I think it is safe to say the thing Mr B and I were looking forward to the most on our first visit to India was trying the local food.
For us, the best way to do this is on a food tour. We find they take us to places we would never have otherwise visited, they introduce us to dishes we may not have ordered and also give us confidence we are being taken to places with good hygiene standards.
Landing in the morning in Mumbai we didn’t need to worry about battling through the jet leg for our evening food tour as we were both running on pure excitement! We used ‘Get Your Guide’ to book our tours in Mumbai and what I liked was that it gave us options for a group tour, private tour and the option to add on a pick-up from our hotel. We opted for a private food tour with a hotel pick-up.
We got confirmation on email as normal when we booked and were contacted by our guide on WhatsApp before our tour. The pickup was just as described right at our hotel reception door. It was all nice, easy and stress free which is just what you want, especially the day you have landed from a long-haul flight!
Our lovely guide Hitesh spoke to us on the way to our first stop. We spoke about Indian food, the culture, cricket and what we wanted to see and do during our time in Mumbai.
Our first stop was Chowpatty beach and Mr B and I knew we were going to get an authentic food experience when we didn’t see any other tourists, just lots of locals with a mixture of friends and families enjoying the beach as the sun was setting and tucking into all the street food. From first arriving it already had our senses going from the many wonderful cooking smells.
Our first tasting was the traditional pani puri, I can best describe these as little flavour bombs. They explode in your mouth and have a lovely undertone of heat which got our taste buds going. After our third pani puri we tried the Dahi puri which unlike the pani puri has yoghurt giving a sharp and slightly creamy taste with a cooling note.
Mr B and I were already in our element and still at our first street food tasting, and it was not over with, as we then tucked into the Sev puri. We both loved these little flat bites loaded with toppings of potatoes, chickpeas, onions, tomato and chutneys.
Hitesh took us to our next street food stand where we tried two incredible dishes. We had a Masala dosa, it was great to watch it being made from scratch in front of us and we could tell the chef had certainly made many dosas in his time, spreading the batter so thin and cooking it perfectly. We loved taking a chunk off the stuffed dosa and dipping it into the chutney and the sambar. I really loved this dish, so much so that for the next two days in Mumbai I had Masala dosa for breakfast both days!
As we sat on the wall on the beach watching Mumbai life and people enjoying their time on the beach and at the food stalls, with a chef making us a fresh pav bhaji, Mr B and I were just smiling from ear to ear. It was a real pinch-me moment after talking for so many years about one day making it to India.
Then we were presented with a fresh, hot plate of pav bhaji, a dish we had never tried before and one which soon became both Mr B and I’s favourite Mumbai street food.
The thick, spicy vegetable curry was a taste sensation, topped with a generous amount of butter and served with a buttered bread roll which we used to scoop up mouthfuls of the incredible curry.
To cool off slightly and refresh our pallets, our third food stop was to a kulfi stand where we enjoyed sliced mixed fruit kulfi. Each colour was a different flavour. It was creamy, not too sweet and so refreshing.
For our next stop we jumped back into our car where our driver took us to the Bhuleshwar neighbourhood, a lively bustling area we would have most definitely got lost in if not for Hitesh. He didn’t even mind when I found it too hard to resist walking past a market stall selling the most beautiful traditional Indian earrings to make a quick unplanned purchase. It was great to be on a food tour, but also to be experiencing and taking in all the local markets, nightlife and temples.
After exploring the streets we stopped for a masala chai, something Mr B and I already had a love for. This was served in the traditional clay cup and topped with saffron. It was incredible and the best chai we had all holiday.
Hopping back into our car we made the short drive to Minara Masjid, famous for its Ramadan markets. To say it was busy seems like an understatement, we were shoulder to shoulder with people making our way through the markets. It was even too busy for me to get my camera out to take photos, but despite the hecticness we felt in very safe hands with Hitesh who always made sure we were with him and not getting lost in the crowd.
We made it to our final savoury food stop where we tried three delicious chicken dishes. Whilst Mr B loved the Tandoori Chicken with a yoghurt dressing, my favourite was the Chicken Baida Roti. This lovely thin bread was filled with egg and diced chicken, rolled up and fried, it was so tasty.
Mr B and I both had to admit at this point we were stuffed! Luckily, there was a gentle five-minute walk to our last tasting and it was to Taj Ice cream which has been making hand-churned ice cream since 1887!
There was a great selection of flavours to choose from, I opted for the chocolate and roasted almond whilst Mr B went for the fruity option of Guava. After everything rich we had eaten it was the perfect thing to finish our tour with.
We knew we wouldn’t have been brave enough to explore the Mumbai street food scene on our own and I couldn’t recommend this street food tour highly enough. We enjoyed every single tasting, but as well as the food we loved soaking up the atmosphere from all the local neighbourhoods we visited. That with our excellent driver and brilliant guide, it was a perfect tour and an incredible way to spend our first night in Mumbai.
Mumbai: Street Food and Night Markets Tour | GetYourGuide
