If you couldn’t tell from my last post, Delhi was not exactly my favorite location. While the food and culture were stellar, I couldn’t quite get past the density of people and dust. My exploration of the city was very deliberate, going from point A to point B - wandering the streets was not really an option. The people I did meet were great and so friendly, but I’m happy to be out of the land of a thousand stares every time I stepped foot outside my door.
As I landed in Mumbai, I almost immediately felt a sense of relief. Maybe I’m just too much of a coast/beach baby, but the air felt so much cleaner (though the humidity is AGGRESSIVE - preparing me for Singapore, I guess 😞) and knowing that I was near a body of water was comforting. The neighborhood I stayed in (Bandra) is cute, walkable, and a welcome change from the previous 2 weeks.
Another bonus: my buddy Kilian was in town for work! Seeing a familiar face from home was a relief after my socially stunted couple weeks in Delhi.
A familiar face in Mumbai - Kilian aka Silver Fox
K organized a dinner with some of his local friends, and I suddenly had a mini-Mumbai squad. Score! Of course, we had the unfortunate luck of getting together during a dry day. During the Indian elections, they have days where NO ALCOHOL is served or sold - and 4 days of my first week were dry. 😑 Nevertheless, we had a great time and just used this as an excuse to get together at a later time to actually have drinks.
I’ve done a small amount of exploring - the Gateway of India, Leopold’s, the Causeway for shopping (though haggling still gives me anxiety and I can’t be bothered to do it). For the most part though, I’ve been spending my time eating my way through this city’s awesome restaurants. This is largely in part to my new friend Pretti (thanks, Kili), who loves eating as much as I do! I’m becoming a pro at eating with my hands - garlic naan (extra garlic, please) and malabar parotta (so flaky and delicious) are my utensils of choice.
New friends in Mumbai!
Mumbai was a lot of fun, but I’m ready to see what Singapore has in store for me. Paved roads and brushing my teeth with tap water will be a treat - the little things, right? Ready or not, here I come, Singapore!
Sin’s Picks
By far my favorite meal in Mumbai. Goan food, which has a ton of Portuguese influence. The service and staff were incredible too!
This red snapper ceviche was 🔥🔥🔥🔥.
The sister restaurant of O Pedro, and another fantastic tasting menu. The way they balance spice is amazing.
This duck curry was stellar, but the star was this egg appam it came with.
A Pretti restaurant, where they bring a tasting tray of curries and rices for you to try before ordering. Genius!
All the curries and all the rices. The best!