Jai Hind, Bandra West

I am not a fan of having fish (with bones in it) and crabs (with the shell still on) at restaurants - at least definitely not in fancy ones. The reason is simple. You simply cannot do justice to the dish. Crabs should be had with both hands holding the two ends of the claws and with ones molars biting the centre. A loud crack should then follow with the sweet taste of the meat and the juice seconds after. Similarly fish when had should be ideally had mostly without hands. After the reasonably fleshy portions are polished off. The entire bony mass should be entered into ones mouth and chewed in all glory till until the bones are taken out one by one.

Therefore when I had gone to Jai Hind for the first time and my colleague ordered the Pomfret Gassi I actually thought it was a waste of good money. The first bite however made me regret the Bharwa Bombvil and the prawns in green curry that i had just had - it was amazing, the best Konkani fish preparation I had ever had.

We were fortunate enough to frequent the place again on Friday. Samit Basu - my childhood friend and soon to be internationally famous writer was in town to attend the Kala Ghoda festival and we went there after catching up at Sunays house. Much to my pleasure, as Jai Hind was my suggestion, the food, specially the Pomfret Gassi did not disappoint in the very least.

Jai Hind is a nice homely restaurant which looks slightly out of place in the upmarket Hill road area. The restaurant retains the look and feel of the main branch near Phoenix Mills Parel and quite honestly I like it that way, it is neat, air conditioned and clean without the unnecessary frill of Chinese lanterns and glass statues and dividers. The focus clearly is on hygiene and taste although the place is a bit small and may seem slightly cramped.

We ordered Bharwa Bombvil which is Bombay Duck stuffed with prawns, Pomfret Gassi, Prawns Ambotik and a mix of Neer Dosas and steamed rice. The Bharwa Bombvil though quite good, unfortunately tastes much better imagining a mix of the Gajalee Bombvil fry and prawns, it is actually a fish chop made with prawns with the Bombvil instead of the potato mash acting as the crust. The Pomfret Gassi was as good as it was last time, which is saying a lot as this time it carried the not inconsiderate weight of expectation. The Ambotik which is a vinegar based Goan preparation of a red gravy was different and tasty though apparently one gets a far more concentrated and better tasting version in Goa (Rapti - will confirm that once i taste the same myself). The meal cost us Rs 1500 for five people which according to me is damn good value for money as well.

So if you like fish, are hungry and around Bandra or Khar you know the place to go for some value for money, lovely steamed rice and Pomfret Gassi from the Konkan coast.

How to Get There: Take the turn past Lucky Biriyani and go up Hill Road in Bandra. Jai Hind is on the right just beside Bandra police station.