This was a very different dining experience for me, at the suggestion of my grandchildren, who are adventurous. I have had Indian food before, but never like this.
Mumbai Ki Galliyon Se specializes in the street food of Bombay, very unusual dishes that surprised me coming and going. But I like being surprised, so I enjoyed the experience. We ordered a little bit of this and a little bit of that, to get an overview of what the kitchen can do, and we had help selecting items from the very nice husband and wife, Sailesh and Shruti, whose restaurant this is.
To start with we sampled DahiPuri, which was a delicate fried ball, like a cracked egg, stuffed with lentils and a splash of cold yogurt. I think the point of this dish was about contrasting textures and temperatures. I did find it tasty, but when I tried to describe it, I came up short — it was so unfamiliar, I didn’t know where to start! But it was salty, so I knew I wanted something to drink. I was served a very special beverage called Piyush, which is something like a milkshake, but a thousand times more scrumptious. Apparently it takes three days to make a cup of Piyush, and it contains all the delicacies of India: saffron, pistachio, yogurt and love from the kitchen. I liked it so much, I took one home for later!
This was a very different dining experience for me, at the suggestion of my grandchildren, who are adventurous. I have had Indian food before, but never like this.
Mumbai Ki Galliyon Se specializes in the street food of Bombay, very unusual dishes that surprised me coming and going. But I like being surprised, so I enjoyed the experience. We ordered a little bit of this and a little bit of that, to get an overview of what the kitchen can do, and we had help selecting items from the very nice husband and wife, Sailesh and Shruti, whose restaurant this is.
To start with we sampled DahiPuri, which was a delicate fried ball, like a cracked egg, stuffed with lentils and a splash of cold yogurt. I think the point of this dish was about contrasting textures and temperatures. I did find it tasty, but when I tried to describe it, I came up short — it was so unfamiliar, I didn’t know where to start! But it was salty, so I knew I wanted something to drink. I was served a very special beverage called Piyush, which is something like a milkshake, but a thousand times more scrumptious. Apparently it takes three days to make a cup of Piyush, and it contains all the delicacies of India: saffron, pistachio, yogurt and love from the kitchen. I liked it so much, I took one home for later!
Next we had the most unusual tapioca dish. It wasn’t pudding, it was lightly fried tapioca burgers, which were finger food with a twist. The texture was very interesting, extremely chewy yet also light, and again there was a tangy yogurt sauce for dipping. Now when I say these were burgers, you must not think there was any meat. At the end of the meal, my grandchildren informed me that everything we had tried was vegetarian. I couldn’t believe it–there was so much flavor and texture. If I had known this was what vegetarian food could taste like, my family would have eaten less meat in my house! But we didn’t know any better in my day, so we all ate steaks. When somebody said vegetarian, we just thought of beets and string beans and carrots, boiled in water, not very interesting. I don’t know if I ate a carrot or a beet or a string bean tonight, because the vegetables were so creatively prepared. The potatoes I did recognize.
The next thing to come to the table was a Samosa, which I found quite familiar. In Jewish we call it a knish. This was a very nice knish, with a light pastry shell and delicious spiced vegetables inside. The dipping sauces were different, more tangy than the savory gravy I would have served. This one was quite filling, and I believe I ate the serving meant for the whole table. Another familiar dish was the Masala Dosa, which in French we call a crepe. Inside were spicy potatoes. I liked how crunchy the crepe was, and the contrast with the soft vegetable stuffing. And after eating quite a bit of it, I discovered there was a special sauce which made it even more unusual. This dish I would like to have next time.
Finally, they brought me a very special dessert that they make just once a month. It was only milk and sugar and cardamon, but stirred for three days until it was a light custard with little feathery bits floating in the cream. This was very special, and I shared it with my grandchildren.
I certainly like this restaurant. I could happily come back every month, if Sailesh and Shruti will remind me what dishes I liked best. I think experimenting with a meal can be exciting, but you have to stick with a few old favorites or eating is too much like work. So next time we will have Masala Dosa, Samosa, and some new treats.
When I think back on my adventurous meal, although I enjoyed all of it, the Piyush drink stands out as my very favorite thing. Honestly, this might be better than guava juice (my favorite). You must go to Artesia and try it for yourself, and when you do, please pick me up one to go!
Info: Mumbai Ki Galliyon Se, 17705 Pioneer Blvd., Artesia, CA 90701