Last week, among the cacophony of IPL, a somewhat absurd list of Things to do in Mumbai went viral on social media. The subtext was ‘These are some of the places that you have to visit in the city.’ It had names of some of the most high-end restaurants, like Masque, The Table and Wasabi, to name a few, with no mention of places that one must visit in the multi-cultural city to fully absorb the diverse flavours it has to offer; from local Maharashtrian dishes to Irani delicacies and Gujarati fare. These are a few of the pillars that define the vast culinary landscape of Mumbai.
is this a joke pic.twitter.com/fQmhEDwyZ2
— vita (@kebabandcoke) May 30, 2023
As a response to the ridiculous list, a few kind people on Twitter started to recommend eateries and experiences steeped in the flavours of Mumbai. The Twitter account @dietpravda recommends having ‘breakfast at Stadium (near Churchgate) or Olympia (at Colaba)’. This can be topped up with Irani chai and bun maska from any of the age-old cafés; be it Kyani & Co or Sassanian in Marine Lines, and Cafe Excelsior at Fort. @dietpravada also suggests visiting ‘a bakery in Bandra and eat the chicken pattice and/or mince roll.’ Although he doesn’t name them, these come to mind: A1 and Hearsch bakeries on Hillroad and Cafe Andora on St. Dominic Road.
Fuck that tweet (although I love many of those places). Here’s a list of things to do in Bombay:
— Bean 🇵🇸 (@DietPravda) May 30, 2023
1. Take a local train to Churchgate on Sunday morning. Walk around the University. Go have breakfast at Stadium or Olympia. Walk around Horniman circle.
The best part, however, lies in the replies to this Tweet with more names, and things-to-do including suggestions of second hand bookshops. One of the replies leads to a goldmine of a Twitter thread from 2019 by food writer and researcher, Shirin Mehrotra (@shirinmehrotra). In this—what could be best described as wholesome—thread (embedded below) she has named more than 50 places from South Mumbai to Chembur and Andheri specifying what to order and how to have a most rewarding food experience in a cultural melting-pot by the sea.
Since my days in Bombay are numbered now, who'd be interested in a thread on some of Bombay's best restaurants/eateries? Promise you I am going to put my 8 years of experience into this.
— Shirin شیریں शीरीं (@shirinmehrotra) May 17, 2019
