Awakening the palate: How Mumbai's dining scene is redefining Indian flavor

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Awakening the palate: How Mumbai's dining scene is redefining Indian flavor

Published: 25 Oct. 2025, 12:22 Updated: 27 Oct. 2025, 19:12

LEE JIAN
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Curried rice, a comfort dish in southern India, is reimagined with beetroot, Spanish goat cheese and a side of crunchy shiso tempura at Papa's, a fine dining restaurant in Mumbai [LEE JIAN]

MUMBAI, India — Indian food abroad is often reduced to clichés — chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken and butter naan. But these represent only a sliver of the country’s cuisine, primarily from the north, which includes the country’s capital, New Delhi.

On the west coast is Mumbai, India’s financial capital, its most populous city and home to the multibillion-dollar Bollywood film industry. Nicknamed the “City of Dreams,” it draws people from across the subcontinent. Its diversity is reflected in its eclectic food scene that mirrors India’s diverse geography, colonial past, layered religions and rapidly modernizing present.

Skyline in Mumbai, India, on May 5 [REUTERS/FRANCIS MASCARENHAS]

What follows is not a checklist of classics, but a wider glimpse into Indian food, from Mumbai’s local seafood, fine dining and Indo-Chinese fusion to the nostalgic dishes of southern India and the tropical Goa.

As in much of India, eating here is about discovery — but not just of flavors that surprise the taste buds. It is also of what those flavors awaken: a sense of aliveness that rekindles the forgotten joy of eating.

Gourmet, but make it fun: Homey fine dining at Papa's

Biriyani and dry-aged duck slices are served with white pumpkin raita at Papa's in Mumbai [LEE JIAN]

Ever feel a yawn coming on mid-course at a fine dining restaurant? The luxury dining world’s biggest enemy is often itself — the food may be elegant, but the atmosphere can feel tedious, even soporific.

At Papa’s, however, the mood is as memorable as the meal. Tucked away in Mumbai’s Bandra district, its vibe is unpretentious and convivial: tables are dotted with fidget spinners and origami, conversation flows left and right among friends and strangers, and music chosen by the evening's guests booms in the background. Its intimacy feels effortless rather than exclusive, as if diners are invited to a house party hosted by a serious Indian foodie.

Interior of Papa's, a 12-seat, fine dining restaurant in Mumbai serving modern Indian dishes [LEE JIAN]

Helmed by chef Hussain Shahzad, some of the standout courses include the Indrayani rice served with a crisped bottom layer, echoing the chef's childhood memory of scraping burnt rice off the pan; and the cool and creamy yogurt rice, a humble comfort food in southern India, reimagined with beetroot, Spanish goat cheese and a side of crunchy shiso tempura. The meal ends playfully with potato chips topped with lemon ice cream, champagne and honey — a cheeky and indulgent twist that embodies the overall spirit of Papa’s.

Yet, beneath the casual air lies meticulous and thoughtful service of a typical fine dining venue. Dishes arrive at a good pace and right temperature. It is food and hospitality that feel serious without ever taking themselves too seriously.

The art of eating crab

Locally caught mud crab steamed and doused in hot butter and garlic served at Mumbai's staple seafood restaurant Trishna [LEE JIAN]

In the coastal port city, trying the seafood is a must. But like all good things, patience is required. The signature mud crab at Trishna, Mumbai's staple seafood restaurant, arrives at the table sitting inside a hot, golden pool of butter and garlic. Diners can almost taste the dish through the smell as they scrape and tease apart the crab’s armored exterior, until a snowy mound of meat gathers. One spoonful of that, and you know it will follow you into your dreams.

Someone at the table recalled how their father always picked out the crabmeat for them. Once they'd left home, the work of prying it out themselves seemed too much, and so they had stopped eating crab altogether. Trishna’s crab is good, but would it be as enjoyable if it were to be served outside of its shell? Perhaps, this can be a lesson to all of us on the topic of crab: what we savor most is not the ease of arrival, but the process and work it takes to get there.

