For local aficionados Girgaum Chowpatty will always be Bombay's pride. For decades, from the time it was nothing but a barren strip of sea and sand, the city's most popular beach front has represented the essence of the city. Not only is it vast in terms of length, but is the cleanest of beaches today with parks for children and senior citizens, sea shades, a special enclosure for Chowpatty's famous pigeons, a water sports complex and the quintessential bhelwallahs. Till recently, there used to be a variety of activities on the beach. From horse rides to shooting baloons with an air gun to mini merry-go-rounds. But all that has changed. It is now organised, clean, well maintained and most importantly safe.

The sea front has much to offer, but the biggest attraction will always be the bhelwallahs. Visiting the city and not tasting Bombay's most popular snack is quite unheard of. At the newly constructed �Bhel Plaza� you will not only find the bhelwallahs, but the traditional kulfiwallahs from the North, the golawallahs and the juice centres as well. Until two years ago, the pokey bhel stalls were situated in a row at the eastern end of the beach obstructing the magnificent view of the sea. Then, Shiv Sena minister Pramod Navalkar came along and took it upon himself to clean up the beach. Relocating the bhelwallahs was part of his agenda. Initailly, there was a lot of apprehension from the stall owners, but now that they have been given a disciplined batch of stalls with better facilities, they are a happier lot.

The 28 bhelwallahs usually function during the evenings, from 5 o�clock onwards. That's when the crowds start coming in. A visit to the Bhel Plaza (as it is now known) is nothing reminiscent of the hustle and bustle and the stink of dirty water flowing out in rivulets. There is ample space between the stalls and the owners use clean water. Large colourful dust-bins have also been placed at every stall, so you won't find any garbage thrown around. And visitors are only permitted to eat within the enclosure, so you won't find food and garbage thrown all over the beach.

Locals will tell you that this popular snack is unforgettable, eat it once and you're smitten. Basically, it is a concoction of puffed rice, semolina, boiled potato, finely chopped onion and corriander garnished with a dash of lime and two chutneys, a green pungent variety and a sweet and sour chutney made from tamarind and dates. If you like your bhel spicy, opt for the red chilli and garlic chutney.

The other option is the sev puri. There are six puris topped with the onion, boiled potato, corriander, semolina, lime and the chutneys. And there's the pani puri, where small puffed puris are filled with a concociton of lentil and spices and dipped in cool, spicy water. This is one sure way of getting rid of a cold!

The kulfiwallahs sell a varitey of flavours, from the tradiitonal Malai Kulfi to the Roasted Almond with Chocolate Chips or 2000 Millennium which is a combination of butter scotch, tutti frutti and black currant. No longer can the kulfis at Chowpatty be considered cheap, the prices range from Rs. 14 to Rs. 35. But they still have the old Chowpatty flavour, it that's what you're looking for.

Summer is probably the best time to visit Chowpatty if you can bear the hot, blazing sun. It's also the time when the kulfiwallahs and juice centres do brisk business. The juice centres also sell the streetside golas which are a sort of ice-candy. The golawallah will tell you that during the hot months of May he sells over 300 golas in one single day. What makes this so popular is the thrill of sucking on crushed ice flavoured with a syrup. There's orange, lime, rose, kala khatta and even exotic flavours like kesar pista and something called a Cocktail Gola which is a blend of flavours.

Service at the Bhel Plaza is an art in itself and part of the excitement is watching the bhelwallah in action. While locals and visiting tourists can't wait to sink their teeth into the food, foreigners are usually cautious and prefer the view to the food.