Contributed by Abhilash Balan
I had been contemplating visiting an authentic sea food restaurant in Mumbai for a while. This was because my meals at restaurants, even when frequently visited, would consist of little more than variants of chicken rather than sea food, though I love both.
So finally, I decided to dine at Mahesh Lunch Home, which is famous for its sea food, at their Juhu, Mumbai outlet last Saturday. There was no reservation needed, though at times it’s packed with people. They have two seating sections – the lower AC section and the upper (open terrace) section. The ambience was nice but not exceptional.
The food at Mahesh Lunch Home is mostly a blend of south Indian cooking styles. We ordered a lobster and a crab, both of which were so scrumptious that they were finished really fast! The only drawback was the quantity of meat in the lobster. The crab on the other hand was good on taste as well as on quantity. Next on the menu was a Mangalore style pomfret curry and steamed rice with neer dosa.
Neer Dosa is a special kind of dosa from Karnataka, made with rice. Neer in Kannada means ‘Water’. Neer dosa is prepared by grinding soaked rice into a watery batter and then made into thin pancakes on hot griddle. The dosa comes out lacy thin, white and just melts in your mouth.
The service was prompt and the staff were polite. I would definitely recommend this place for an avid sea food lover. The price was a little steep, the food was worth the visit. A dinner for four will set you back around Rs. 4000.
I missed getting the ingredients and cooking style of the dishes served this time, but will make it a point to note things on my next visit.
- Abhilash
Ed: Abhilash wasn’t carrying his camera, so these are phone shots.
Prices seem to have increased a lot, but food was always good. Old timers swear that Mahesh in south mumbai much better, but my experiences at Juhu have been good as well. Tandoori Rawas and Squids in butter-garlic sauce being my favourites. Gazalee in Vile Parle and Trishna in Andheri (W) have similar cuisine in that area, but for me Gazalee is a notch above the rest probably because it is their original outlet, while Trishna and Mahesh are south Mumbai institutions.