sea%20Food) is more appetizing.

For the main course we order Prawn Gassi (Manglaorean Curry) with Neer Dosa and Rice. The curry was delectable with the flavor of coconut milk and mustard seeds. Pour it on a dollop of rice and eat it with your hand. Beware of eating your fingers though. It’s that delicious…

Butter Pepper Garlic Crab

Prawn Gassi

There was no room for dessert after this meal … Actually all I wanted was for someone to pick me up and take me home. Alas the Undertaker is not based in Mumbai.

A meal at Pratap Lunch Home w/o alcohol would cost anywhere between Rs 350-400 per head

Verdict:

Food: Excellent

Ambience:  Good but can get noisy

Service: Can misguide you. We asked him if 1 plate of crab would suffice 6-7 of us. The waiter said no and we ordered for 2 portions. We kept eating and eating and it wouldn’t get over!

Quick Tip: Got get some really good seafood at really reasonable prices and eat your heart out… Do not miss the Chow Chou Prawns, they are to die for!

The Co-ordinates:

Pratap Lunch Home

Where: 79 Janmabhoomi Marg, Fort , Mumbai

Tring Tring: 22871101, 40021101, 22871818

Timings: 11:00 AM to 12:30 AM

Food Type: Koli, Malvani, Mangalorean, Chinese, Mughlai fare

Payment Methods: Visa, Amex, Master, Cash, Credit cards accepted

Foodies Ahoy!

Mumbai Food Bloggers Meet & Revie West View Bar & Grill

Culinary Muse always thought that there was something abnormal about her obsession with food. It is like hunger her only emotion, eating her meditation and food her life. But when she got invited for The Mumbai Food Bloggers Meet on October 1^st hosted by Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal of A Perfect Bite, it was an epiphany to see a so many others who shared her mantra! Not to mention how she felt a part of them already! More like a Food Bloggers Family!

It was quite an eventful soiree over Wine & Food and meeting people from different walks of life but with a common passion- Food. There was Harini Prakash – the Vegan Mom who loves taking pictures and colours co-ordinates her daughters clothes to the food pics J (now thats what I relate to!) Then there is Snigdha – the Pretty Tea Sommelier (gosh that sounds so beautiful), there was ‘That’ Nikhil – quite precisely the Non-Chalant Gourmand, Jyothika Purwar – the very enthusiastic cook, Kurush Dalal – a bon vivant Parsi food caterer who juggles food & Archaeology together, Rhea Mitra Dalal his dulcet wife, Reethika - the vegan who taught me that Vegan is more of a way of life that just a diet choice and ofcourse Rushina the doyen of food blogging!

The evening was all about tinkling of wine glasses, clicking of cameras, chomping of food and ofcourse lots of talk about it! What can you expect when a bunch of food fanatics come under one roof!

The food – well it had some yum moments & not so yum ones. What impressed Culinary Muse was the exotic and exhaustive spread. Here goes the details –

Pic Courtsey: Jyothika (http://followmyrecipe.blogspot.com/)

Pic Courtsey: Jyothika (http://followmyrecipe.blogspot.com/)

Soup & Bread - CM opted for the non veg soup which was Sweet Corn Soup with Beer infused Chicken (yup you read that right beer infused) – it had a suttle twang and a nice flavour to it. What came next was this light airy Focassia that could be paired with flavoured oils in testubes. Amroasial!

pic courtsey Reethika (http://veganontheprowl.blogspot.com/)

Salads – Amongst Salads, the Roast Potato Salad – baby potatoes tossed in chilly flakes and balsamic sauce was delectable. The Tuna & Cumcumber Salad was also quite refreshing , the cumcumber added the crunch and freshness to it. The Yogurt Scallion Tarts - Scallion and cream filled into tarts was light and delectable. What really stood out was the Black Rice with Sunkist Oranges – I have never of such rare combination but it actually was winner on taste, the rice had a kind a gluttony texture combined with the sweet and sour oranges made for a delicious combination. The Pan Cooked Basa and Pokchoy Salad was a disappointment however with no real distinguishing flavours

Pic Courtsey: Jyothika (http://followmyrecipe.blogspot.com/)

Main Course – For the maincourse there was a spread of exotic stuffed vegetables like Stuffed Pumpkin, Corn on the Cob, Potato Gnochi and meats– Arabian Sea Prawns (these were huge), Virtnamese Basa Fish,Himalayan Trout, Weiswurt German Sausages, Chicken Satay crusted with Oats, Porkloin etc etc. We had to choose our fare and then hand over our plates to the the ‘Girls on the Grill’ – Chef Padmaja & team. CM is really happy to see women chef because usually hospitality kitchens are dominated by men. So tasted the Viatnamese Basa & The Arabian Prawns both grilled – while the meat was cooked perfectly, both lacked seasoning which them bland. I was told that the Prawns were going to be cooked with some lemon and garlic sauce. I could hardly taste that. The Sage & Pumpkin Gnocchi & Oat Crusted Chicken Satay could be compared to Pankaj Kapur’s Mausam, looked very promising but was a disaster! The Chilli’s stuffed with apricot puree were even worst with a mish mash of bitter, sweet & spicy. The Himalayan Trout seem saved the day with it’s nice silky texture and subtle flavours.

