Oh, fish!

Surmai fry

Food: Authentic
Ambience: Street
Service: Friendly
Cost: Cheap
Verdict: 1/5

The road that leads from Nana Nani Park in Versova to the cemetery in the neighbourhood - Versova Beach Road, as the locals call it - is dotted with pubs and bars where well-heeled migrants expend the income they make in the country's financial capital. But, down that same road, lies Versova Village, home to the area's indigenous Koli population, one of the city's oldest inhabitants.

Stuffed masala bangda

Prajakta Patil, a member of the fishing community there has now started a street-side stall on that stretch, called Koli Sea Food Centre, where she serves an array of dishes that typify seafood fare in Mumbai, including classics such as the bombil fry and rawa fry pomfret.

We try out the fare for dinner on a week night, to gauge its authenticity. Let's start with a word on the prices first. It suffices to say that the dishes are as cheap as peanuts when two pieces of prawn cutlets are priced at Rs 70, surmai fry and masala stuffed bangda at Rs 100 each, and a generous portion of prawns masala at Rs 180. That's the order we place, but the question is this - will the food have the stamp of authenticity that does the fishing community justice?

Prawn masala and rice roti

One bite of the prawn cutlet confirms that the answer is in the affirmative. It has a potato casing that is akin to chops ubiquitous in the streets of Kolkata, another fish-loving Indian city. There aren't enough prawns in it, it must be said. But, truth be told, we weren't expecting too many when the dish is priced at a mere Rs 70.

The stuffed bangda is filled with a green masala that shows what an expert hand the woman who runs the stall has, though the surmai fry is a disappointment given how dry it is. But she redeems herself with the prawns masala, which is our pick of the lot. It is a tangy, non-oily preparation that - unlike the cutlets - has a generous portion of shrimps.

Prawns cutlet

Although modest, the entire set up is clean and fuss-free. This is home food that we imagine would be served at one of the Koli homes in Versova Village. It, in a nutshell, is a taste of the city.

Time 7 pm to 10.30 pm
At Koli Sea Food Centre, opposite Seven Bungalows Masjid, JP Road, Andheri West.
Call 9702104388

4/5 Exceptional, 3/5 Excellent, 2/5 very Good, 1/5 Good, 0.5/5 Average. Koli Sea Food Centre didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals