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The 2016 Wishlist

One flip side of following a bunch of foodies on twitter and instagram is that I end up with a long list of places I want to go to and more importantly, dishes I want to try. A lot of these are from far flung places that I know I won't get to any time soon. But for the start of the new year, I present to you the top 10 dishes I want to try this year in Mumbai. Some of these are from age old restaurants that I just haven't somehow managed to get to. And others are from the new menus or the new launches. So here's the roadmap to a food filled 2016:

1. Delhi Chaat at Ziya: I dined at Vineet Bhatia's modern Indian restaurant at the Oberoi when they first opened and was frankly underwhelmed. But they have gone through multiple rounds of menu change since and some of dishes on the new menu, particularly the Delhi Chaat, look super tempting.

2. Guava Tana-tan at the Bombay Canteen: I think we all agree that Bombay Canteen was the biggest opening of 2015. I've been there many times but I didn't get to taste their take on tarte tatin - a guava puff pastry dessert - before they took it off the menu. Hopefully it comes back this year!

3. Missal Pao at Aaswad: This traditional Maharashtrian restaurant has been around forever but last year, their missal pao got voted the best dish in the world. You just have to try that one then, don't you.

4. Thali at Shree Thaker Bhojanalay: The most legendary of thali places in the city is set in the middle of crowded Kalbadevi market. Now, I usually avoid Gujarati thali places because all dishes in there - even the main courses - tend to be sweet. But I have it on good authority that Thaker serves a non-sweet version of both the dal and the kadhi.

5. Ashok Vada Pao: I must be living under a rock because I never heard of this vada pao stall near Dadar's Kirti College until recently. Ashok's claim to fame is that they add besan chura (crispy fried bits) to the bun in addition to the potato vada. That has to be good.

6. Sakura Peach at Wasabi: From the cheapest dish in the city to the most expensive restaurant around. I don't see myself dining at Wasabi anytime soon but I'm surely going there to get this dessert made of peaches and champagne ice cream.

7. The Seven Layer Cookie at The Nutcracker: If you have read any part of my blog, you know I have a massive sweet tooth. Which is why I've been eyeing this 7-layer cookie bar for a while now.

8. The Big Bang Theory at Joss: I put Joss on my 2015 list as well but not being a big fan of Asian cuisine, I didn't make it there. Still, one dish stays in my head from all the reviews I have read - a chocolate dessert created right on your table. So Joss goes back on the list for this year.

9. Mac and Cheese Pizza at Fat Man's Café: If you are a carbaholic like me, it's hard to get past your two favourite carbs in one dish. This is the kind of food designed to give you a heart attack but you only live once, right?

10. Whatever they sell at NRI: Atul Kocchar's Indian restaurant is set to open this month and the food is supposed to be inspired by the iconic dishes Indians came up with when they moved abroad. Like Chicken Tikka Masala or Bunny Chow. Can't wait to try this one!

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