Catch 145;em if you can

Pliny the Elder AD 23-79

Is there a better indoor activity than scooping out oysters from their comfortable beds and reaching out every now and then for a glass of Pinot? October is the perfect month for such hard work 8212; there are plenty of holidays and more fresh seafood than you can dedicate your holiday to.

The fish markets in Mumbai cater very well to our appetite for seafood. From exotic crustaceans in wine to fried Bombay Ducks, there8217;s all that a sea-foodie8217;s dreams are made of. Truly, if it weren8217;t for the sea, Mumbai wouldn8217;t be such a food destination.

Wasabi at the Taj Mahal Hotel, Apollo Bunder, is the second seafood rich place in the city the first is the ocean, of course. 8220;I dine here as often as I can afford to eat and end up with my palate singing and wallet stinging. Go for the delicate and subtle Chilean Sea Bass, Oyster Foie Gras, full-bodied flavoured Lobster Espice and Rock Shrimp Tempura. Superlative raw sliced fish 8216;Sashimi8217; and exquisite Maki and Nigiri Sushi. There are 28 varieties of fish,8221; says food critic Rashmi Uday Singh. Another good name in Japanese food is Tetsuma where the Crab Harumaki, Prawn tempura and Scallops are dishes to go for on the menu.

Chef James Biaka of Tetsuma, counts the benefits of Japanese style seafood, saying, 8220;Vitamins, proteins, no oil and style, Japanese food has all of it. Bite-sized servings are ideal for those who watch their weight. You don8217;t have to wash your hands or rinse your mouth after a meal. Pickled ginger served with fish refreshes the mouth naturally.8221;

Porcini Dusted Chilean Sea Bass in Turnip rice sauce and Spice rubbed tuna with clove reduction are great at gourmet magnet Indigo, Tiger prawn carpaccio with zucchini stew and coral sauce and Grouper fillet with potato timbale, oregano and a tomato reduction are excellent at Stax. At the seafood festival at Frangipani Trident, dry marinades such as parmesan with rock salt and pickled lime are being used for seafood. Chef Prakash Pawakar says, 8220;Apart from those, Indian marinades such as curry leaf, peppercorn and cumin are also an interesting feature.8221;

The stretch between Fort and Colaba is fit for a seafood pilgrimage. The restaurants that continue to top our list year after year are Apoorva for Prawn biryani, Tandoori crab, Trishna 8212; anything, Mahesh Lunch Home crab, squids, Cafeacute; Leopold Batter-fried prawns andCafeacute; Churchill Tiger prawn in fire crack sauce and Fried fillet of fish. For home-style Goan food, Martin8217;s and Gable8217;s are quite good. Home to Chef Ananda Solomon8217;s famous food is Konkan Cafeacute; Taj President. It is one place everyone must eat at to understand how good Mangalorean cooking is. Ditto for Trishna. Farzana Contractor attributes the discovery of Trishna to husband Behram Contractor. 8220;It was the early 8216;90s when we chanced upon this little place for fish curry and rice. Busybee then wrote about it. Its fortunes turned. The price of crab went from Rs 65 to Rs 2,000, such was the impact of his writing. Its clientele changed; from advertising junta to people like Imran Khan and Jemima Khan became patrons.8221;