Go time travelling with these long-standing eateries
The Constitution of India completes 66 years this Republic Day and it was in Mumbai that it took shape as Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar put it together at The Wayside Inn restaurant at Kala Ghoda.Started in 1926 by an English woman, the place was later taken over by the Patel family who run it for three generations now. From an English menu well-known for its fish and chips, the cuisine diversified into serving Parsi and South-East Asian food in the original structure. What now stands as The Wayside Inn, is a small detached structure more like a take-away counter selling cutlets, burgers, patties and cakes with the stock exhausting fast since the food is fresh and tasty. There are many such Mumbai eateries entwined in history which have withstood the test of time and have expanded their business while still serving the original cuisine that they had started with. What’s more? Most of them are still easy on the pocket, while retaining the taste.
Joshi budhakaka mahim halwawala, mahim and dadar t.t.
Must try: Mahim halwa
Run by the seventh generation now, the original owner Girdhar Mavji after migrating from Gujarat started going door-to-door selling homemade farsan. His interest in cooking led him to make mithais and one such was the paper-thin halwa which was named Mahim Halwa after him. Along with the original place, they now have a branch in Dadar, selling the sweet along with a variety of barfis -mango, butterscotch, blackcurrant and ice halwa.
American express bakery, byculla bandra
Must try: Chicken Mutton pattice
Founded by Francesco Carvalho, it was first located in Grant Road and then moved on to Byculla and Bandra. Once known as the bread suppliers of Mumbai, the bakery has since diversified into serving an assortment of tarts, sandwiches, pattice and pastries. They now also offer healthy snacks like the multigrain bread, whole-wheat crackers and oat cookies, etc.
Pancham puriwala, fort
Must try: Puri bhaji, Lassi
Situated right outside the Victoria Terminus (now CST), Pancham Puriwala has been around even before the first train arrived here. Started by Panchamdas Sharma, who s arrived from Agra, it was initially a tiny joint selling piping hot puris with aloo bhaji, which later expanded into this restaurant serving a variety of puris with the masala puri -stuffed with spicy lentils -being the most popular. The restaurant is now managed by the sixth generation. The place is also popular for the pumpkin sabzi, chole, kesar lassi and gulab lassi.
Mama kane, dadar west
Must try: Vada pav, Kokam sherbet
Situated near Dadar station on the western side, this still stands as a no-frills eatery serving Maharashtrian snacks. The must tries are kothambirwadi, thalipeeth, misal pav, vada pav, poori bhaji, batata vada and the list goes on.The other popular items include the kokam sherbet and the farali dishes for those who want fasting food.
Leopold cafe, colaba
Must try: Burgers, Fish chilli fry
Founded in 1871, the place has become a landmark amongst locals and foreign tourists who come here for the variety of cocktails and mocktails as well as for the Indian and international dishes and desserts. The mixed clientele adds to the ambience and the warm interiors of this restaurant which has a European feel to it.
Britannia co., ballard estate
Must try: Caramel custard, Berry pulao
Slightly heavy on the pocket as compared to the other Parsi joints around, this place justifies the cost with the food that they serve. The berry pulao in vegetarian, chicken or mutton varieties or the typical Parsi mutton delicacy -sali boti or the chicken mutton cutlets, nothing seems to have changed over time. For desserts, don’t miss the caramel custard which is perfect.
Ram ashray, matunga
Must try: Pongal, Sweet buns
Matunga is buzzing with South Indian eateries but this place stands out for it’s variety of dosas, goli bajje, bisi belle bhath, sheeras and filter coffee. Sundays are special for the pongal- avial combination while for the daily breakfast, don’t miss the special sweet Manglorean bun with a cup of tea or coffee.
Mani’s lunch home, matunga
Must try: Idli, Dosa with unlimited sambar and chutney
Right from snacks to full meals, the place is buzzing at all times.The wait is worth it once you bite into the soft idlis with unlimited sambar and chutney, neer dosa served with tomato chutney or the upma-sheera combo.This eatery now has two branches -one in Matunga and the other one in Sion.
Ddamodar mithaiwala, khodadad circle, dadar t.t.
Must try: Khandvi, Sutarfeni
Started by a family that sold milk and milk-based sweets when they first opened, this place has since diversified into serving sweet and savoury snacks. Apart from the traditional Indian sweets, they also have a wide range of Bengali and Parsi sweets, and also for the diabetic and calorie-conscious too.
