It’s been awhile since we had Indian food that wasn’t prata, so when Gajalee (which hails from Mumbai) opened up on our shores, we set our hearts on heading down for a taste of some Maharashtrian seafood. Located on Cuppage Terrace, the string of side-by-side restaurants make for a somewhat unappealing, touristy atmosphere. We made our escape inside to a comfortable setting of warm, yellow lights, mirrored walls and furnishings in varying shades of brown. The menu was heavily seafood-centric, as expected, but also offered classics such as Tandoori chicken. We wanted to try an intriguing dish of baby shark in a fresh coriander and coconut based koshimbir masala, but it was unavailable; so we settled on fried bombil (bombay duck) instead. Despite its reputation for having a strong, unpleasant smell, the lizardfish was surprisingly odorless, which we gladly attributed to its freshness. The golden battered, tender flesh was a delight when paired with the subtle heat of green chutney (puree of mint and green chilies). Our curiosity was piqued by the solkadi and when one of the friendly servers offered us a sample, we decided to take him up on it. Purportedly made from mangosteen and coconut milk, the pink concoction looked suspiciously like Pepto-Bismol, with some oil globules floating on top. We had a few sips of the salty, sour drink and decided a thick and sweet mango lassi would be the perfect palate cleanser. The butter pepper pomfret arrived skin on, and is a good option if you’re looking for a mildly-flavored dish. Simply fresh fish with a light butter and garlic sauce, dotted with black pepper. We were particularly impressed with the more heavily-seasoned jumbo tiger prawns, which came doused in a chunky green chili sauce with minced onions and garlic. The succulent shellfish was cooked just right and we couldn’t resist dunking pieces of fragrant butter garlic naan into the spicy, savory sauce. We reckon this is a good bet for a less run-of-the-mill dining experience, but is undoubtedly more suited to families and big groups (their crabs and fish are huge), or for eaters with seriously gargantuan appetites. The patience and willingness to serve of the wait staff here is also commendable and duly noted.
