MATSYA – THE SARASWAT SEAFOOD

Place : Matsya – The Saraswat Seafood

Location : Goregaon West , Mumbai ( Very close from Inorbit mall )

16th November 2016

SIMPLE TRANSLATION FISH FROM SARASWAT 😉

Whoever is fond of sea food must be aware of Konkani ( Goan ) and Malvani ( Coastal Maharashtrian ) food. But Sarasvati cuisine comes from Coastal Region of Karnataka in spite of having its resemblance to the above two , it Is very unique in its own way.

Located in Goregaon this little diner called – Matsya is run by a Saraswat family from Chitrapur , Karnataka. I was invited last night by the owner Mr. Abhay Pandit. Foodie me , jumped at this opportunity to try some authentic food. I was hosted by Mr. Anuj Pandit an IHM grad from Mumbai who has this amazing pride about their first venture into food industry. He gave us a brief information about how Matsya started almost a year back (January 2016 ) & within such a short span of time simply on the basis of great food it has become a popular joint for sea food lovers. Yes , Sea Food is their specialty and Oh My ! What Food.

Anuj took us through the menu explaining how it has been designed around local specialties. The menu has a great variety in terms of fishes and their preparation.

We began with Kokam Sarbat / Sharbat – A typical coastal drink of Western Ghats. Being a Konkani myself I know the exact difference in a freshly made Kokam and the one made of the squash. The one at Matsya was super fresh and it had such a cooling yet appetizing effect.

For starters we had Masala Fry. A preparation of Kaane a delicacy of Saraswat cuisine. There are two different types of preparations for Masala Fry. The other is Green Masala Fry. We opted for Kaane Masala Fry. A shallow fried delicate fish coated in a thin layer of tangy red Masala served with a Mint Chutney and a Salad. Very well marinated and tanginess cutting down the strong fish flavor balancing it perfectly.

( This preparation can be made for all these fishes – Bangda , Squid , Rawas , Prawns , Surmai , Rawas & Pomfret )

Next preparation was Stuffed Fish. What you get for stuffed fish generally , is the fish with a filling of spices. But at Matsya , they serve it with a filling of mini prawns in a thick green coloured paste of spices. The fish we chose for this was Pomfret ( you have a choice of Bombil / Bombay Duck too )It was covered with Rava ( Samolina ) and shallow fried. The flavours oozing from the stuffing and the pomfret were simply amazing. The pictures shall do the justice.

For Mains we had Sukkhe – A preparation every Goan is familiar with. This was made of Tisrya Or Clam. Sukkhe basically is a reduced gravy which is dry and made up of Coconut and Red chilly Masala tempered with onions. This my friends , takes time and patience to bring out the perfect richness of the gravy and Matsya succeeds in it with full 100% . What a beautiful dish.

A Non Spicey gravy that works for people like me who like to take it easy with spices 😉

Neer Dosa was the accompaniment along with Sukkhe. The Papery dosa preparation which is super soft , fluffy and absorbs all the goodness of the gravy. Meat of clams / tisrya was perfectly cooked.

Coming to the surprise dish ! How many of us like Egg Bhurji ? Now ,how does Crab Bhurji sound to you ? Every crab eater out there will know what I’m talking about. The succulent crab meat if prepared in this unique way is genius !! We dint waste a single meat from the moment it was brought in from of us. It was non-spicy again. Made up of green chilies & onion. This CRAB BHURJI is a must at MATSYA. We finished it contently with Rice Bhakri ( bread )

What we also had along with our food was Sol Kadhi. Which is a digestive drink that’s made up of coconut milk and kokum.

Apart from this , there are many specialities that are prepared here. Quite difficult to find elsewhere such as Karandi Bhaji ( mini prawns ) Triphala Ghashi – Triphala is a unique spice with a peculiar aroma that takes the dish to another level

For Thaali lovers they have multiple options depending on the fish you like such as Bombil , Bangda , Prawns , Surmai and so on. These thalis range from 190 Rs. to 430 Rs. depending on which fish you chose.

Vegetarians need not be disappointed. There are multiple vegetarian preperations in authentic Saraswat style such as Alambya Sukkhe , Potato Saung ( This is considered to be a legendary dish )

We finished our meal with Dudoli a speciality again ! This one’s without any added sugar. Simple ingredients such as Raagi ( Nachni / Millet )and Jaggery along with coconut milk is oh so good! Another must !

Matsya is a very family friendly restaurant with ever smiling service. The owners look into things personally giving it a personalized touch.So next time you around Inorbit Mall give the mall food a skip and try Matsya 🙂

Why you should visit Matsya

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No Saraswat Cuisine Restaurant that serves such delicious food

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NON SPICY

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Pocket friendly

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Very Hygienic , Neat and Tidy

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They do not levy any service charge ( in spite of providing such amazing service )

P.S. – Pardon any mistakes in the review as my knowledge about Saraswat Food is quite limited.

Taste – 5 /5

Ambiance – 3.8 /5

Service – 5 /5

Value for money – 4.7/5

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