B. Merwaan and Co., Grant Road, Mumbai

The Iranis are the "other" Zoroastrians who have made Mumbai their home along with the Parsis. The Parsis visibly have a greater share of the Mumbaiya wallet, mindshare and the history of the city but the Irani's do have a greater share of the citys facade with numerous corner shop Irani cafe's. The number of cafe's may be dwindling ( a result of rising real estate and business feasibility) and the set ups may mostly be in town rather than suburbs, but the Irani cafe will always be inextricable linked to the Mumbaikar's day to day life and the city's truly cosmopolitan character.
The most obvious reason to like Irani Cafe's, is obviously the food, for the non cholesterol conscious the Brun Maska alone is a reason to preserve such café’s as world heritage sites, add the mawa cakes, samosas, the vegetarian patties and the wondrous egg preparations and we are basically talking wonders of the gastronomical world. The main reason I like the café’s is its dedication to serve the wallets of the common man and the intention to keep the margins wafer thin so that the common Mumbaikar can retain his favorite haunt. Rising real estate prices is obviously the major modern obstacle to the business model and I hope that more café’s can do what Merwaan B. is trying to do and double us as a Kirana store to sustain a long cherished and much lover business. Which brings us to another interesting thought as to how the café’s started in the first place as the prices were always cheaper even on a comparative basis? The answer lies in simple economics, demand and supply. In the Mumbai of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, corner plots were considered unlucky for business by the Gujarati and the Sindhi. The entrepreneurial Irani stepped in and created the ubiquitous corner Irani café to make a living and give Mumbai its unmistakable cosmopolitan character. Unfortunately for the sustainability of the café’s and in an ironical tribute to the Irani’s entrepreneurial competence such false notions no longer exist.
B. Merwaan and Co. has been around since 1914 and has been supplying countless sumptuous meals to weary travelers entering and exiting Grant road station. I was introduced to the café by my cousin Shirsha Guha Thakurta and her friends Delnaaz and Mithun. The three of them, specially Shirsha are responsible for one of the tastiest and definitely one of the largest and filling breakfasts I have had in the city of Mumbai.
The breakfast we had started with a round of vegetable patties, the vegetable patties were filled with primarily carrots and it almost stuns me even when I write that I rate the patty better than any patty that I have tasted in Kolkata’s Nahoum or Flurys. The vegetable patty was followed up by Brun Maska which is nothing but hot Pav with oodles of butter. I have had well buttered pavs and bread earlier but for sheer decadence bordering on obscenity nothing beats the amount of butter on an authentic Brun Maska. Delnaaz, who accompanied us for the meal is the daughter of the proprietor and I think they were being slightly over generous in an effort to impress the bosses daughter, but the description still stands as we were reduced to scraping some of the butter off the pav using knives in an effort to commit lesser sin.
The follow up to the Brun Maska were the Mawa Cakes and the Mawa Samosas, the taste is difficult to describe but I loved them more than any Mawa sweet I have ever had before. The cakes and samosas were just the right temperature to aid the melting of the morsel as it enters your mouth and the sweetness of the Mawa was beyond perfect. This was followed by a double egg half fry with some more brun maska, there was about as much butter on the egg as on the pav. We literally had to beg the mind and the stomach to ask the tongue to stop ordering for more goodies and rounded off the marathon err…. meal with some authentic Irani tea, milky and just with the right amount of kick. A truly brilliant breakfast but with a major downside, driving home after a meal like that can be a real pain! A side note: The mawa cakes and samosas are made at 5:30 AM, so if you go after 7:00 and are even lucky enough to get a few before they are all devoured, they will taste only half as good as they taste when they are really fresh. I agree good food can sometimes be a “labour” of love, but then there is no greater love than the love of eating!
A meal for two at B. Merwaan and Co. will cost you approximately Rs 80/- even if you really gorge.
How to get there: B. Merwaan and Co. is bang outside the East gate of Grant Road station. There is no way you can miss it as it is right opposite the main exit.

Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar, Marine Lines

Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar is indisputably one of the best Biriyani offerings the maximum city has to offer. The fare from Jaffer Bhai is a slap in the face to all those (a few years ago myself included) who think that Mumbai does not have good Biriyani. I believe Biriyani should be the national dish of the country as while the essential ingredients - rice, saffron, meat, (substitute cauliflower for my vegetarian friends :p) remain the same, the subtle variations and innovations that each region of the country brings make the Biriyani their very own and in most cases their favourite preparations. As Indians we celebrate unity in diversity and we are proud of our Indianness, we also celebrate our Biriyani, the Indian Biriyani although the Dindigul and the Lucknowi preparations are as different as a Brahmin from Trichy, is to a Nawab from Lucknow. Jaffer Bhai's - who call themselves the Biriyani kings of Mumbai, offer a really sumptuous Mumbaiya Biriyani.
The decor is one of the most well done up you would find in a non fine dining Mughlai restaurant in Mumbai, the seating is comfortable and the A/C works fine. The service is also very well-meaning if not very efficient. The last time we were at Jaffer Bhai's we ordered, Paaya (they had mentioned in the menu that it was Mumbais best), Chicken Neza Kebab, Garlic Naan, Mutton Korma and the Mutton Biriyani. All were fantastic preparations and memorable apart from the Mutton Korma which was good without being exceptional. The Paaya at Jaffer Bhai is not a soup, my aborted attempt to have it like one resulted in a bit of a choke with the spice being a bit much to be had like a soup. It however went very well with the Garlic Naan and would be outstanding with a Rumali, the mutton stock is just outstanding as are the Paayas or the hooves, extremely tender and very delicious. The Chicken Neza Kebab had a strong flavour of Ajwain in it and the spice gave a completely different flavour to the preparation, it worked very well with the chicken and was fantastic to taste. The Biriyani was typically Mumbai, if you look at it thinking that it is different from Kolkata, Lucknow, Hyderabad you will be right, but guess what it was incredibly tasty and I thought it took the best out of the Lucknow and Kolkata versions and added a bit of oil and spice to add the chutzpah that made it Mumbai's very own Biriyani. Long Live India and Long Live Biriyani! Jaffer Bhai also has a section on the menu called the Arab menu which I have to sample on my next visit there. I really did not have space to try a morsel more on my last visit!
A meal for two at Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 600/-
How to get there: Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar is on 1st Marine Street, opposite Metro Gol Masjid. The Masjid is a pretty decent landmark, I drove there the most simple way to get there would be to drive North on the road beside Churchgate Station. Just drive past the railway tracks and look left. You should be able to spot the Gol Masjid bang on the middle of the road on one of the rights near Marine Lines. Jaffer Bhai's is right next to the masjid.

Howrah, Crawford Market, Mumbai

Howrah is the Bengali restaurant of the New Bengal Hotel near Crawford Market. The restaurant and the hotel are one of the oldest Bengali joints in Mumbai. The objective is to recreate a corner of Mumbai that is the city of joy. The effort works to a large extent. The signboard is half English and half Bengali. I do not know about you but being a "Probashi Bangali" the heart particularly warms to the sight of the script and specially when it has to do with food.

The decor is typically Old Calcutta. Largish, oldish sofas suffice as seats. The feel is very similar to what you get in a slightly upmarket Calcutta outlet. The light is dim and not too bright, the A/C slightly on the chillier side. The walls are adorned with pictures of Calcutta of yore, as is the menu card. There are some really nice pictures of Howrah bridge and what was there before the present day structure existed. The waiters are well dressed in black uniforms but are delightfully not the most effective. The day we went the patrons were also reminiscent of old Kolkata, Bengali families of all shapes and sizes as well as one quintessential Bihari/ Marwari family. Howrah of all the restaurants in Mumbai was the most successful in transporting me back to Kolkata.

Maybe we went on a particularly bad day but the food in Howrah was surprisingly devoid of salt (or maybe that is how they serve their food and customers are expected to use the salt at the table). We had Daab Chingri (Prawns served in a White Coconut curry and served from inside the coconut shell), and Murgir Jhol (Chichen Curry). As I had mentioned, both the dishes were short on the salt and were disappointing. The chicken curry was also boneless, which I guess is hygienic but not the style that should be served in a Bengali restaurant. The menu however was one of the most varied I have seen in a Bengali restaurant and maybe they will not forget the salt the day you plan to visit. I was also not at my hungriest best and hence did not go for the interesting meal option that Howrah serves replete with Luchi, Chholar Daal, Rui Maach, and Mangsho or Chingri as per choice. The portions are limited but I am hopeful that the fare should be good. The highlight of the meal that we had was the sweet dish - we ordered a plate of Chhanar payesh, (smalll rasagullas in kheer). Completely authentic and very very delicious!
A meal for two at Howrah without drinks would cost you approximately Rs 700/-

How to get there: Howrah is the restaurant of the New Bengal Hotel, near Crawford market. From VT you have to drive towards Crawford market. Howrah will fall before the Crawford market alongside the J J Flyover on the right. It is slightly difficult to locate from the road. The more visible signage is that of Zaafraan which is the other Mughlai/ Chinese restaurant of the hotel.

