The Mumbai Thread

[coffee_rules]

@tics, don’t go to Bombay to look for art, museum, history etc, last place on earth. If you take one of these tours, they will take you to Mumbadevi temple, maybe Siddhivinayak and lalbaug and show all Bollywood stars’ houses. Bombay is famous only because of cheap Bollywood soft power imitating cheap Hollywood. Chowpatty is so famous, you go there , it is dirtiest beach on earth. Only worthwhile place is around churchgate. Marine drive, gateway of India areas. If you complain about NY about street hawkers, Mumbai beats that and in the crowded areas. Street food, I agree, it is the best in India at least for veggies , never been to Gali paranthe wali in Delhi, though.

[Cricketics]

11 minutes ago, coffee_rules said:

@tics, don’t go to Bombay to look for art, museum, history etc, last place on earth. If you take one of these tours, they will take you to Mumbadevi temple, maybe Siddhivinayak and lalbaug and show all Bollywood stars’ houses. Bombay is famous only because of cheap Bollywood soft power imitating cheap Hollywood. Chowpatty is so famous, you go there , it is dirtiest beach on earth. Only worthwhile place is around churchgate. Marine drive, gateway of India areas. If you complain about NY about street hawkers, Mumbai beats that and in the crowded areas. Street food, I agree, it is the best in India at least for veggies , never been to Gali paranthe wali in Delhi, though.

Lol yeah, Na man, I am not into tours etc. I rathwr spend time with locals or alone. I find “tours” overrated. 
 

Btw, disagree on the street food. I know I will enjoy the food there but I won’t call it the best. I am just a foodie and thats why I am praising Mumbai food but I feel Delhi would have the best street food with the most amount of options they have but I will not start that debate here, so will stick to praising Mumbai food. 

 

Anyway,  I also feel Mumbai people would be easy to get along with compared to most in the country. One positive thing about them is that every migrant or anyone who moves there praises Mumbai after moving there and living in Mumbai even with all the challenges of it being small, over populated and migrants still coming in the city. Shows peoole still enjoy life there more than they do in other cities in India. 
 

 

 

[speed_thrills]

Spent 15 years in Mumbai before relocating out of India early this year.

 

There is nothing like Mumbai in India.  You can head out at 01 AM and chill out like it's the most normal thing to do. 

[BacktoCricaddict]

Mumbaikars, what can I say?  I've never seen anyone take as much pride in where they are from as much as a Mumbaikar does.  But the pride is not just about Mumbai.  It is about the location in Mumbai where they are from.  Whenever you ask someone from Bengaluru, "hey you from Bengaluru?,"  you'll get just a polite "yeah man."  But ask a Mumbaikar "Tum Mumbai se ho kya ...?"  And watch the chest push up against the shirt, the back straighten, and the almost indignant look on the face suggesting that you should already know this about him, then the voice become more baritone...as the the answer comes out "Haan yaar, Daadar se."  The emphasis on the Dadar just in case you miss it.  Same thing if they are from Mulund, Sion, Chembur, Dombivali, Borivali, Kalyan, Andheri or even Vasai.  Equal opportunity swag. 

 

The Bangalorean will politely wait for you to ask "Where in Bangalore?" before offering "BTM layout ... you know it, no?"  But not the Dadar-kar ... if you don't know Dadar, chaila, it's your effin loss.  

Edited November 14, 2020 by BacktoCricaddict

[coffee_rules]

3 hours ago, Cricketics said:

One positive thing about them is that every migrant or anyone who moves there praises Mumbai after moving there and living in Mumbai even with all the challenges of it being small, over populated and migrants still coming in the city. Shows peoole still enjoy life there more than they do in other cities in India. 

 

You come over to Bangalore for any pub culture you want to experience. I have never seen the same ambience in any other Indian city. All this ‘my city’ experience is all so subjective. I am a big street foodie, Bombay was the best experience for me. 

[Cricketics]

1 hour ago, coffee_rules said:

You come over to Bangalore for any pub culture you want to experience. I have never seen the same ambience in any other Indian city. All this ‘my city’ experience is all so subjective. I am a big street foodie, Bombay was the best experience for me. 

