A
peek into those old parts of Mumbai that still remain!
My
last trip to Mumbai brought back some delicious memories of living in South
Bombay along with the ‘Irani’ cafes which were in those days’ iconic features at
nearly every corner in that area that I patronized in my younger days. I was
awed by the big glass jars filled with biscuits, cookies and other items which
lined up at most of the Irani cafes; and equally by the cute eccentric owners
with a set of rules which included ‘No Division of Beverages’, ‘No credit’, ‘No
combing’, ‘No address query’ to name a few. Honest to goodness, value for money
was the success key. Once ahead of their time, these cafes sadly have become a
fast disappearing trend and some have been even converted to bars. Reports have
it that while there were 350 in the 1950s; by 2005 the number had dwindled to
just 25. Most surviving Irani cafés today are over 100 years old, time capsules
of a bygone era replete with red chequered table cloths, bentwood chairs,
marble or glass topped tables, chandeliers, portraits on the walls and a
general air of quiet decay.
INTERESTING TRIVIA
Apparently,
a superstition amongst the Gujarati traders was that the corner shops were
inauspicious for business. So these technically premium places, which gave
access to the premises from two streets remained unoccupied. The Iranis who had
come in and were setting up their restaurants lapped up many of these building
corner shops. So even today, most of Mumbai’s remaining Irani cafes are found
on building corners.
I
talk here of the top three quaint and indispensable ones …
JIMMY BOY
No
flash décor here but the food more than makes up for it. You can fill yourself
with a soulful Parsi meal or an afternoon snack like the Kheema Pav for mere
two hundred and fifty bucks or less. Loyal customers flock to this cafe like
hungry children to their school cafeteria as the food is inexpensive but
delicious. Sample this, ‘Brun bread’ with ‘Maska’ tingling into the mildly
sweet taste of the bun. Maska aka butter, is the Irani answer to all of life’s
problems. Bruns are quite similar to French breads. Round balls, crusty
outside, soft inside, taste heavenly when fresh, warm, sliced with a generous
dollop of butter slathered in and dipped it in the sweet and milky tea.
Lip Smacking- Brun Maska with cheeni kam Chai, Dhanshak, Kheema
Pav, Lagan nu Bhonu (a Parsi wedding sampler menu for just INR 650), Malai
Kulfi and Lagan nu custard.
Address- Vikas Building, 11 Bank Street, opposite cheetah
gate, Old custom house, Lane off Horniman circle, Fort, Mumbai -23
Tel: 022 22700880/22662503
Timings: 11 Am to 11pm
BRITANNIA &COMPANY
Located
amidst picturesque stone buildings of Ballard Estate, this high-ceilinged café is
more quaint than posh and serves the best berry pulao in town, so much so that
the likes of Queen Elizabeth and the Bachchan family are absolute die-hard
fans. With a garnish of golden-fried onions and berries imported from Iran, 92
year old owner Boman Kohinoor keeps the recipe a guarded secret and happily
hops around tables and personally attends to every guest with great gusto!
Lip Smacking- Mutton berry Pulav, Sali Boti (mutton), Raspberry
Soda, Fry Bombay Duck (bombil fish), Egg Masala, Fish Patra and Caramel
custard.
Address- 11 Sprott Road, Ballard Estate, opposite new custom
House.
Tel: 022 22615264/30225264
Timings- Open for lunch only. Reservations advised.
KYANI & CO
The
unassuming façade of the café, flanked by dilapidated shop houses does not
entice at all, but as you step within, you enter a different world that gently
exudes Persian old world charm and an amazing fragrance of fresh baking. There
are few smells as heady as the aroma of baking in the world of food, and it
totally works for me. The fare is decadent to the core and I would highly
recommend a quick stop for the crisp butter kharis, layered salted biscuits,
and the Irani tea, a thick overly milky, sweetened tea delicately flavoured
with cardamom, it’s to die for!
Lip Smacking- Chicken Farcha, Mutton chops, Baingan Fry, Parsee
Akuri (scrambled eggs Persian style), Mawa Cake, Cream puff and Khari biscuits
with chai.
Address-
657, Jer Mahal Estate, Opposite Metro Theatre, J.S.S Road, Dhobi Talao,
Kalbadevi.
Tel: 022 22011492
Timings: 6:30 Am to 9 pm
published in The Man
