Meet Onalibhai Q. Contractor, a Baroda painting contractor who got into the food business only because his clients thought he would be a better restaurateur than he was a painter. Actually the story goes that Onalibhai, who is an Alvi Bohri, used to regularly send tiffins of his mother�s excellent Mughlai food to his clients� homes when they had parties and for festive occasions. His clientele list then was impressive. Most of Baroda�s top doctors, lawyers, architects, artists had at some time or the other got their residences or offices painted by Onalibhai. And they all merited a tiffin of Mughlai food from the grateful painting contractor. Amazed at the kind of food they were sampling, which Baroda has never tasted the likes of before, these clients encouraged Onalibhai to chuck up his painting business and take up catering instead. �I was inspired to buy two shops and start a 42-seater restaurant called Lazeez that had sitting outside and inside, in an AC room,� Onalibhai says.

That was the beginning, some 18 years ago, and it proved to be a most disastrous start for the enterprising restaurateur. �The first three years were very bad,� says Onalibhai, �and I was spending more money on running the restaurant than I was making from it. Then, slowly, my luck changed. And business picked up. We used to earlier be only open for dinner between 7 and 11 p.m. But now, Lazeez is also open for lunch, from 12 to 3 p.m.�

It is purely a Mughlai cuisine eatery, the only one in Baroda, incredibly. And because Onalibhai will not compromise on quality, and he does the bazaar for fresh mutton, chicken and fish himself everyday, Lazeez has developed a reputation for its outstanding food. He has all karigars from UP working with him, three tandoori cooks, three Mughlai food cooks, and six waiters. They all stay in the restaurant premises. So there is never an issue about shortage of staff.

The USP about the place is its food. All his tandoori items are sellouts. He also has a Lazeez special every day. And once a food item is over, Onalibhai will not make more of it for the day. He mentions the Pathani Chicken as being Lazeez� speciality. �You won�t get anything like it in all of Gujarat," he says confidently,"because I amke the masalas for this dish at home!"