Edit – Mumbai Canteen has permanently closed down.
Let’s chat about chaat!
I discovered chaat (late!)
I’d never known the tantalizing world of chaat until I moved to Mumbai to study (and further, to work), 9 years ago. Classmates of mine would head to the chaat vendor down the road after class, and I’d go with them but was reluctant to finish off a plate of it.
For starters, the vendor himself looked quite unhygienic, standing there by the gutter! And whenever I tried to eat a pani puri, it would always cause me to choke and gasp for breath. How does one eat this little globe of minty-spicy-sweet liquid? Take a bite and clumsily have half the ‘pani’ spill onto my shirt? Swallow it whole? Put it in my mouth and wait for the puri to disintegrate?
Somewhere between then and now, chaat became an irresistible part of life and I couldn’t imagine how I’d lived without it for a good 22 years of my life!
Cut to the present day in Goa and those Mumbai street food cravings get too damn real sometimes! The only Mumbai Street Food in Goa I knew of were those little ‘gados’ by Miramar Beach and by the parking lot of Calangute Beach. Terrible doesn’t begin to describe the experience of eating watered-down, soggy, stale street food.
Mumbai Canteen, Panjim
And then I came across Mumbai Canteen in Panjim! *happy dance*
As the name suggests, you’ll find plenty of Mumbai Street Food at this tiny vegetarian restaurant in Panjim. Located at Unitech City Centre on MG Road, near Don Boscos, this eatery can seat around 6-8 people. The menu spans items such as Parathas, Maggi (done in various ways), Chaat of course, Mumbai sandwiches, Dabeli, pav bhaji, samosas and aaaallll the mouth-watering, carb-loaded, flavour-packed snacks from Mumbai. It’s hygienic, affordable and best of all – authentic!
Of course, I had to start with the quintessential Vada Pao! A hot vada of spiced potatoes in a (very) toasty pao served with sweet and spicy chutneys on the side – and that’s the humble, yet ever-popular Mumbai Snack for you. Mumbai Canteen did give it a slight Goa spin by toasting the pao to get that nice crispy exterior –and if anything, that only made it several times better!!
Surprisingly, my favourite dish was a Mumbai-Canteen Original, one not found in Mumbai at all! The Aloo-Bomb is a must-have in my opinion – A whole boiled potato is scooped out and stuffed with cheese, onions, tomatoes, chutneys and other ingredients, topped with sev! Delish!
Lastly, I tried their Mumbai Canteen Special Sandwich which was a 3 layered grilled sandwich stuffed with veggies, cheese and French Fries! Just perfect for a rainy day – I’d definitely order this one again! If you plan on ordering this massive sandwich, you’d need to split it with someone else or you pretty much will have to lie down right there at Mumbai Canteen until you can move again.
Mumbai Street Food in Goa
Whether or not you’re a Mumbai Street Food lover in Goa or not, you most definitely have to stop by for their Masala Chai! You know how much I looooove chai but I avoid drinking it outside of home because more often than not, it is disappointing. This one was spot on – served piping hot with a combination of spices and juuuusssst enough milk and sugar! It’s glorious, and you need it in your life. Take my word for it!
My visit to Mumbai Canteen definitely brought on flashbacks of eating by the roadside amidst the chaos of Mumbai. While the affordable pricing can make you believe you’d be able to try a lot, keep in mind that Mumbai snacks are pretty heavy. I wanted to try their Dabeli and Maggi, but couldn’t bring myself to eat another bite.
Head over to Mumbai Canteen
Bookmark the Mumbai Canteen for the next time you have those random mid-day hunger pangs or late-night street food cravings – they’re open from 10 AM to 10 PM on all days except Sunday when they operate between 4 PM to 10 PM.
Fancy reading some more of my posts? Head on over to read about Gonguura in Mumbai Punjab Grill at Lower Parel or Black Sheep Bistro in Panjim, Goa