The first thing I did after settling into my flat in Bombay in late March was fire up Google Maps to see if there were any interesting restaurants within easy walking range. It turned out there were very few. One, however, caught my eye: Maaslli. I looked it up and discovered that it is a seafood restaurant specializing in the food of the GSB (Gaud Saraswat Brahmin) community—yes, in India even restaurants have caste-specific identities. And all the reviews I read of it were raves. And what’s more, of the two locations the one within 15 minutes walk of me was the original. And so that is where I ate dinner on my first night in Bombay on this trip. And it was such a fantastic meal that I went back there for dinner again a couple of nights later. And then for two lunches later in the trip. Here first is an account of the first two meals—I’ll post a report on the two lunches in a few weeks.

The reviews I’d read had also indicated that they get very busy. As my first evening in Bombay was a Friday, I resolved to get there right at opening time for dinner at 7.30 pm. As it happened I got there a few minutes early and had to wait a bit before they let me in. I had my pick of tables and chose one at the back of the small but attractive dining room. Over the course of my meal it filled up steadily and by the time I left there were people waiting outside. At my second dinner I arrived much later. The only way to get a seat without having to wait an hour was to share a four-top with a couple who were already seated. I readily agreed. This was on a Monday evening, by the way. Their popularity is not overstated.

What did I eat? The menu was rather wondrous as were the aromas emerging from the kitchen and so I fear I rather overate at each of my meals there. Each meal began as the first one did: with a tumbler of solkadhi. If my rule in Seoul is to eat mul naengmyeon every chance I get, my rule in Bombay is to drink solkadhi every chance I get—and in the summer (Bombay is already very warm in late-March, and downright hot in April), it’s even better.

So, solkadhi to start at the first dinner. And it was rather exquisite and different from all other versions I’d had previously in a way I couldn’t identify. In conversation with one of the owners at the second dinner I learned that they add a bit of sugar to their solkadhi. Apparently, GSB food has that mix of sweet and savoury in common with Bengali food. That and a shared obsession with fish and seafood. Indeed, the menu notes that “maaslli” is a term for fish/seafood in Konkani.

My intention going in had been to just get a glass of solkadhi and a fish thali of some kind. But rather predictably, I was not able to resist getting an order of Konkani mutton ghee roast as well, along with a patal polay (a relative of the neer dosa) to mop it up with. From the fish thali options I chose a surmai (king mackerel) thali. As at most/all seafood thali places in Bombay, when you select a fish for your thali you’re really selecting the fish that will be in the fried fish centerpiece; there is also a small bowl of fish curry on the thali—here with a small piece of pomfret in it. They have two fish curry styles to choose from on the menu: GSB-style curry with tirphal (a relative of the Sichuan peppercorn) and a Karwari phanna curry. The very helpful server brought me two small bowls of each one to try and I decided to get the latter.

The ghee roast came out first and was just outrageously good. It was also outrageously rich and so to prevent getting full before the thali even came out, I had them pack most of it for me to take home to eat the next day. The thali arrived with a large, perfectly-fried piece of surmai on it along with another small bowl of that solkadhi, a preparation of small dried prawns, the aforementioned fish curry and a chapati. Rice was served on the side. I was disappointed to see, as at my (already-reported on) lunch a couple of weeks later at Pradeep Gomantak Bhojanalay, a complete lack of any dal or vegetables on the thali (other than some sliced raw veg). When I asked the owner about it on my second visit he said they used to include those things on the thali when they opened but realized early that almost everyone was leaving them mostly uneaten. Ah well. Everything that was on the thali was excellent as well.

At my second dinner a few nights later I did not get a thali. Solkadhi to start, as indicated, and then an order of bombil fry. Bombil, or Bombay duck, is the city’s signature fish and every major seafood restaurant has partisans who will swear that their version is the best. As someone who does not live in Bombay I have no dog in this fight but I will tell you that I can’t remember having had a better bombil fry anywhere in Bombay (including at Gajalee, which is where the dish is said to have been invented). I went through it at alarming speed. I followed the bombil with an order of GSB-style sukkhe (a dry’ish curry) with oysters, and rice bhakri (unaccountably unphotographed at this meal) to mop it up with. I had thought I would take half of the sukkhe home as well but it was so mindbogglingly good that I devoured the whole thing.

For a look at the restaurant, the menu and everything I ate at the two dinners, launch the slideshow below. Scroll down to see how much it all cost and to see what’s coming next.

Service, as I noted, was very helpful. Everyone there is extremely nice. Cost? It’s not the cheapest seafood restaurant in the city (though it’s also far from the most expensive). If the surmai thali at my meal at Pradeep cost Rs. 260, here it cost Rs. 760. Yes, Maaslli gives you a much larger piece from what is probably a more premium fish but you’re also paying for much nicer ambience, solicitous service, and the brass utensils everything is served in. The first dinner came to Rs. 1522/$16’ish before tip and the second came to Rs. 1370/$14’ish before tip. Expensive by Bombay standards, but well worth it, I would say. If the above has not convinced you to give them a go when in Bombay (or if you’re a Mumbaikar who has not yet eaten there), maybe my next report on them in a couple of weeks will do the trick.

Okay, my next Bombay report will not involve seafood for a change. Indeed, it will be a report on a meal at a vegetarian restaurant. That will be posted next week. Tomorrow I’ll have my last backlogged Twin Cities restaurant report. Later in the week another report each from Seoul and New York.