Yep, that is why I want to try the Bombay street food. I am vegetarian so Bombay street will be great for me I know. 
 

Is it true btw that Bangalore has the most bars/pubs in all of Asia?

[Ankit_sharma03]

15 hours ago, speed_thrills said:

Spent 15 years in Mumbai before relocating out of India early this year.

 

There is nothing like Mumbai in India.  You can head out at 01 AM and chill out like it's the most normal thing to do. 

 

when i came to Mumbai it shud to be till 4 AM anywhere, things went back to 4 AM everything open before lockdown ....hope it stays now that things are better

[speed_thrills]

44 minutes ago, Ankit_sharma03 said:

 

when i came to Mumbai it shud to be till 4 AM anywhere, things went back to 4 AM everything open before lockdown ....hope it stays now that things are better

 

It was astonishing to walk in to a restaurant and bar at 2 AM and see every seat occupied.

 

It sucks to be indoors by 9 PM where I am, no night life.

[Mariyam]

On 11/15/2020 at 2:59 AM, coffee_rules said:

You come over to Bangalore for any pub culture you want to experience. I have never seen the same ambience in any other Indian city. All this ‘my city’ experience is all so subjective. I am a big street foodie, Bombay was the best experience for me. 

From my limited experience, Mumbai has better South Indian street food joints than Bangalore.

Also Mumbai has this 'drive to the joint, sit in the car and eat' culture, which isn't as prevalent elsewhere.

Edited November 16, 2020 by Mariyam

[coffee_rules]

5 hours ago, Mariyam said:

From my limited experience, Mumbai has better South Indian street food joints than Bangalore.

Also Mumbai has this 'drive to the joint, sit in the car and eat' culture, which isn't as prevalent elsewhere.

 

When I said, Bombay street food, I was comparing it to other north Indian street food, like chaats, puris etc. What is South Indian street food for you?

 

I doubt we can compare, as some of them are not even available in Mumbai.  Masala puri, Churmuri (spicy version of bhel puri) Bangarpet P\p ani puri, is not available in Bombay. It is a pure Karnataka invention.

 

 

Thindi beedhi/Food street in VVPuram Bangalore:

 

 

Edited November 16, 2020 by coffee_rules

[BacktoCricaddict]

12 minutes ago, coffee_rules said:

 

When I said, Bombay street food, I was comparing it to other north Indian street food, like chaats, puris etc. What is South Indian street food for you?

 

I doubt we can compare, as some of them are not even available in Mumbai.  Masala puri, Churmuri (spicy version of bhel puri) Bangarpet P\p ani puri, is not available in Bombay. It is a pure Karnataka invention.

 

 

Thindi beedhi/Food street in VVPuram Bangalore:

 

 

Yaak ree?  Am trying to get away from this stuff :-)!!

 

Have you seen his Mulbagal Prasad hotel dosa episode?  I had to wipe the drool off my keyboard.  

[Mariyam]

@coffee_rules

South Indian street food is the on the go (ie non Udipi) version of the regular South Indian snacks

Masala Dosa

Schezwan Dosa and its infinite variants

Dahi Wada

Mini Idlis with Malgapodi powder

and the like.

 

 

 

 

[Mariyam]

On 11/15/2020 at 2:59 AM, coffee_rules said:

You come over to Bangalore for any pub culture you want to experience. I have never seen the same ambience in any other Indian city. All this ‘my city’ experience is all so subjective. I am a big street foodie, Bombay was the best experience for me. 

Not much of a culture if they take the last order at 10:45pm!!

[coffee_rules]

2 minutes ago, Mariyam said:

@coffee_rules

South Indian street food is the on the go (ie non Udipi) version of the regular South Indian snacks

Masala Dosa

Schezwan Dosa and its infinite variants

Dahi Wada

Mini Idlis with Malgapodi powder

and the like.

 

 

 

 

no way in Mumbai you get the authentic variety we get in Bangalore/south India , small towns. Just go to the above food street in Bangalore to taste a whole gamut of South Indian dishes. 

[coffee_rules]

6 minutes ago, Mariyam said:

Not much of a culture if they take the last order at 10:45pm!!

