Bombay duck is not a duck. It is a soft, almost translucent fish, rolled in semolina and rice flour and shallow fried until the outside is crisp and the inside stays soft. The English name came from the Bombay Dak, the mail train that carried the dried version inland.
7places named
3things to know
2026snapshot year
6areas of the city
Where to eat it
Named places, with what each one is known for| Name | Where | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|
| Gajalee1990s | Vile Parle West | Bombil fry among the Malvani standards. |
| Apoorva | Fort | Mangalorean; the fry here is the plain correct version. |
| Mahesh Lunch Home1977 | Fort and Juhu | Coastal; bombil, crab and prawn. |
| Sindhudurg | Dadar West | Malvani, strong masala. |
| Trishna1965 | Kala Ghoda | The fine-dining version. |
| Highway Gomantak | Bandra East | Gomantak-style, with the thali. |
| Sassoon Dock1875 | Colaba | Where it lands. |
Worth knowing
- Fresh bombil, not dried. Dried is a different and much stronger thing.
- It is seasonal; the monsoon months are the wrong ones.
- Semolina crust is the standard. Batter means someone is hiding something.
The other dishes
Vada PavPav BhajiMisal PavBhel PuriPani PuriSev PuriBombay SandwichFrankieMohammed Ali Road KebabsParsi DhansakBerry PulaoSali BotiAkuriIrani Chai and Bun MaskaKeema PavBheja FryMumbai BiryaniKoli Fish CurryBombil FryPrawn KoliwadaMalvani CuisineSol KadhiFalooda and KulfiBatata Vada and Farsan
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