Vintage Eateries Nostalgia: Bombay
Old favourites that will never die. Food-lover Rahul Velkar goes down the culinary memory lane for UpperCrust
But unfortunately, time has taken its toll and we have already lost too many of these time-tested restaurants to urban modernisation, new trends, changing fashion, noveau cuisine etc. Many of these restaurants now only live in our memory. Remember Touch� Sizzlers at Breach Candy? Gone are those days when you could walk into The Wayside Inn and order your favorite Fish and Chips, or Mutton Cutlets, go to Patuks and order Sali Boti, Patra ni Machi and a Lagan Nu Custard, or even go to Gourdon and enjoy the 'Western Style' three course meal and Silver Service. The MG Caf� and its mouth watering Mutton Samosas are long gone. Most youngsters have not even heard of 'The Bombalies Swiss Confectionary' and their delicious Chocolate Marquise or Palmar's bakery at Kemps Corner.
When our parents celebrated we found ourselves at a delicious gourmet experience at the Oberoi Sheraton�s Caf� Royale, enjoying the live band and escargot or at the Rendezvous at the Taj InterContinental. The days of Sweet Corn Chicken Soup, American Chopsuey, Chilli Chicken, Fried Rice (all meats were put in then: pork, prawns, ham), ending with an ice cream topped with a pink wafer biscuit at Fredricks are a thing of the past. My foodie heart bleeds.
Have you ever found yourself narrating to your son a memory of a delicious Chicken Roll or a Chicken Pattice that was available in a quaint little roadside restaurant on a particular street corner that now houses the most modern shopping mall without noticing the glassy eyed look that has covered his face? Makes you feel old does it not? Well, let me assure you that all is not lost.
As changing city trends pressurise most restaurants to change their identities, there are still a few culinary diamonds in Bombay who have the confidence, courage and the drive to remain resolute. They take pride in welcoming people of all generations and walks of life to come and enjoy their cuisine and hospitality. There are other eateries too, who while having altered either their cuisines or their d�cor, have preserved some old recipes or settings that continue to warm the heart. My story is the result of a search to satisfy that foodie nostalgia within me. I have journeyed the streets of South Bombay and present to you a list of �cuisine landmarks� that still proudly take you down your mouth-watering memory lane. So, read on about the journey I embarked on as I proceed to take my son for a meal of delicious Berry Pulao.
In addition, the owners shut their sister restaurant - The Kwality and added a major portion of the continental and Indian menu to the Chinese Room menu. This restaurant is still my favourite, and I continue to frequent it with my wife, parents & son for old time's sake.
Kemps Corner, Bombay 400 036.
Band Box House,
12 A, Dr. Annie Besant Road, Worli,
145, M.G Road, Kala Ghoda, Bombay 400 001.
The Ambassador Hotel, Veer Nariman Road, Churchgate, Bombay 400 020.
Ritz Hotel, Jamshedji Tata Road, Churchgate, Bombay 400 020.
Nagin Mahal, 82 Veer Nariman Road, Bombay 400 020.
Mayfair, Veer Nariman Road, Churchgate, Bombay 400 020.
Sindh Chambers, S. B. Singh Rd, Near Strand Cinema, Colaba, Bombay 400 005.
Rahim Mansion, 1 Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, Colaba, Bombay 400 039.
S. B. Singh Road, Colaba, Bombay 400 039.
45, New Marine Lines, Bombay 400 020.
Glamour House, Strand Cinema Road,
Ballard Estate, Fort, Bombay 400 038.
46, Khotachi Wadi, Girgaum, Bombay 400 004.
11 Tulloch Road, Apollo Bunder, Bombay 400 039,
23/A, Sir Pherozeshah Mehta Road, Bombay 400 001.
25 Fulchand Niwas, Chowpatty, Bombay 400 007,
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The Chinese Room at Kemps Corner has been there for decades. Having gone through a minor facelift, it still serves the good old Sweet Corn Chicken Soup, American Chopsuey, Chilli Chicken and Mixed Fried Rice in its original style. Until a few years ago you could also see some of the very old staff welcoming you at this restaurant. In keeping with the trends, the menu has been modernized to reflect a wider variety of modern Chinese and 'Indo' Chinese vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes suited to the new Mumbaikar.
The other Kwality Restaurant owned by them at Worli, still exists in the same style, though it has gone through a minor face-lift. It is famous for delicious Mughlai cuisine. Other favourites include Chana Pindi and Dal Makhani.
The Copper Chimney at Worli needs no introduction. The long lines of patrons waiting for a table are a testimony in itself. They had maintained the same d�cor and ambience throughout, till the day they had to shift to a site a hundred meters away and hence had to undergo a change of d�cor. They consistently serve their wide-ranging North Indian menu with high standards. They are known for their Murg Makhani, Bhuna Ghosh, Chelo Kababs, and Pindi Chana. You cannot go wrong at this culinary landmark. They serve an exhaustive menu with confidence & pride. Their success has created a demand for the brand that is now being satisfied through additional locations in Northern Mumbai.