City and ocean view from Mumbai, India [LEE JIAN][LEE JIAN]

Gobi FTW

In a country where dietary restrictions have shaped one of the world’s most inventive vegetarian cuisines, it should be no surprise that cauliflower could taste this extraordinary. Still, gobi Manchurian deserves its own mention.

An Indo-Chinese dish, it takes the florets, fries them and then tosses them in a soy-based glaze spiked with garlic, ginger, ketchup and green chilies. The flavor profile — spicy, tangy and garlicky — recalls Korean soy-glazed chicken, but with a less sweet taste. Each bite starts with crunch, then melts into a tender cauliflower interior, delivering a lightness and brightness that meat doesn’t achieve.

A Muslim man offers prayers at Mahim Dargah, a Muslim shrine in Mumbai on April 2. [AP/RAFIQ MAQBOOL]

The dish is an example of why Indian vegetarian options are not just good but often even better. Religious and cultural traditions have shaped a cuisine where restrictions spark creativity rather than impose limits: Hindus avoid beef, Jains abstain from roots and all meat, Muslims require halal meat and forbid pork and Sikhs follow their own codes. Yet, none of these results in a compromise. Instead, ingredients like paneer, lentils, potatoes, spinach, eggplant, peas, squash and cauliflower are reborn in ways so delicious that even non-vegetarians may find themselves wishing they were.

Before the gobi Manchurian even reached the table at Trishna, conversation buzzed with anticipation from those already familiar with Indo-Chinese food. Its magic, admittedly, lies partly in the thrill of seeing something as wholesome as cauliflower turn indulgent. Maybe it is the thrill of surprise. Whatever the reason, the hype holds true. Cauliflower may well be the next TikTok-viral cucumber or iceberg cabbage. To borrow the words from one Indian foodie’s text after the meal: “Gobi for the win.”

Joining the dosa hype

A plate of masala dosa at Benne - Heritage Bangalore Dosa in Mumbai [LEE JIAN]

The joy of masala dosa at Benne, a humble takeout joint in the city, begins with rubbing a cube of butter onto the hot, crispy shell. Then, there is the crackle as the crisp shell breaks, followed by the subtle tang of fermented batter and the comforting softness of spiced potatoes inside.

A dosa is made from a fermented batter of rice and lentils, spread thin on a hot griddle and cooked with a generous slick of oil until crisp. Like an Indian cousin of the American pancake, French crepe or Russian blini, it balances crunch at the edges with a chewy, tender center.

Masala dosa is a southern Indian dish, containing a scoop of potato curry — essentially spiced mashed potatoes with onions, turmeric and curry leaves.

Though rooted in tradition, dosa is hardly old-fashioned. It’s a beloved staple across generations, even finding fresh life in pop culture. In August, Korean singer Aoora and Indian producer Dharan Kumar released "Kimchi Dosa," a playful track that garnered one million YouTube views in just 10 days. If it takes a cheesy song to inspire dosa joints to open in Seoul, so be it.

A taste of Goa

Rava Fry at O Pedro, a Goan restauarant in Mumbai [LEE JIAN]

When Indians go on vacation, they often head to Goa — a sun-drenched strip on the western coast. But Goa can also be reached by way of its food. The region's cuisine is shaped by its coastal geography and layered history: the sweetness of coconut, the tang of vinegar and the briny depth of seafood, with deeply embedded Catholic and Portuguese influences alongside Hindu tradition.

One of its signatures is the Rava Fry: a crisp fish fillet first rubbed with a spice-laced marinade, then dredged in semolina to seal in the juices before being fried in coconut oil. The result is golden, crunchy and aromatic, with a subtle nuttiness that lingers.

At O Pedro, a Goan-inspired restaurant and bar in Mumbai, the dish is prepared with the day’s freshest catch and paired with thecha chutney — a searing mix of green chilies and acidity that cuts straight through the richness.

Playfulness is part of O Pedro’s appeal. Its Tender Coconut Kismur reimagines a traditional dried-fish salad by swapping fish for fried coconut, creating a contrast between the crunchy toasted shards and soft, tender flesh. The dish manages to hold onto its Goan identity while offering a refreshing, modern twist.

BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]