The Larilappa Cold Drink House is so famous for its Lassi, that Irfan Pathan recommends it to every visitor himself!

Whatever you do in Baroda, make sure you do not go away without tasting the different lassis at the Larilappa Cold Drink House in the Padamavati Shopping Centre at Naya Mandir.

The lassis are unusual. They come in various flavours, like mango, chocolate, strawberry, sitaphal, pineapple, ice-cream, anjeer, butterscotch, kaju draksh, kaju badam, kaju mango, mixd fruit, and there is also a Larilappa Special for Rs. 25. With a scoop of ice-cream, it costs Rs. 7 more, though the ice-cream is not recommended, the lassi is good enough and rich and creamy on its own.

The Larilappa Cold Drink House (Shop No. 131 in the Padamavati Shopping Centre) is 50 years old. It is run by an enterprising father-son duo of thrifty Sindhis, Harish and Kishenchand D. Kalwani. Business hours are from 9 in the morning till 11 at night.

The father-son say you will be surprised how many people queue up at 9 a.m. to begin their day with a chilled, tall glass of lassi. At night, it is difficult to get a seat in the small shop, the crowd is so fierce for the Larilappa lassi.

“There is nothing unusual about our lassis,” admits Harish Kalwani. “We use simple dahi, sugar, malai and rose essence. But God is great, he sends customers to us in droves.” And it is true, the people of Baroda from all sections of society will come and crowd the little shop for a glass of lassi.

The Kalwanis’s pride is the framed photograph on the wall of their most famous patron. Baroda’s son, the cricketer and fast bowler Irfan Pathan. “He is a Baroda boy and whenever he comes home, he visits us for the lassi,” says Kishenchand beaming. “Last time Irfan brought Harbhajan Singh along.”