Decadent December

Stop counting calories and calculating the costs of future bypass surgeries. If there is a season for bingeing, this is it. Although the mercury may not dip as much in Mumbai, the weather is still a good excuse to stuff oneself with rich food.

Forget the nutritionist8217;s warning 8212; 8217;tis the season to be sinful

Stop counting calories and calculating the costs of future bypass surgeries. If there is a season for bingeing, this is it. Although the mercury may not dip as much in Mumbai, the weather is still a good excuse to stuff oneself with rich food. And luckily for the city8217;s foodies, Mumbai is not short of joints that8217;ll set your taste buds tingling.

Delhi Durbar, Colaba Causeway
DELHI Durbar is a family-run chain established in 1973. While it is famous primarily for its biryani, the most interesting dish here is the Bheja Egg Fry 8211; a whole sheep brain deep-fried in egg. Served dry, the dish looks daunting for first-time consumers but if you can get past the queasiness, this dish is simply divine. The texture is unlike any other meat8212;meltingly soft and creamy.

Rating Excellent
Call 22025656

Theobroma, Colaba Causeway
ANOTHER family-run establishment, Theobroma is popular for its desserts8212;especially the gorgeous brownies. Tina and Kainaz Messman, the Parsi owners8217; daughters, try to recreate the 8216;European Patisserie8217; feel with a wide selection of desserts as well as some pretty good sandwiches. While the smoked chicken sandwich is good, the Egg Chip Butty is what8217;s really special, with its shameless greasiness. The sandwich is simply buttered white bread, served with fries and an optional fried egg. While it may not sound so sinful, this sandwich is surprisingly heavy.

Rating Good
Call 6529 2929

Swati Snacks, Tardeo
SWATI Snacks is one of the most popular restaurants in the city to serve Gujarati and Rajasthani food. The place does not accept reservations and finding a table at mealtimes is a task. It serves traditional dishes such as Panki, Khichu and Satpadi roti with Gatta nu shak, in addition to 8216;Gujju8217; versions of Falafels and Mexican Pizzas. One of the best dishes, though, is the Malai Malpua. A dessert made of soft, deep fried pancakes stuffed with malai and dipped in syrup, Malpua is traditionally had during Diwali.

Rating Excellent
Call 6580 8405

Thai Pavilion, Cuffe Parade
THAI food isn8217;t really what comes to mind when one thinks of unhealthy, decadent food. However, with the Zodiac Grill at the Taj Mahal Palace 038; Tower in Colaba sadly out of bounds for a year, Thai Pavilion is one of the best places to try Foie Gras. Foie Gras, traditionally made of goose liver, is extremely high in fat. Normally pan-fried with a light sauce, the resulting dish is gorgeously fatty and creamy and quite an experience. In recent years though, it has been increasingly shunned, because it involves cruelty inflicted upon geese and ducks, which are force-fed until they are on the verge of liver rupture and death.

Rating Very Good
Call 6665 0808

Rajdhani, Crawford Market
THE traditional thaali restaurant is now a chain which also has a lighter version, Rajdhani Snacklets, all over Mumbai. While the thaali is worth a try in itself, Rajdhani is also one of the best places to try the traditional dal bati churma, one of the most popular Rajasthani dishes. Bati is a baked wheat ball and this is had with the dal. But the best bit is the churma8212;wheat crushed and cooked with pure ghee. The result is an extremely rich dish that is popular at Marwari weddings, and rightly so.

Rating Good
Call 2344 9014