Fish Back on Mumbai Tables--NYT Clip

Excerpted from my piece in the print edition of The New York Times on October 4, 2009. For full article, click here.

AFTER a relatively mild monsoon season in Mumbai, fishermen are back on the seas, trolling for the best the murky waters have to offer.

Any true Mumbaiker knows not to eat seafood during monsoon season, from June to September. The choppy, churning waters stir up mud and grime, making it hard to find a fresh catch. And the government enforces a seasonal ban to keep the fish population sustainable.

Now that the rains have receded, the city is breaking its collective seafood fast. There are the no-brainer choices you’re likely to find in guidebooks, like the king crab at Trishna or the Goan fish curry at Mahesh Lunch Home. But if you are looking for something off the tourist-beaten path, better to head for a few lesser-known places that serve authentic coastal seafood.

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