The new Gateway to Asia

Mumbai restaurants serve authentic Khao Man Tod, mapo tofu and edgy Japanese. Is the city India's top eating-out destination?

- VIR SANGHVI

Mumbai is the centre of inventive food. I doubt if The Bombay Canteen or O Pedro could have opened in any other city. Nobody of consequence would have gone to Masque, because of its less-than-salubrious surroundings, had it opened in the capital.

Both of Alex Sanchez's brilliant restaurants have South Bombay written all over them. Most Indian cities would not have given Ekaa the chance it needed to establish itself. And as for the wonderful Bandra Born you can't really take it out of Bandra. But what has surprised me is how Mumbai has now become a centre of quality East Asian food.

Let's take Thai. I know Seefah Ketchaiyo from the time she ran the Thai section of San Qi, the once fabulous restaurant at the Mumbai Four Seasons. In 2012, when I first ate there, I thought Seefah's food was fine, but not Earth-shattering.