fashion street samosa

Fashion street is a long road side shopping which every mumbaikar has once walked and bargained to buy few tees. Ofcourse there is a khau galli across the cross maidan but a very recent entry into the fashion street is the samosa sellers. These are people carrying their stock in big boxes. Stop them anywhere and they are happy to serve. Mostly you will find them in the evening hours as their clients are gala owners and not the shoppers. You dont need to search for them as the samosa walas have divided their area of operations in a way that around three or four samosawalas cover the entire fashion street so youll see one guy with a big box after every ten or 20 shops.
You can either ask for the banake or plain. Bankein means the samosa is mashed and then ragda is put on it along with chutney sweet and spicy. Normally banakein mein you get only one samosa as the plate is full of ragda. But the taste is awesome...dont ask for extra spicy chuttney as it can be really spicy. The samosas are hot and fresh and tasty.

PS: Bankein plate is for Rs 15     

marathi food

There are many fancy places which serve in the name of authentic marathi food just food. Among the many there are two at dadar..Gypsy and Aaswad. Both the places are almost next to each other they serve the same kind of food with the only diffrence that Gypsy gives your larger portions then aaswad and charges more. There is not much diffrence in the taste. Located at shivaji park it attracts maximum number of marathi population around the area. Gypsy takes pride in opening a branch in Dubai also now.
What i hate about the two places is that they both have included south indian, chat and pav bhaji in their menu that puts of a foodie like me who wants to taste the speciality of the place. I would'nt go to a parsi joint and order chicken saguti...Similarly i dont want a person on the next table eating pav bhaji or sev puri.
If your there then call for wadi..thali peeth..then masale bhat...varan bhat with lime...pitla or simple vangi and bhakri..down it with karwas or if its summer then aam panna. That is what marathi food is.

PS: Gypsy is open all days and has a chinese resturant also where all the marathi actors who prefer staying in dadar then in parla dine.
Aaswad is shut on Monday as per Dadar culture..
Price for two person around 200.

tea centre of suburbs

IT can be passed out as the tea centre of the suburbs. Tossa the diner at Vile Parle east is a nice place. Though all veg it is a good place tyo visit. They term their food is mini meals and have diffrent cusines like gujrathi and north india. the portion is good and food tastefull. The place has ample parking and good seating area. Do try the kesar tea it is nice and kadak. The best time to visit is monsoons when you hear the sound of rains and sip on the tea and eat a nice mini meal.
I liked ambience much more than the food so..in this review am a bit influenced..

parsi..irani bakerys

Mumbai has lost its irani and parsi eateries but in this touf times one bakery which stands out is the Kayani bakery at Dhobi Talo..The bakery store cum restaurant is a place to visit and i make it a point to do so whenever i am around the place. The happy waiters make the eating much more pleasant. Must to try is their chicken pattice it melts in the mouth and ofcourse parsi omlette and parsi bhurji. The old school design of placing the menu card on the table below a glass is still the most fantastic idea for the patrons. The menu is so long that it is an A3 size menu card. Having everything from diffrent types of sandwiches to pastries.
For me the addiction is their pattice and one garam chai with a nice bun maska or good old mawa cake..they have choices of badam, walnut or plain...If there is time i try all three of them and keep repeating the chai. The best part of this bakery is the entrance where a rope is hanging and you have to hold it and climb the stairs to get inside the bakery..All the dickras and dickres do use the rope it gives a lot of pleasure. Don't miss the new signs of warning. (Use of laptop strictly prohibited. Please do not sit for long time after refreshment...BY ORDER)

PS: For the best rum soaked cake during Christmas do visit Yazdani bakery in Fort.

