A slice of Parsi Mumbaiya cuisine at Moombai & Co.

If you’ve known me and followed me long enough, you would know how excited I get at the very thought of Indian food with a twist. It might not really be inscribed as a part of my mission or vision, nor is it something set in stone, but when I look back, most of my elaborate reviews have been centered around restaurants serving contemporary Indian fare. One such gem has recently opened up shop at The H Dubai. Adding a quirky, yet upscale flair to this sophisticated SZR gem with its retro art decor, movie posters and memorabilia from the 80’s, nostalgic wooden interiors, and a very ‘Dubai meets Parsi Bombay’ vibe, Moombai & Co. is not one that you can ignore.

I was lucky to get there early enough over the Diwali weekend and managed to take a quick tour of the restaurant, and experience those 5 minutes standing in a quintessential Irani cafe located somewhere near Marine Lines in Bombay. Because in a matter of 30 minutes or so, the place was buzzing with diners, all dressed up for LFW, adding a bright color pop to the festive appeal of the afternoon.

Read on for some wonderful food pictures and food & drink recommendations.

Drinks

Nothing gets cuter than these petite bottles with quirky names.

The drinks menu at Moombai & Co. packs quite a punch. Take on to some Bollywood Jhatka or kick it up with Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. Fancy some spiked caffeine? How about Auntie’s Chai Martini? You can trust this ‘Daruwala’ Cafe for many more funky names – from IPL Champ to Crawford Market – all which will definitely have a lot of people asking you: PK Hai Kay?

While you adore those miniatures served alongside a short glass with a huge chunk of ice, don’t miss the restaurant’s signature cycle logo carved so neatly on the ice cube.

But wait! That’s not even all of it. Moombai & Co. sticks to its revival vibes and lets you enjoy some classics like Kingfisher, Cobra, Corona and more.

Still not satisfied? How about you visit them during their ‘Permit Hours’ between 5 – 8 pm everyday, and try out their selected drinks for only AED 25 and AED 30. You will definitely want to keep going back. That’s a given!

Pssst… they also have a Permit Hour snack menu with nibbles priced at only AED 30.

Small Plates

The only thing missing here was rain. But atleast now I know where I’ll be heading to, on that one special weekend when the rain clouds decide to pour down in Dubai.

For us Bombay people, Bhel Puri and Onion Bhaji are synonymous to rain. We have to have a plate of pakoda and chaat, sit by the window, and romanticize about the monsoons while it wreaks havoc in the city and waterlogs the streets. So obviously, when these two items were served in the most signature Bombay style – a newspaper cone lookalike – they brought back a flood of nostalgic memories so vivid, they could easily compete with the floods caused by the rain (and maybe win too).

I loved the crunchiness in both these shareable items, but if you asked me to choose one over the other, it would have to be Bhel Puri. When it comes to pakodas, I am more of a potato diva than an onion chic.

More Drinks

And while we’re talking about rain, we just CANNOT do without some Chai. But don’t worry, because you’ll find abundant sober and spiked choices at Moombai & Co. – Paani Kam Chai, Zafrani, Auntie’s Chai Martini, Tara Chandi, and Baba Budan Martini, to name a few.

Which one would you choose?

Tareli Kolmi

Prawns make an integral part of my life. I love them. I heart them. And that’s probably the only food item I have used the term ‘heart’ for. So you can only imagine the terrible feelings of jealousy I went through when I had to share these babies with my lunch crew.

But hate feelings apart, the Tareli Kolmi – or fried prawns at Moombai & Co., bring out the true essence of homemade Parsi seafood. With all the basics in place, which include the ginger garlic marinade and curry leaves flavoring, these no-nonsense prawns will be cleaned off from the plate in seconds. And believe me when I say this, I had to show off my blogger attitude to my friends, just to make sure there were a couple pieces left for me to try 😛

I’m not saying the portion is small. In fact, it’s good enough for sharing between 2-3 people. But these are just so irresistible, you won’t feel like sharing them at all. I would highly recommend the Tareli Kolmi to all prawn lovers. And if you are dining with another one like yourself, just be a sweetheart and order two portions.

Vada Pao

If you are not Indian, and haven’t tried Vada Pao, well this is your chance. And if you ARE Indian, and still don’t know what Vada Pao is, then stop whatever you’re doing right now and run to the nearest restaurant, cafe or street side kiosk that serves this divine creation, quoted as the staple of every Mumbaikar.

Famed as the “Indian burger”, and rightly so, the Vada Pao doesn’t really need an elaborate explanation. I can be all fancy and call it a fried potato dumpling layered between a fresh square bun, with a mix of spicy and sweet dips.

But let’s just keep it simple. It’s a potato vada – made with potatoes and masalas. This is placed on a piece of bread that’s topped with some spicy green and sweet tamarind chutney. And then it’s sandwiched in a bun. But the oodles of deliciousness it exudes and the satisfaction it delivers makes it deserving for two definitions.

I, for one, have always loved Vada Pao, and especially the red chili garlic powder, and the fried green chilies that are served along with it. For our lunch at Moombai & Co., this is one thing I didn’t want to compromise on, so I simply took the decision on behalf of everyone else, and placed an order for two portions. And boy, was that a right decision or what!