We start early. Happy hour is at 2 pm, by 1045 you will be done for sure. Be home in time safely

sorry to digress. This thread is about Bombay. Let’s focus on that.  Is Leopold Cafe open now? I want to visit it the next time I am there.

Edited November 16, 2020 by coffee_rules

[Mariyam]

15 minutes ago, coffee_rules said:

no way in Mumbai you get the authentic variety we get in Bangalore/south India , small towns. Just go to the above food street in Bangalore to taste a whole gamut of South Indian dishes. 

 

I saw the video. Partially. 

I've had some street food in Bangalore. My visits have been very fleeting and I don't claim to be an expert on the city or on South Indian food. But in my very limited experience, the entire culture of driving to a South Indian joint, having your food in your car and speeding off is just not there in Bangalore. Or in other cities in general. There are many such joints in Mumbai that cater to tens if not 100s of people at a time on weekend evenings.

Why does Authentic matter? For me I'd rather get a customized to my taste sweet idli that I can munch on in the comfort of my car. I'd enjoy that a lot more than the authentic idli the king of Hampi had his maharaj make for him.

That is the other thing, Mumbai street food joints tend to customize. In Bangalore, it was an assembly line product that you got.

 

All this is ofcourse very subjective. The best South Indian snack I've had was at a place called Vaishali in Pune. Nothing comes close to that.

Maybe @nikred can attest to it.

Edited November 16, 2020 by Mariyam

[velu]

11 minutes ago, Mariyam said:

Not much of a culture if they take the last order at 10:45pm!!

 

its misleading ..

usually pubs/bars/restaurants take last order between 11.30/12.00 if they are close to residential areas ..

in mg/brigade road they let us order till 1.15/1.30 am

[coffee_rules]

3 minutes ago, Mariyam said:

 

I saw the video. Partially. 

I've had some street food in Bangalore. My visits have been very fleeting and I don't claim to be an expert on the city or on South Indian food. But in my very limited experience, the entire culture of driving to a South Indian joint, having your food in your car and speeding off is just not there in Bangalore. Or in other cities in general. There are many such joints in Mumbai that cater to tens if not 100s of people at a time on weekend evenings.

Why does Authentic matter? For me I'd rather get a customized to my taste sweet idli that I can munch on in the comfort of my car. I'd enjoy that a lot more than the authentic idli the king of Hampi had his maharaj make for him.

That is the other thing, Mumbai fast food joints tend to customize. In Bangalore, it was an assembly line product that you got.

 

All this is ofcourse very subjective. The best South Indian snack I've had was at a place called Vaishali in Pune. Nothing comes close to that.

Maybe @nikred can attest to it.

Authentic is basically how it is supposed to have had in a popular way. I don’t believe in  a Dosa that tastes like Pizza/pasta with all kinds of crap. It is supposed to have had in a certain way. I used to eat in random Chinese restaurants in US, until I was recommended this Cheng du cuisine based restaurant  I realized what authentic Chinese food means. Less greasy with all kinds of real flavors, close to what is available in China. I stopped eating elsewhere.

 

As you said the whole subject is subjective, but I believe in authenticity, one should not improvise with certain foods. 

 

 

[velu]

2 hours ago, coffee_rules said:

 

When I said, Bombay street food, I was comparing it to other north Indian street food, like chaats, puris etc. What is South Indian street food for you?

 

I doubt we can compare, as some of them are not even available in Mumbai.  Masala puri, Churmuri (spicy version of bhel puri) Bangarpet P\p ani puri, is not available in Bombay. It is a pure Karnataka invention.

 

Thindi beedhi/Food street in VVPuram Bangalore:

 

 

 

 

in 2016 or 2017 , our startup CEO took us to VV puram avarakkai special month ..

if i am not wrong they had avarakkai ice-cream as well  

whoever gave the idea of adding avarakkai to all the dishes deserve to be shot .. 

[Cricketics]

@Mariyam which food you will define as the most overrated in Bombay which you think doesn’t deserve as much attention as much as it gets?

 

I will add first. I think Bhel Puri, albeit great is something you can find similar in most parts of India. When I think of Bombay food, first thing I want to try is always Pav Bhaji or Vada Pav. Bhel Puri you just get tired biting.