China Garden, Kemps Corner

China Garden or CG-83 - the name that it goes by is a restaurant by Nelson Wang, probably the father of Chinese cuisine in India and is known to be one of the best restaurants serving Chinese food in South East Asia. The restaurant obviously came with a reputation and we were not disappointed.
The restaurant obviously is fully aware of the quality of the cuisine and has attitude and an unusual rule preventing kids from being allowed in during dinner time. This I suppose is done so that guests can have dinner without any disturbance. However on the day that we had gone the objective was destroyed by a huge gang of overgrown kids having a birthday party and causing most of the guests a noisy distraction. The decor of the restaurant is very red and very Chinese. There are Chinese dolls and statues all around the restaurant. Another innovation is the bar near the waiting area where you can wait till you get seated. I forgot to mention that reservations are a must if you want to go to the restaurant. One has to usually wait in spite of having a reservation already.
The food was of the highest quality that I have seen in a Chinese restaurant. By quality I mean there is no riff-raff, the pieces of chicken even in the soup were proper pieces. Quality is something that the restaurant prides itself on and the same was clearly apparent. Two dishes were particularly fantastic among what we sampled.
1. The Coriander Soup - The soup was spicy without being hot. It could be the ultimate offering if anyone has a slightly dodgy throat and is very tasty.
2. The Stir Fry Chicken starter - One of the tastiest dishes that I have ever had. Brilliant ! The same is not on the menu so you have to ask the Captain. We ordered the same on the Captains recommendation.
A meal for two at China Garden without drinks will cost you Rs 2000/-.
How to get there: China Garden is at Kemps Corner. If you coming from the suburbs. Do not take the fly over at Kemps Corner and take a right at the crossing. On crossing the signal you have to take the first left which you see is quite a steep uphill road. China Garden is on the left on the uphill road.

Lings Pavillion, Colaba

Lings Pavillion in Colaba will stay in my mind for its Chimney Soup. The Chimney Soup which is essentially a large bowl of soup having almost everything you can think of, from chicken to sea food to sea weed!... They will avoid beef if you instruct them. They will also tether on refusing to serve you anything more before just yielding. It may be a marketing strategy but it does work!This post is however not about the Chimney soup. The first para was an outcome of the association with Ling's and the uniqueness of the Chimney soup. Last time I was at Ling's I was not my usual regimental Chinese self but ventured out to try the set meals that Ling's has on the last page. After a round of regular wanton soups which were slightly on the salty side, we sampled the assorted meat stew - which was a real revelation. The assorted meat stew is a mild white gravy with lots of meat and vegetable pieces served over a bed of white rice. There is a pretty large ginger influence and the gravy tastes really nice. The highlight though is the perfection on the rice which is somehow soaked just right with the sauce. The dish was certainly a highlight and I will be definitely turning back to the set meals section, the next time I go to Lings pavillion.

The other aspect of my visit which I will always remember was the mode of communication between the manager and the waiters during our visit. When we asked the manager if there was seating available, he did not speak to the waiters, neither did he use hand signals. He "clucked" and that is not a misprint. He got a cluck right back and the waiters led us to our table on the mezzanine floor. Overall Ling's definitely is a must-go if you are in Colaba side for Chinese food. The joint is comfortable and reasonably classy. They have a ground and mezzanine floor. You will also notice the slightly odd ceiling decor. There is an attempt to recreate the heavens with a moon and lots of stars. I don't think it works but I guess nothing is perfect.

How to get there: Lings Pavillion is in Colaba. Take a left from Cafe Mondegar towards the gateway. Lings Pavillion will fall on your right just as you take the left towards gateway.

A meal for two without drinks at Ling's Pavillion will cost you approximately Rs 500/-

City Kitchen, Colaba, Mumbai

I had first heard of City kitchen in an episode of the foodie (on Times Now) and the episode had focused on Mumbai food. City Kitchen was one of the first outlets highlighted and was said to be the place for the most authentic Goan cuisine in Mumbai.
Unfortunately closed on Sundays, and the fact that it is located in Ballard Estate makes a visit to City Kitchen require some planning but as I found out the planning is worth its while especially for lovers of Goan food.