Badshah snack and juice centre

ITS an old custom of Mumbai which is now no more there but in olden days a newly married couple after their wedding reception was over would visit the Badshah juice centre or the Haji Ali Juice centre, where the groom and his friends would order for juice and the bride would sit inside the car and weep for the change of house.. (sorry i dont understand it). I know this sounds a century old custom but Badshah was established in 1905.
The pure veg joint is famous for its chaat i love the dahi bata puri...(a friend said to me start with it so that your ready to down the many more great stuff which come later) and since then i have been doing that. The second on the course is their pav bhaji its lovely..Then their burgers..Last if you think your done then dont forget to gulp the Badshahi falooda...It doesnt come in the glass but in a bowl and it takes a long time to finish...The visit to badshah makes you sleepy so do visit with that in mind and do eat as much as you can because going to crawford market does not happen daily. 

alibaugh in the rains

THE New destination for mumbaikar for second home is Alibaugh...It also one of the closest getaway destinations. A very calm and relaxing city. Its small bylanes and roads have many wonderful eating out places. Like the Mayur bakery is located in the main market ahead of the ST stand it is an all womens bakery meant for women empowerement..The bakery is huge unlike the ones in Mumbai. Its infact a big mansion which is converted in a bakery. Everything you get there is freshly made and sold immediately...literally hot cake. Its only veg but the veg pattice is very nice (sorry am a strict non veg when eating at bakery) cakes biscuits and the vaati cake (commonly know as mawa cake) are in egg and without. Try both.
Hotel Sanman, if your at alibaugh then you have to visit this small sea food joint once again in the main market of alibaugh. Here you get to eat Jitada, it a fish the owner said to me only available in Alibaugh as rest all is exported to foreign countries. The food is awesome here..call it by thali or ala-carte..I havent heard of anyone saying i did not like it...Place is closed on Thursday...

for the vegans pancham puri

MUMBAI eats its lunch on the go and to cater to this very idiotic life style there are eateries spread across the central business hub of fort area. One of that is Pancham Puriwala located on Bazaar gate street the small eatery which earlier did not even have seats and had put up tables where you can stand and eat the food is now renovated and has sufficient seating area.
The food is light and awesome, every saabzi goes well with either the normal puri or the masala puri. Down it with the lassi or chaas and a perfect lunch on the go is done your full and light at the same time. It is not a recommended place for those people who have preferences of where they are eating and ambience, if you want to enjoy its food at your office then it delivers for free in fort area. So go ahead call and do call for extra as it will be over in no time.
 My personal favorite is their kadi and masala puri to eat just like that...

PS: Its very reasonable 

good kheema paav

People still weep remembering the now closed down best kheema paav place in Mumbai the City Cafe, at Worli naka. Its been some years now when it was shut still there has not been a good place matching its standards but there are a few options where you get that soft and well cooked chooten (goat) ka kheema. One place is Olympia resturant at Colaba it serves only during breakfast hours. The only place to be open even during an attack or riots. reason being its next to the colaba police.
Other place is Good luck at mount mary, people can enjoy the kheema the entire day. Then Paramount at Mahim it also serves the entire day. There is one small hotel next to manish market which also gives good kheema.
What is to be looked in a good kheema is that it has to be soft well cooked and not many spices added to it. Ensure that you dont eat kheema everyday as it can ruin your system and most important dont forget to ask whether it is bade ka yaa choten ka...  

Jumjoji good for two

IT was an isolated lane years ago, i have won a cycling race on my BMX while zipping from this lane. But now with the starting up of hotel leelavati and MET the political educational institution the lane behind the ONGC staff quarters has a bee line of resto-pubs-cafes. Among them is one additions the ''Jumjoji''.

Its a small place looks to be like a garage space converted into a resturant. It serves Parsi food and the menu card reads as it will be served till Parsi last. The food is good for starters try the mutton kebab (its more of normal mince kebab without green chutney) and the chicken kebab is nothing but chicken seekh kebab. The servings are good for two. The menu has dishes dedicated to parsi peoples names like Pari Batliwalas chicken kebab etc.
For the drinkers there is only wine to be served white and red. The place does not have music very few tables and the place does not take reservation,. The service is slow the attendants kind of have a puzzled look but are hospitalbe people. The ambience is so so but the food on its very small menu is good and the portioons for two are good. If your not drinking then for two it will be below 1 k but with drinks and the number of taxes addded to drinks the bill can cross 2 k easily.

