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Mumbai Food: Enjoy Authentic Catholic Food At This Pop-Up In Colaba

A Colaba eatery is hosting a month-long pop-up inspired by the city’s diverse Catholic communities

What does it mean to be middle class? We connect with chef Gracian de Souza while trying to answer that question. Perhaps it means that we have to be twice as good, is what chef and we agree on. And twice as good is what de Souza aims to be with the fare he’s preparing for the Bombay Catholic Festival at Bombay Vintage — a month-long pop-up celebrating the flavours of Mumbai’s diverse culinary world spread across the Goan, East Indian, Anglo Indian, Mangalorean and Keralite communites.

The menu presents a democratic balance of dishes from these communities. It’s watered-down, but specific and makes it easy for us to choose.

Go, Goa, gone

De Souza’s prawn recheado (Rs 695) is a classic Goan dish. The prawns are soft, if not cooked to perfection, but the bed of briny, spicy recheado sauce it comes on makes up for it. We drown the prawns in the recheado and let the flavours explode in our mouth.

Bottle that masala up

Chuim village duck moile and fugias

The Chuim village duck moile and fugias (Rs 695) is a tangy East Indian specialty. The chewy caramelised duck meat is cooked in the community’s signature bottle masala, which gives the dish a spicy kick, complementing the accompanying fugias — a deep-fried soft bread shaped like tennis balls.

From God’s own country

Syro Malabar tenderloin buff fry

Syro Malabar tenderloin buff fry (Rs 545) flaunts roasted buff tempered with spices, curry leaves and coconut, which adds crunch to the tender and flavourful meat. It’s reflective of the way the Syrian Christian cuisine from Kerala has merged with Mumbai’s culinary sensibilities therefore becoming representative of the hybrid cuisine.

Let’s have a ball

Chapel road Anglo-Indian buff ball curry

The Anglo-Indian buff ball curry (Rs 595) is reminiscent of the succulent beef koftas our mother makes at home. It’s a piquant curry with melt-in-your-mouth meatballs and our favourite pick of the lot.

Gracian de Souza

On: August 13 to September 13, 12 pm to 1 am

At: Opposite Regal Cinema, Colaba.

Call: 22880019