Verdict:

Food: Exotic but Tastewise very average

Ambience: Nice

Service: Very Helpful (they actually what we were wearing to be able to serve us the right plate

A 5 course meal (cheese, soup, salad, grill & dessert) at West View Grill would cost Rs 2450 plus taxes.

Quicktip: If your a health freak, love your protein and have the money too, you can head to West View Grill for a healthy grilled spread. It would be best if you gave standing instructions on the seasoning and flavours etc.

For the Love of Seafood!

Review - Apoorva

Located on Mumbai’s very own Wall Street – Fort, Apurva is a sea food lover’s dream. Although this area is flanked by many popular eateries and seafood joints like Trishna & Mahesh Lunch home, Apurva has managed to distinguish itself from the crowd with its authentic coastal & Manglorean fare. The restaurant maintains its cost effectiveness, catering well to both the parsimonious and the wealthy.

In the day, it is pretty crowded with herds of office goers flocking here during lunch hours. In the evening too, it’s pretty crowded with families and ‘packs of men’ celebrating their few hours of singledom, the famous ‘boys night out’ over fried fish & beer. You would be lucky if you didn’t have to wait for a couple of minutes. There are two sections - the upper one is air-conditioned while on the ground floor there is the sasta and tikau wall fan  and mirrors all around. Do people really like to see themselves while eating? Voyeurs! If you are with your family then I’d suggest you opt for the air-conditioned section and if you with your buddies, your ‘pack of single men’ take the ground floor. The pricing in the menus is different; obviously the food on the upper level is more expensive. Note the upper air-conditioned section is low ceilinged so if your tall be a little careful.  

For appetizers we first order fish - the Surmai Tawa is delicious, one mid-sized slice of Surmai Fish which can suffice two people. Coated with delicious batter, it is crunchy on the outside while tender fresh on this inside.  The Rawas Tikka is delectable, with succulent pieces of the tandoored fish which just melt in your mouth, a must have at this place. The Bombay Duck is crispy fried but I found it a oily and less meaty. The next appetitzer Clams Sukha  is  amazing if you’re a fan of shell fish, this one is cooked in a dry malvani style masala of chillies, grated coconut, mustard seeds and of course the unctuous shell fish meat  (I hope no PETA people are reading this). Then we are served the prawns- the Prawns Koliwada are batter fried prawns, quite the usual crunch with a hint of spice and the Prawns Chilli are what fine dining gurus like Veer Sanghvi would call Sino-Ludhianvi food with garlic, chillies and peppers, however its quite tasty. The Squid Butter Pepper Garlic is rubbery but then again I am not quite a fan of squid.

After this, comes the most satisfying part and if I may say the most orgasmic moment in the history of food, Apurva’s speciality, the Crab Butter Pepper Garlic - A whole crab cooked in loads butter, spring onions and garlic. Insert Salivating Smiley here. You would be given a along napkin – a bib to be precise, nut-cracker like cutters and a marrow spoons to scoop the meat out.  Even if you’re the most sophisticated eater in this world, I suggest you use that bib. This is going to be messy!  The waiter will serve you the pieces of crab ask him for extra gravy on the side, brace yourself and dig in. Literally. If this is not the most orgasmic food moment of your life I don’t know what could be. The crab meat, velvety soft and naturally juicy is combined with the zing of butter and garlic. Simply Sinful! It’s quite a tedious task though, scooping out the meat and then chewing on the bones. So you might end up losing some weight insteadJ (seriously praying that no one from PETA is reading this!)

Then comes the main course- a spicy fish curry called Gassi flavoured with tamarind, chilly, mustard seeds. Had best with Neer Dosa, a very thin rice dosa or Steamed Rice. You can even have the prawn or chicken gassi. There is also the soulful Chicken Stew, delicately flavoured with coconut and non spicy. Best had Appam, a thick dosa or rice (Yes lots of carbs so plan a rigorous workout the next day)

If you are wondering on my carnivorous review with nothing on the vegetarian side, in my defense, I would say that even though the restaurant also has of vegetarian food on the menu, I would not recommend you go there if you come from a place where eating meat is sin. If you are forced by your non vegetarian colleagues you can try the Navratna Korma or the Chinese. A warning you will feel like Bella amongst the Cullens more appropriately Bella amongst the Cullen Sucking on Blood!

All in all if you’re a seafood aficionado this is the place for you. The price per head is also economical with Rs 250 – Rs 400.

Verdict

Food: excellent                                                                                         

Ambience: Hell who cares

Service: Prompt

Quicktip: Go in big groups to be able to order a lot. Variety’s the Spice! Men should celebrate ‘boys night out’ here over your beer, fried fish, some more beer and ‘how they wish they had a BMW 7 series’ talk.

Co-ordinates

·         Apurva Bar & Restaurant, Noble Chambers, S. A. Brelvi Road, Near Horniman Circle, Fort, Mumbai400001, India

·         2870335,2881457

Timings: 11:30 AM to 4:00 PM, 6:00 PM to Midnight

Serves Alcohol

Accepts Credit Cards

Home Delivery within 5 kms