Swad Marathi

Siddharth Govindan 18 months ago

The Vada Usal Pav is my favourite. Tastes the same always, on point. Don’t understand why it’s a cash only place. Big inconvenience for customers as there is always a queue for payment.

Meera Vadgama 12 months ago

If you are looking out for Homely food,this is the best place. Test is very good. Due to its taste and pocket friendly price, this crowded however there is no compromise in quality and quantity.

Dinesh Krishnan 20 months ago

Highly underrated must visit spot in Mumbai located in Vile Parle for authentic Marathi food. I am surprised how such a good spot has barely any reviews by high level guides and much exposure online. Fellow Mumbaikars, do not go by the looks of the place, trust me and give this place a shot. I will be suggesting some dishes below so do read further.

Ordering system is through handwritten bills and Menu is completely in Marathi. The name of the place is actually Swad Marathi: Tambe Bandhu and Tambe is a common surname in Maharashtra. So it translates to Marathi Taste: Tambe brothers/family I believe. They accept only cash and it might be hard to find a place to sit immediately especially during rush hours. That being said, food is affordable, tasty and service is quick.

Dishes to try here:

1. Misal Pav: The no brainer Marathi food enjoyed all across Maharashtra. It includes cooked sprouts (called Usal in Marathi), curry (Rassa), served with some thicker Namkeen (Farsaan), Pav and chopped onions/lemon piece. In many places you also get Tarri which is a mix of oil and chilli for adding spice to this curry which was omitted here. The spice levels are good. Rassa is given premixed and you can ask for more of it. The way you eat this dish "properly" according to my Marathi friend is by throwing in pieces of the pav in the Misal, then letting it soak some amount of rassa before eating it with the spoon. So in each scoop you are looking at some amount of Pav soaked in Rassa, Usal and crunchy Farsaan/onion.

2. Vada Usal: Very similar to Misal Pav, Instead of sprouts (Usal), you get a Potato (Batata) Vada along with thinner Namkeen (Nylon Sev), Pav and chopped onions/lemon piece. You break the vada and eat it in a similar way to Misal Pav. Personally I like Vada Usal over Misal Pav because I am a fan of the vada.

3. Zunka Bhakri: Zunka is essentially very thick dal which holds its shape. Bhakri is a hand shaped Roti and it is made with a different kinds of flour like Jowar, Bajra, Nagli. It's served along with spicy chutney (Thecha) and chopped onion/lemon. You eat it in a similar way to Roti/Sabzi. It's my favourite thing here because it's quite unique and hard to find elsewhere.

4. Sabudana vada: It's a Vada made out of Sabudana served with sweet curd. You get 2 filling Vadas which are a bit softer.

5. Dal Vada: This is a Vada made out of dal and it's harder to eat and a bit dry. It's served with Coconut Chutney and Tomato sauce.

6. Kothimbir Wadi: This is an interesting one and my favourite vada. It's a Corriander-Dal Vada shaped in cubes served with Coconut Chutney. I recommend this over the other Vadas.

There are many other dishes on offer such as Dal rice, Pulao, Veg-Biryani, Roti Sabzi which are standard fare over the more unique dishes. For drinks there is Solkadhi which is an interesting pink drink, Buttermilk and some Mango based drink which I cannot remember.

There are many packaged items here like Pickles, Supari, uncommon drinks and chutneys. Try this place out and explore the traditional Marathi cuisine over the typical stuff which people eat when they come to Mumbai.