The decor is very sparse, at the entrance is the counter where the owner sits and there are approximately 8 small tables each seating 4 people. The place is decently clean but has the feel of a low end restaurant and is not the place you would want to have a romantic dinner, fortunately however, they pass a bit of the save to the customer :P.

Now about the food. Undoubtedly the highlight has to be the Goan Pork suasages which are always good anyway. At City Kitchen they cook it exactly the way I like it, with the sweet, the spice and the vinegar combining well and most importantly, with a decent quantity of potatoes which i feel adds a lot to Goan sausages. The pork pieces are chunky and quite substantial. The dishes are served with Pao which is kept at the centre of the table. They did not seem to have or offer rice portions although to be fair we did not really ask.

We also had Pork Chilli fry which was great and the Prawns Chill Fry which was a big disappointment and smelled slightly. We rounded off the meal with the obvious order in a Goan restaurant, the Pork Vindaloo which did not disappoint and made up for the Prawns Chilll Fry. There has to be something to do with pigs and Goans, I really think the Goans, atleast within India understand how to best cook pork (atleast whatever little I have tasted)... Overall an excellent meal and I would rate this above Goa Portuguesa as THE place in Mumbai to sample some Vindaloo and Pork sausages and bring back memories of Baga beach and Brittos... Sigh!

A meal for two at City Kitchen will cost you around Rs 300/-, that is if you hog. If you eat right you can get a great meal for 2 for Rs 200/-

How to get there: City Kitchen is just before entering Ballard Estate. Take the left past CST and drive towards Ballard Estate. Take the right just after crossing the post office. City kitchen will be to your left quite a bit down the road after around 4 lanes. A tip - Chances are you will find it difficult to reach and need to ask people. Do not ask passersby, you will find it easier to ask a regular shopkeeper or a generous restaurant owner.

Khyber, Kala Ghoda

Sometimes its just pre ordained. It is only when the subject of pre-ordination (if such a word exists) is a restaurant that does not need to advertise, even through a decently visible frontage that it is located there, do you know that you are going in for something really special. Dinner on the night of my 4th anniversary was just that - a very very special dinner for two at Khyber, Kala Ghoda.

We left home on the 18th with our minds divided between Cellini at Grand Hyatt Kalina, and Urban Tadka at R City Mall. Unable to choose between the two we just decided to drop both and go for a drive and hit the eastern express highway towards town. After dilly dallying options at Colaba driven more by the thought of dessert at Theobroma, finding out that the revolving restarant at The Ambassador was still under renovation, we finally settled for Khyber (highly recommended by the Mumbai Times Guide) and we drove towards Kala Ghoda. Khyber is actually so non conspicuous that we actually asked the cabs parked right outside the restaurant where it was located - little did we understand then that the quality of food made it a landmark in itself.

Khyber has the complete feel of a swanky South Mumbai restaurant, marble flooring, wooden panels, wall paintings depicting North West frontier scenes. The restaurant has multiple sections and we were given a table for two on the first floor which had a whole host of Anjolie Ela Menon wall frescoes which gave a nice "cave"y ambiance. We went through the menu, and took the waiters advice to we ordered the chicken and lamb kebab platter, a plate of kali daal and roomali rotis.

The kebab platter contained Tangdi Kebab, Chicken Reshmi Kebab, Mutton Sheekh Kebab, Chicken Lasooni Kebab and Mutton Chops. The four kebabs were indeed very good but you get a similar quality at Peshawari and a few other places. What blew me out of my mind were the mutton chops which are marinated overnight and are cooked in a red onion gravy. The gravy is out of this world and is not in the least bit hot. The Khyber mutton chops rate right up there with the best mutton preparations i have ever had in the same league as Boti Kebabs at Kareems, Delhi and Gilawati at Tundays, Lucknow.

We had our fill and barely managed to finish the platter aided definitely by the wondrous taste. We were so full that we gave up any thoughts of dessert and returned with a very satisfying and very tasty anniversary dinner.

How to get there: Khyber is bang on Kala Ghoda. Be prepared to ask a taxi driver where it is and be embarrassed when he points at the door in front of you.

A dinner for 2 at Khyber without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 1500/-