A recent trip to Mumbai proved to be quite an eye-opener. Annual visits to India were rigidly routed via Delhi until my cousin Bonnie moved South. It began when she moved to Chennai a few years ago and again recently to Mumbai. These destinations appeared remote and it never occurred to me to attempt a trip there until I had her place to prance in and out of at will. October is possibly the worst time of the year to visit Mumbai but we took the heat like true Indians and made the most of it. Mumbai`s cafe culture is quite remarkable and it is a motley crue that gathers religiously every night, to date, get a bite, or merely chitchat over a pitcher of beer. Informal and unfussy- it was the perfect ambiance for relaxing and catching up. The food was surprisingly tasty and the beer was as potent as expected! Cafe Mondegar was first up and it was elbow to elbow with every table pulled as close as possible to the next without it becoming one large table.
We tried the Shrimp Koliwada, a local recipe named after Mumbai's fishing community, where shrimp is generously dunked in a spicy batter and deep fried. It hit the spot with a cold glass of beer and the spicy chili chicken was equally well- received, reminiscent of Chinese Indian food at it's best.
Cafe Leopold which has seen it's share of tragedy was next in line. We only had room for a coffee each but it remains a memorable one. I befriended a waiter who recounted the details of the Mumbai attacks of 2008 at this well-known cafe with practised ease and in great detail. He gave us a tour of the bullet holes in the ceiling and windows and scars left by the grenade that killed and injured several people. He even showed us where he lay playing dead while the militants stepped over him on their way out. Until then, even though these events left had me morose for a few days it was something that had happened far away . Now, it seems so much closer to home.
Bonnie & I
Waiter at Cafe Leopold
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