After having gone through a major fire and then a major facelift, Khyber still serves excellent North Indian cuisine. A definite 'must try' are its succulent kebabs.
A visit to the Society Restaurant at The Ambassador Hotel floods you with memories. Most of the d�cor has been maintained for decades. It has a mid-sixties aura with an abundance of heavy frilled curtains, chandeliers, lots of decorative plaster of Paris cornices that transport you into the colonial era. The food quality also, has largely stayed the same. Chicken � la Fernandes and Fried Fish with Tartar Sauce are my old time favorites. The Chateaubriand with B�arnaise Sauce served medium is delicious.
The Lido Room at the Ritz Hotel is another culinary masterpiece which has remained unchanged for decades. It serves excellent vegetarian and non vegetarian continental fare. A must-try are Pepper Steak or Roast Chicken au Jus.
Kamling, one of the more famous authentic Chinese eateries at Churchgate has remained totally unchanged through the onslaught of modern age cuisine and design. It has cherished the same d�cor, ambience and atmosphere for decades, which is sure to refresh your memories and take you back a long way.
The live band stopped playing long ago but the food and the familiar ambience still exists at the Gaylord. They continue to serve the same delicious Indian and Continental food that made them so famous. Whether you order Lobster Thermidore or Murg Makhanwala, they are as delectable. Don't be surprised if you still find an old-time staff member welcoming you into this restaurant.
Think of mouth watering Chicken Lollys and all you have to do is head for The Paradise Cafe at Colaba Causeway. They have gone through a minor facelift and are now fully air-conditioned, but still serve the same cuisine that they have been serving for decades. Their Chicken Rolls are to die for, the Mutton Cutlets outstanding, and they also serve different Parsi dishes from a fixed daily menu. So if you want to eat Dhansak, keep yourself free on a Wednesday afternoon. The years have not managed to change the staff nor have their smiles lessened, as they welcome you in.
Want a simple and tasty meal? Walk into Olympia, at Colaba Causeway, which has remained at heart - a lovely eatery. It still serves an excellent Kheema Pav for breakfast and Bheja Masala and Paratha for lunch and dinner. Please don't miss out on all its authentic Mughlai dishes that you can have for a very reasonable price.
Like Olympia, the Leopold Caf� has refused to change with time. Thank God for small mercies! It has maintained the same decor and roomy ambience and serves a wide range of different cuisines for that draws a lot of young students and foreign tourists. Next time you�re shopping on Causeway, try their Tandoori Chicken or the Club Sandwich. It will leave you pleasantly surprised.
Enter the Gourmet restaurant at the West End Hotel opposite the Bombay Hospital and you feel you have gone back into the sixties. The restaurant has maintained its style and d�cor. The ambience, white table cloths, silver cutlery, crisp napkins folded into Bishops Maitre all add to the flavor. The Gourmet still maintains its high standard of food quality and service. Today their � la carte menu consists of North Indian, Continental and a bit of Chinese Cuisine. Their cream soups are still served with a basket of very freshly baked bread and bread sticks; they also serve an excellent fried fish with tartar sauce.
The New Martin Restaurant in the old Strand Cinema lane is another eatery which seems to have existed forever in Bombay. It serves excellent Catholic Goan food. Right from the Pork Sorpotel, the Pork Vindaloo to a very different form of Mutton Cutlet, it's all there and lots more, for a very reasonable price.
Drive past Grand Hotel at Ballard Estate and you will see another landmark on your left - Britannia. The rooster at the cash counter is missing but the place takes you back into an age when food was romanced. You cannot leave Britannia without tasting their most delicious Berry Pulao. They serve a large variety of excellent Parsi dishes and their daily specials are still written on a black board.
Inconspicuous and tucked away in the bylanes of the old habitat in Girgaum, in the Khotachi Wadi, nestles a typical Goan-Malvani non-vegetarian eatery called Anant Ashram in its original form. The recipes handed down for generations at this eatery put together with the freshest of today's ingredients brings you the most delicious meals served in steel thalis at individual tables. This is a place to reach early in the evening to ensure you don�t come away hungry since only limited quantities of delicious food is prepared. You cant miss this one.
If you don't mind the discomfort of sitting cramped to enjoy an amazing culinary experience of Masala Chicken and Paya, head for Bagdadi, behind the Taj at Colaba, a simple age old eatery serving excellent, value for money meals for over decades, served through the day.
Mocambo Caf�, down P M Road has gone through a major change in d�cor and cuisine. However, they still continue to serve excellent Parsi cuisine as part of their lunch menu. A delightful variety of continental fare makes up the � la carte menu. Pastas, pizzas and sandwiches are served to suit the time bound office-going crowd. Should you have a little bit of precious extra time, please spend it on Mocambo�s caramel custard or their slice of gooey chocolate cake.
Cream Centre is an old time vegetarian paradise. It has gone through a major facelift but yet serves the best Chana Bhatura in town, and has a queue of people waiting outside to indulge in the Samosas and Potato Bhaji. And I am glad to note that this landmark has evolved with the times and added delicious vegetarian pastas and pizzas to its repertoire.
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