Lucky Biryani

Some of my friends in Canada had recommended the biryani at a restaurant in Bandra called Lucky. Since it was just a short rickshaw ride away from my hotel, it seemed like a good idea for my Christmas dinner. The restaurant was packed with couples and families, the food was excellent (we had biryani and roomali roti), and we even had a visit from an ex-pat Santa who went around the neighbourhood dressed in full costume spreading Christmas cheer.

As a vegetarian, I was gladly surprised with the menu. I would later on realize that it's common practice in most restaurants in Mumbai to divide each category of dishes (appetizers, main courses, etc.) into vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices. My first reaction that night when looking at the menu was "what? you mean I'm not stuck with some salad and having to push the chicken strips aside?" :) By the end of my week in Mumbai, I was used to have at least 6 or 7 strictly vegetarian appetizers to choose from, and at least as many entrees. (I could already guess that coming back home would be bad!!! Back to minestrone soup and to picking out the bacon of my salad...)


After the restaurant, a rickshaw ride to Reclamation Point. Reclamation Point is a boardwark overlooking the Arabian Sea. At sunset, it offered a fantastic view of the Arabian Sea. From there, we could see the reflection of the billboards in the water across the bay, the ferris wheel of a nearby amusement park, the lights and party setup of a Hindu wedding and we could hear the prayer chants of a Mosque in a close-by district...

Although Reclamation Point seemed quite close to my hotel, because of traffic, road construction and the labyrinth of roads and streets in that area, we decided to take another rickshaw ride. Rickshaws are a very common sight in Mumbai. They operate only in the suburbs and are not allowed in the city centre. Riding one of these three-wheelers is like an E ride at any amusement park. For once, I saw the advantage of being short. I could imagine some of my Canadian friends slamming their heads on the roof of the rickshaw with every bump in the road. A ride in a rickshaw is usually more affordable than a ride in a regular cab, which in turn is quite a bit cheaper than a ride in a cool cab. (But really, what is the fun of riding in an a/c "cool cab"? Unless you are really concerned about messing up your hair with the heat and the humidity, or you need to look impeccable for your business meeting, go for the fun ride in a regular cab... or even better, take a rickshaw!)