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Taste authentic dishes served by a traditional Kohli family at Vasai Local.
You’ve all heard of Mumbai’s famous street staples, from Vada Pavs to Pav Bhaji, from Usal to Misal. But have you ever wanted to taste the city’s authentic cuisine before Mumbai became Mumbai? Then you have the chance to enjoy the authentic flavors of the city’s Aboriginal fishing community in the heart of Calama.
When you walk into Vasai Local, you will see fishing nets and baskets along with typical Vasai (one of Mumbai’s oldest fishing villages) home decor. In the background, large TV screens play traditional dance and music videos to further experience Kohli fisherman culture as you travel through exotic foodie adventures.
Our culinary journey begins with a sparkling Kokum Sherbet, a tangy dried fruit drink. This is followed by Sukkha Bombil Fry (crispy sun-dried Bombay duck) – in this case the duck is fish, not poultry; three types of fried Kolbi (shrimp) – authentic Koli style, Tawa Deep fried and deep fried semolina coating.
For our main courses we tried Sarga Bharela (pomfret stuffed with a spicy concoction); Tawa Fried Pomfret and King Fish coated with semolina; Chicken Curry; Kolbi Batatcha Ambat (prawn and potato curry) and Green Fish curry.
Vasai Local will take you back to Mumbai local trains, stops famous for the Portuguese-era Bassein Fort, beaches and Kohli cuisine.
Koli meals are simple and include home cooking. The flavour was more mellow than we expected; we guess the spice level has been turned down to suit all diners.
Fish and all other forms of seafood are at the heart of the community menu. So you can expect lots of fresh fish, especially a breed called Bombay duck. It’s a bit salty and has a strong sea flavor, but we love its crunchy version called Sukkha Bombil.
Among the main courses, their Fried Sarga Bharela is a delightful and must-try, and equally delicious is the Green Fish Curry, a simple but delicious green coriander and coconut curry that goes well with rice.
Their curries go well with steamed rice, Fugiyas (savory fried dough that looks similar to Arabic luqaimat) and Bhakri (Maharashtra bread made from rice flour).
However, what surprised us was Sukkha Bombil Biryani or Dried Bombay Duck Biryani. It’s not like other fish biryanis. If you like the taste of the ocean, then this dish is worth a try. The dish has an overwhelming “fishy” aroma, but introduces us to a new biryani variant.
Their fish dishes are cooked to perfection, unlike some places that serve flaky or rubbery ones. The unique flavour of their curries is brought about by the use of Koli masala and the popular Bottle Masala – a spice blend of 25 to 60 aromatic spices.
All in all, during our many teenage weekend outings in Mumbai, the experiences brought us back nicely to the seaside village of Kohli.
We would say their signature Koli dish lives up to their promise. Considering the cost of fresh fish, these items are reasonably priced. Apart from their flagship Koli dishes, this place also serves a variety of kebabs, tikkas and other tandoori delicacies and of course a variety of Mumbai street food such as Vada Pav, Kheema Pav, Kanda Bhajiyas and many more.
Service is efficient and there should be at least a 10 minute wait between each dish as fish can’t be prepared in a hurry.
Location: Behind the Royal Hotel Kalamalami
Average meal cost for two people: Dh120 (Tully: Dh35 per person)
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