These muffins brought back tears of joy to my eyes, and content to my heart, knowing that I have discovered one of the very few handful of places in Dubai that serves Mumbaiya Vada Pao like none other. And don’t miss that presentation there. That’s a part of the whole experience too!

Bombay Barbeque

Still moving on with starters, we decided to try out some of their kebab variety and chose to balance it with one cottage cheese, one chicken and one lamb dish. Just incase you were wondering, at Moombai & Co. they don’t serve any items made with beef. Why, you ask? It’s simple. They are just sticking to the Mumbai standards of beef ban, and have extended that arm to this part of the world to keep their diners intrigued. But seriously, no beef.

Paneer Achari Tikka – delicately pickled portion of cottage cheese that we managed to divide evenly among a table of seven (and managed to relish it as well). I loved these, but then, I also loved the other two in this category.

Murgh Malai Tikka – quite typically made and thankfully so, it brought together lovely flavors of yoghurt, cheese and butter along with some mild spices. I wouldn’t say it was out of this world, but it definitely skimmed the stratosphere of my tastebuds.

Parda Seekh Kebab – a very Parsi name this one, it wasn’t much different from your regular lamb seekh kebab in looks, but definitely stood out in terms of flavor. Made with mince that’s enhanced with the textures of peppers, onions and coriander, the seekh kebabs were rich and meaty and well, perfect in every sense. Although not very Parsi, these items definitely reflect the true flavors of Mumbai.

While the chaat and vada pao were symbolic of the street chaat items, these three, also very street inspired, pay homage to the more meatarian areas of south Mumbai – specially ones that are close to Crawford Market (which also happens to be the name of one of their drinks). Funny how things come together, no?

Curries & More

Now its time to look at those mains, and believe me you are in for a surprise!

For one, I never expected to find such authentic Parsi fare in this city. Just the names of these dishes are enough to transport you to a spacious flat inside a Dadar Parsi Colony building, lined with clean wooden furniture, brown and cream hued decor, white walls upped with photo frames from back in the days, an occasional gramophone in the corner, and not to miss: a grand dining table, covered with white table cloth, heavy wooden chairs around it and these very delicacies served hot.

We started off with Sali Marghi. Quintessentially Parsi, this homestyle chicken curry came with a generous garnish of straw (salli) potatoes. These brought together a mix of creamy and crunchy textures in every bite. Paired with the thin rumali roti which they bake on an upside down (ulta) tawa, the dish made for an impeccably comforting meal.

Next on our list was Nalli Nihari – a classic in all its might. The twist at Moombai & Co. was the addition of Mini Keema Samosas to the gravy. A crowd favorite, the nihari came with a melt-in-your-mouth slow cooked lamb shank and was paired with a lovely portion of saffron-cardamom infused sheermal. Took us right to the heart of Bhendi Bazar.

B-Biryani

Fulfilling the rice gap, was another Parsi favorite – Chicken Berry Biryani. Yes, this is your typical biryani, cooked on dum in an earthen pot and covered with dough. Only this one comes with a gorgeous mix of berries, adding playful shades of red & pink to an otherwise traditional rice preparation. The chicken was perfectly tender, just right. And as for the berries, I had never thought they would go so well with basmati and meat.

To keep things authentic we added a portion of homemade kachumber raita with pomegranate seeds to go with the biryani. And all I can say, is that these two are a must have!

Ice Gola

Baraf golas have a very special place in my heart (and taste buds). Not only do they paint my palette with their vivid flavors, but also instill so much joy in me, what with their ice crushing and syrup layering process, it’s hard to ignore these chilled chaps.

Often referred to as snow cones (for the non-desi gola lovers), these crushed ice sticks are famously sold on the streets in Mumbai. You will often find them with single or multi colored syrups – kalakhatta being the most common one. And if you’re at a fancy stall, you can even sample a snow cone with condensed milk.

When it comes to me, I like my snow cones sorbety, with a mix of sweet and sour flavors. If I were in Mumbai, I would have selected a mix of green raw mango and kalakhatta, however at Moombai & Co. I went straight with their recommendation and opted for this bestseller which featured the latter flavor in its entirety.

And to think about it, I wouldn’t be wrong if I said this was my favorite item from the menu. I could have these over and over (even though it would risk my throat). But hey, you can’t compromise on an ice gola! Try one of these at Moombai & Co., and trust me, you won’t regret your decision. You can go with kalakhatta (like I did) or choose from mixed fruits, berries or lemon.

Here’s the best part. For just AED 10 more, either of these baraf golas can be made boozy. Just let your server know how you’d like yours and you could end up on really icy high!

Kulfi Platter

Every once in a while there comes an iconic dessert, which quickly makes its way to everyone’s social feed with its drool-worthy, Instagrammable looks. This Kulfi Platter from Moombai & Co. is most certainly one of them.

This amazingly colorful dessert is meant for sharing. So make sure you have a table full of dessert mongers before you dive into the temptation of ordering one for just two. The six kulfis – very rich and creamy – come in seasonal flavors of pistachio, mango and berries. And they are served on a bed of crushed ice and chilled sliced fresh fruits. These include watermelon, mangoes, oranges, grapefruit and more.

These fruits perfectly up its presentation quotient while adding a touch of healthy appeal to something so indulgent. Just so you can convince yourself by saying: “I had fruits for dessert. I did good!”

Moombai & Co.

Location: The H Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, Trade Centre Area, Dubai
Contact: 04 5018607

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