Highway Gomantak, located off the Western Express Highway, is tucked away from the maddening chaos of Bombay. Rickshaws may dart like cockroaches on a parallel road but posters of palm trees, visible at the restaurant’s entrance, make one instantly feel far removed from urban life. And unlike some of the more mainstream seafood restaurants where all Indian coastal cuisine can be found lumped together, Highway Gomantak has a focus - food (mainly seafood) from the Konkan coast.

When you walk into the restaurant there isn't much to write home about. No air conditioning, no napkins, and the wooden tables are packed in one behind the other. The eatery has long fed middle-class Maharashtrian families from the area and is happy to remain unpretentious. To eat with your fingers is more than acceptable and a quick glance around will show you that most of the restaurant’s patrons are regulars, happy to dip their hands into a wholesome fish curry.

The most substantial item on the menu is the fish thali, with one's personal choice of fish. The thali is served with a piece of curried fish, chapatis, rice, shellfish pickle, and a bowl of sol kadi - sun dried 'kokum' shells soaked in water with chillies and mixed with coconut juice, freshly ground garlic and salt. The thali is slightly on the small side, but the food is quite delectable. Many of the curries, like the green pomfret curry, are made of coconut-based gravies (the green curry also has a lot of coriander in it). The yellow rawas curry, the bombil fry, surmai fry, and prawn sukha are also not to be missed. The vegetarian thali ensures that there is something for everyone - non vegetarian or otherwise.

The restaurant is extremely crowded during lunch thanks to the office-going crowd, so pick dinner on a weekday if you’re looking for a quiet dining experience. A meal for two should set you back approximately Rs. 250 per head, and whilst this is on the higher side for such a no-frills place, the authenticity makes it worth the money.

The restaurant's chef, Mrs. Potnis, is also the owner’s wife. This Goan lady started the restaurant in the span of a few days after her husband resigned from Glaxo and still takes much pride in buying fresh seafood from Vashi every morning and watching it rapidly disappear during the course of the day.

The restaurant was started without too much deliberation, but it would be difficult to shut it down with the same air of spontaneity, for Highway Gomantak is now a place of pride for the residents of Bandra East!