Darndest dishes for the curious Mumbaikar

Jackfruit Burger Woodside Inn, Colaba

There are two kinds of people in the world. One who detests the distinct and overpowering smell of jackfruit, and the other who welcomes the scent with a sigh of anticipation. I belong to the former lot. So imagine my surprise when the vegan-pulled jackfruit burger at Woodside Inn turned out to be not only delectable, but a worthy competitor to its non-vegetarian cousins! Cooked out of the fruit's screaming-out-loud aroma with a pleasant assortment of spices while retaining the fruit's flavourful, almost meaty texture, this one's bizarre in the best way possible.

Baked Macaroni with Chicken Butter Masala and Mild Cheddar, AnnCensored-UnCensored, Lower Parel

Go for this one if you go weak in the knees for rich food and have nursed dreams of your favourite desi and continental dishes having a (slightly eccentric) baby. While the chunks of butter chicken in your macaroni are a welcome find, the abundance of buttery sauce is subject to personal discretion.

Chicken Stroganoff Samosa with Cheese Jalapeno and Tuti-Fruti Sauce, Chemistry 101, Lower Parel

Move over, delicately-plated stroganoff. This one tucks continental chicken in the crispshell of a mini-samosa. How does that work, you ask? Well, for the Bengali in me, it's a spin on the delectable mangsher shingara (chicken-stuffed samosa), but with European spices and a dip on the side. The fact that they are bite-sized works in their favour.

Bacon Chocolate Ice Cream, Bono Boutique Ice Cream, Bandra

This is one of those instances where you start out straightforwardly, to stop in your tracks (or slurp on, depending on your palate). Even with the word 'bacon' on the label, one is unlikely to be prepared for the earthy chunks of meat in their ice cream, which, perhaps for effect, appear only when you've licked off the top layer of that good, old chocolate ice cream and dug deeper into your tub. What does it taste like? Like bacon... in your ice cream. How you like it is entirely up to you.

Watermelon Prawn Curry Cafe Haqq Se, Lower Parel 

One of the best 'bizarres', this unlikely invention is nothing like you'd expect of the pairing. Made with fresh watermelon, rai, green chilly, dhaniya and garlic, this prawn curry, served with ghee-
rice, is the food world's way of insisting that weird=cool. This is one of the few prawn curries that leaves your stomach feeling light (and your plate licked clean).

Sabudana Mozzarella Bhajiya + Bounty Brownie Dessert Bhajiya, Bonobo, Bandra

Created for Bonobo's monsoon promotion, 'Beer and Bhajiya', the Sabudana Mozzarella is a shout-out to two popular snack ingredients from the east and west. The fried sabudana gives it a crunchy texture while the mozzarella strings out of your mouth till you give up and use your hands to reel in the renegade cheese. The Bounty Brownie Bhajiya, fried coconut-chocolate (hear hear, Bounty fans) with brownie crumbs inside and molten caramel to go with, is decadent. Which is to say, it is a delightful dessert, but too heavy to double as a snack.

Bhelpuri Sandwich, Food for Thought, Fort

Here are two generally popular munchies, telling you you needn't chose between them after all. I must admit, the idea of puffed rice, best enjoyed light and crisp, plastered under pieces of bread, wasn't entirely convincing at first. But once you get the poofy image of the cereal out of your head, its chatpata masala and green chutney-rolled avatar is not bad either.

Panipuri Sorbet, Papacream, Colaba

Tell a Bengali about a new kind of panipuri, and they'll not rest till it is sitting on their tongue, the spices making them and sweat and sniff. But Papacream's panipuri sorbet is a lot more chilled out. Let's say Justin Trudeau level of chilled out. That's because this is actually cold spice-mashed potato (of the regular panipuri) tucked into mini tart crusts, to be nibbled in company of the puri wala paani-flavoured sorbet. Who knew, the hot panipuri is a bomb even with a cold heart.

Misal Fondue, The Bar Stock Exchange

At the risk of sinning, I liked this one better then your aamchi misal. But then again, put rich molten cheese in anything, and I'd like it better then anything else. On a serious note, the part salty, part spicy sauce and the cute crouton-pavs to match the missal is the stuff compulsive munchers dream about. Have the misal on the side while you transport spoonfuls of that gravy into your mouth. Win!

Cheesy Chocolate-chip Dosa, Nandu Dosa, Juhu

The cheapest on the list, Nandu's dosa stand is a makeshift stall near Chandan Theatre. The light base of the dosa seems ordinary enough, but then Nandu sprinkles generous amounts of chocolate chips and cheese that, unlike the cold cube-shreds used by most roadside stalls, melts instantly in your mouth. My partner, sulking because we didn't have the time to try Nandu's Open Pizza Dosa, confessed she's rooting for the man to save up for his own restaurant. I could see why.

Ice cream Chai, Masala Library, Bandra

This chai won't burn your lips, but it might burn a small hole in your wallet. Nevertheless, Mumbai's very own song of fire and ice is basically life made easy for those who love their tea with a twist and their dessert to the moon and back. As you relish the ever-smooth flavour of cutting chai with foam and masala cinnamon cookies, you might not stop grudging the amount shelled out in exchange.