Top 10 Places To Eat Bao & Dim Sum In Andheri East?
Located inside Hotel Peninsula Redpine on Andheri Kurla Road, Marol, Tipsy Tiger is a retro Asian dive bar serving the best bao and dim sum that Andheri East has to offer. The kitchen offers soft steamed bao and dumplings with a live sushi counter and three house craft beers, all at prices perfect for a regular weeknight.
That’s about the size of it.The longer one matters as most places around Marol and Chakala that list dumplings are takeaway momo counters and a proper sit down plate is harder to find than it should be. Learn the difference between bao and dim sum, how to judge quality before ordering, what to pick for two or a table of eight, which beer to pour with it, and how to get there.
Bao vs Dim Sum: What is the Difference?
Bao is a soft steamed wheat bun, sealed around a filling, or folded open like a sandwich. Dim sum is a Cantonese tradition of sharing small plates, mostly dumplings, served in portions. Bao is a food. Dim sum is a style of eating, some of whose dishes are bao.
What is a bao?
Bao dough is leavened, which means a good bun feels like a pillow, not like bread. In Mumbai you will find two shapes. The filling is inside the closed bun The open, folded bun, often known as gua bao, holds its filling in view, usually something rich with a crunchy pickle and a sharp sauce to cut through it.
So what exactly is dim sum?
Traditionally, dim sum is eaten with tea and includes steamed, pan-fried and deep-fried morsels. The steamed dumplings draw the most attention: thin, almost see-through wrappers around prawn, chicken, pork or vegetables. The whole point is they come in a bamboo basket, three or four of them at a time. You order some baskets and everyone tries everything.
Are momos and dimsum the same thing?
No. Momos are a Tibetan and Nepali dish that have a thicker wrapper and are served with a spicy red chutney. Dim sum wrappers are thinner, the folds more delicate, and the dipping sauces rely on soy, chili oil and black vinegar. Both are pelmeni. They just are not the same thing.
Here’s the short version:
- Bao: Chinese and Taiwanese. A thick, fluffy, steamed, leavened bun, served one or two at a time. Best when you want a good bite.
- Dim sum: From South China. Thin, delicate wrappers, cooked steamed, pan-fried or fried, three or four pieces in a basket. Best for sharing & variety
- Momos: Tibet, Nepal. A medium to thick wrapper, steamed or fried, six to eight on a plate. Good for a quick snack.
This saves you from the most common ordering mistake in Andheri. You ask for dim sum, you get momos and wonder what the fuss was all about.
Who Serves The Bao And Dim Sum Andheri East Keeps Going Back For
Tipsy Tiger, Marol, Andheri East: A Pan-Asian kitchen with a live sushi counter, that serves bao and dim sum. It’s a dive bar on purpose: retro gaming art on the walls, loud music later in the evening and a menu priced for people coming straight from work.
It has three things that distinguish it from the other options in the area.
Kitchen to watch:
Sushi is rolled at a live counter in plain view to the room. That’s important for dumplings, too, because a kitchen confident enough to cook in front of guests usually cooks to order. Bao and dumplings are on the same menu with wok-tossed noodles, satay and sushi, so a table doesn’t have to stick to one cuisine for the nite. Browse the entire Pan Asian menu before you book.
An Asian restaurant Andheri East office crowds may be able to afford
A lot of Pan Asian places in Mumbai charge fine dining prices for small plates, so sharing six baskets is an expensive choice. The other end is Tipsy Tiger. It’s a pocket friendly bar so ordering one more round of dumplings is an easy decision. That’s why you find regulars at an Asian restaurant Andheri East on a Tuesday as much as on a Saturday.
Group room
Dim sum is made to be shared. And it’s best shared at a big table. The layout is more conducive to groups than quiet tables for two, and live sports screenings naturally make a centerpiece to a match night. For larger groups, ask about the venue’s banquet options.
For a wider view of the bar, our guide to what makes Tipsy Tiger an Asian dive bar goes into more depth about the room, music and crowd.
How to Reach Tipsy Tiger & Best Time to Visit
Tipsy Tiger is located in Hotel Peninsula Redpine, Andheri-Kurla Road, Bori Colony, Marol, Andheri East, Mumbai 400059. The nearest metro station is Marol Naka and the bar is on the main road so autos and cabs can drop you at the hotel entrance.
How to get there
- By metro: Alight at Marol Naka and walk or take a short auto ride on Andheri-Kurla Road.
- From the offices: MIDC, SEEPZ and the business parks along Andheri-Kurla Road are a short ride away, making this the easiest bao and dim sum Andheri East office-goers can get after work.
- Getting There: If you have a few hours to kill before catching a late flight, the bar is convenient to the international terminal.
- By car: Ask the hotel about parking when you make your booking.
Best time to go:
If you want conversation and quick service, go there early in the evening. Baskets of steamed food come out fastest before the room fills. If you want it loud and the full dive bar scene, go later on a Friday or Saturday night. Book in advance if you’re going to a match day, the screens are popular.
Visit our contact page. If you want to see the room first, the gallery has photos of the space. And if sushi is on your list too, check out our guide to live sushi in Mumbai.
Conclusion
Good dumplings come down to a few things you can check for yourself: a thin wrapper, a filling you can taste, and a kitchen that steams to order. Pair it with a beer that can stand up to the weight of the dish and you have a much better meal than a quick plate of momos. For the bao and dim sum Andheri East deserves, start at Tipsy Tiger with live sushi, house craft beers and a room that works for a group.
Ready to give it a shot? Book Your Table At Tipsy Tiger Or Call +91 74001 35070 And Order Your First Round Of Baskets Tonight.
FAQ
No. Bao is one dish. A soft steamed wheat bun with a filling. Dim sum is a Cantonese style of eating, based around many small plates, mostly of dumplings. Some bao are served as part of a dim sum meal, so there’s overlap, but they’re not the same thing.
Inside Hotel Peninsula Redpine on Andheri-Kurla Road in Marol, Tipsy Tiger dishes out both from its Pan-Asian kitchen, complete with live sushi and house craft beers. It’s the perfect place to sit down to a meal and a few drinks. There are also some quick-service momo counters in the area for take away.
Yes. Tipsy Tiger and other pan-Asian kitchens in Andheri East have vegetarian options. Seek out dumplings filled with mushroom, corn, water chestnut or greens, and bao with a crisp filling of vegetables or tofu. When ordering, tell your server about any allergies you have.