MASEMARI

The name ‘Masemari’ (which means ‘fishing’ in Marathi), draws customers in to try out the seafood here without actually ‘fishing’ for it. The décor is fantastically done. A mention is needed of the 10- foot tall light house at the entrance, which would suffice as a landmark to locate the eatery. The food served here is close to homecooked food, which makes even the cramped seating facility worth ignoring. They do not overuse masalas, sauces and seasonings for the preparations, another sign that literally denotes ‘home-cooked’ food. This proves that there is a mix of authentic preparations, experimental inventions and derived taste. Let’s face it; you can’t criticize homemade food, as every household has its own versions! What matters is the satisfying taste and the fresh quality of the fish. All the preparations are simple but unique. Every type of fish is listed individually and recommendations for accompaniments are mentioned. Your choices here are deep fried, shallow fried, rawa fried, tawa fried, tawa masala, Konkani masala, goan curry, gassi, malvani, vindaloo and some Mongolian curries. There are no tandoor preparations so asking for a fish tikka or a kebab would be inappropriate! A complimentary authentic welcome drink called ‘tival’ — a pure kokum juice tempered with ghee, jeera and coriander was something I really appreciated! The house specialty, the Burnt Garlic Crispy Squid (Rs 160)and Bombay Duck Fry (Rs 130) are good options. The covering (flour) was not needed for the squid, as it would had been more enjoyable without the coating. There was no excess covering for the Bombay duck, so the softness and freshness came through.Till your order comes to you, a Poppadum Platter (Rs 60) — which has 4- 5 varieties of deep fried papad — is provided for you to munch on, which is a wonderful change compared to the usual masala papad. For the main course, Prawns Konkani Masala (Rs 240) doused with chillies and coconut goes very well with the recommended bhakri. Even the Goan Curry (Rs 240) is silky smooth, balanced with sour, spicy flavours and a slightly creamy texture. It went well with the Rice Bhakri (Rs 20) too. Not to mention the Solkadhi (Rs 30), drunk before or after the meal, which was good as well, except for the fact that it was one of the dishes amongst others I had there, that had garlic in them. If you hate ‘typical’ fare one generally finds these days, you must try this place. If you are trying fish for the first time, this is a good option, as not only is the catch fresh but is truly prepared in a ‘home-style’. Do not forget to mention your threshold for spiciness before ordering, as it can be adjusted. Happy fishing!

Masemari,

2132,Trimurti Complex,

Near Abhinav College,

Off Tilak Road,

020-24328631