Foodie Tales-2

Here's the link to Part -1

Rajdhani @ Inorbit Mall, Malad: Before Rajdhani opened, my usual quota of Gujju food came from such restaurants as Golden Star, Thackers and Samrat. But there's something about the Rajdhani grub that makes me go back there everytime I'm in Bombay. The food is mind-bogglingly delicious. I haven't tasted better khandvi or savoured a more delicious kadi anywhere else. Why, even a drink as simple as buttermilk is much more refreshing than at other places. But what sets Rajdhani apart from its bretheren is its service. The service starts as soon as you've taken your seat and you aren't made to wait for multiple helpings for more than two minutes - no matter how crowded the eatery is. What makes it even more special is that the waiters genuinely want to feed you. More often than not, I have wolfed down an extra poori or gulped down that extra glass of buttermilk simply because the waiter insisted (I also suspect that, given my lanky built, they thought I was famished). And it is this deadly combination of brilliant service coupled with lipsmacking food which makes me want to go there each time I visit Bombay.


P.S. I hate to write this but Rajdhani seriously needs to improve the grub at their Delhi branches. I mean, why would I want to eat rajma and cabbage at a Gujju eatery?


Cafe Britannia @ Fort: It's a non-descript place tucked away in a small bylane of Bombay's Fort area but its a landmark nonetheless. But ask any food-loving Bombayite about Britannia and they'll have a story to narrate. You'll be told about the eccentric old man who used to keep a murgi on his table and how he'll decide what you'll eat if he takes your order. Nearby officegoers and college kids will swear by the vast quantities of its berry pulao and dhansaak. For a relative outsider like me, the charm of Britannia lies in not one but a combination of all these things. Nowhere in the heart of Delhi will you find a neat, clean, affordable cafe serving enormous amounts of food at affordable prices. Nowhere in Delhi will you hear of quirky stories about cafe owners. And you definitely won't read a menu card which begins with the words "there is no greater joy than the joy of eating!". It's a shame that in my countless visits to Bombay over twenty years, I went to eat at Britannia in March this year. Since I was alone, I couldn't each much; just had to make do with the dhansak. But during the August leg of my trip I wolfed down their signature dish, the berry pulao, and I must say it beat the dhansak hands down. Another addition to my list of favorite restaurants.


Shatranj Napoli @ Bandra: Back in the days when the 'burbs weren't as hip as they are today, Bandra used to be the place to hang out. And Shatranj Napoli one of the most popular eateries in the area. You could spot the odd film-star or page-3 type at an adjacent table or the usual filmy crowd hanging around Shatranj. But that's not how I remember the place. As a young boy, I used to relish their Paprika Chicken/Fish. Come to think of it, the dish is a complete no-brainer. Basically, its fingers of fish or chicken drowned in  a creamy mayonnaise sauce with a hint of red paprika to add some flavour. It's essentially an Indian dish marketed as a continental one. Nevertheless, it got Shatranj its patrons - until they found better alternatives.


Trishna@ Fort and now opposite the Fame Adlabs mall in Andheri: It is to Bombay what The Big Chill cafe is to Delhi. Ask any outsider or first time visitor to Bombay where they'd like to eat and Trishna will surely be one of the answers. Lonely Planet - that bible of all books for firang hitchhikers - recommends it I'm not surprised why. It's perhaps the only restaurant which does a pomfret tikka (and the softest one at that). Their Hyderabadi dal (whose provenance has been doubted by a certain Mr. Vir Sanghvi) is sure to blow your socks off. Made of three dals and topped with a dash of tadka it's the most delicious veggie dish I've eaten at a seafood restaurant. It's popularity can be gauged from the fact that it's opened outlets as far as London and that, on a given day, you'll find a horde of people waiting outside for a table. Once, a cousin and me went for dinner to the Fort branch (after reserving a table, thankfully) at 10 P.M. for dinner and by the time we got out 45 minutes later the crowd had swelled. And it was a weekday. So if you're visiting Trishna you know what to eat and what to do. 


P.S. In case you're going to the Andheri branch, do order the crab chettinad which is so much better than the oily, greasy and overrated butter pepper garlic crabs. Also, this one is much more comfortable and spacious than the original Fort branch.


Sheetal Samudra@ JVPD: Actually, this restaurant-cum-bar doesn't exist at JVPD any longer (although the original one at Khar is still there, I'm told). Story goes that a hotel is being built where this rather filmy eatery once stood. But, that doesn't stop me from reminiscing about the place. Long before, I started frequenting Trishna, Gajalee, Mahesh Lunch Home or any other seafood restaurant in Bombay, I got my first taste of crabs and Lobsters at Sheetal. Their Crab Chilly was the softest crab dish I've ever had and they did a neat Tandoori Lobster. But the one dish that made me go back there again and again was the Flat Prawns in Sichuan Sauce. Before you start tracing the dish's Chinese origins, let me tell you that this is completely Indian. Any self-respecting Chinaman would probably kill the inventor if he ever heard about its creation. Basically, a flat piece of prawn is drowned in a fiery chilly sauce and served piping hot at your table. You should, ideally, eat it with steamed rice but a few bravehearts I know at the dish as it is. That their tummies revolted the next morning is another matter but I guess you get the drift. However, it seems I can only reminisce about all of this. Unless of course, the proprietors decide to re-open it somewhere in Bombay.


That's it for now. Must go and edit SOP. There *might* be a part-3 too but I'm guessing you guys must be fed up of two posts already. So, I'll spare you the miseries for now.