PS: If you want to have a quiet evening on weekdays then do visit on weekends there could be a waiting. 

chaa bar losses shine

CHAA bar is a quiet corner inside the Oxford book store at Churchgate, where many book readings also take place. The menu is one big heavy (in terms of weight) card. It also shows new additions but when you want to place an order the attendant says they are out of stock. This is what they told me when i curiously asked them about lasagna. I was pointed out that only three sandwiches were available and rest was not there. I had no option but to tell them you have to better your kitchen and service. The captain nodded and said yes will do that.
The bar was started few years later to starting the Oxford store, its a good place to sit and read or just simply have chai. The cutting glasses are held in monkey holders and it feels nice to sip it from it. The only putting off point is that the place does not have a wash room and its a strict no if you are going to only enjoy the chaa bar and not going there for books.
PS: Instead visit tea centre, or Magna at Kala Ghoda..

Indian resturant

IT has been a long while i went to the Indian Restaurant at Bori Mohalla in Bhendi Bazaar today while escorting a Oxford University professor who was interested in knowing and seeeing more about the old mumbai. I took him to the Indian and ordered a mutton sandwich for him. He quiet liked it and said this is good stuff.
The indian restaurant is where you get the awesome sandwiches and rolls. This is not the bread sandwich but its made of small naan (indian bread in a round shape) and cut in the middle and filled with a lot of chicken, mutton marinated in spices along with onion and lemon. The place is open up to late night and during ramzaan full night. along with the sandwich it also gives rolls be it egg,chicken and mutton. The prices are cheap and food is awesomely hygienic and tasty and you will not have any after eating problems like visiting the loo several times. Don't mind people who make the food in the open kitchen wearing lungis and vest and kids serving you the food plate.
How to reach Indian---Its in the Saifee Trust lane on Bhendi bazaar next to the famous Tawakal sweets. 

live ghazal and drinks at khar

Patrons of Golden Chariot outside the Domestic Aiport at Santacruz, who were used to live ghazals while sipping on their drinks can heave some relief. Page 3 previously Pindh Da Dhabba, outside the Khar railway station can be a place to visit. The seating area is not open but the ambience is good. The resto cum bar has two ghazal singers who entertain the audience with their on demand and on the list peshkash. The singers though lack the punch which lifts the mood during the drinking session as it used to be at the Golden Chariot.
People hear sit back and just relax with their drinks. The place Page 3 owned by one Tikku a fitness freak who has won several body building competetions and is soon to be seen in Sanjay Gupta's Shootout at Wadala.
The seating is comfortable and the food is awesome must try the prawns curry, it was nicely made and so was the Tandoori Kukkad. The restobar is divided in two parts one sidde serves liquor according to peg system where the live ghazal is the other side serves quarter system. The idea behind the place is to mostly serve as a place to watch cricket and football matches. As every section has big screen tv and it also offers group bookings with a seperate section for enjoying matches. The plus point of this place is the waiters dont hassle you and let you enjoy your drink and food.

For two persons the expenses with drinks (peg system) will be around 2k

If your a sandwich person and want to eat a good Masala toast then head straight to Sudhanand sandwich at Worli. Its in the lane next to the Old passport office. It is not a proper shop but just a small front table on which the guy sells his product. The masala toast has been his speciality for years. Not sure about the history of the place but am guessing that it would have been started to cater to the crowds who visited the Satyam Shivam Sunderam Theatre which has now been pulled down to give way to a corporate office.
The toast is best because the sabzi inside is good and the chatni is awesome and goes well with it. The original masala toast wala has now also moved into giving jain pizza and grilled sandwich but people like the toast and for me i always have two..One is not enouf. It used to be Rs 10 when i started eating it in 2000 but even after 12 years the prices have been the same and now its cost Rs 17. Not much by Mumbai standards.
PS: there is no seating arrangement as you would find with sandwich stall owners in Fort area, so do take your car or bike to keep the hot grilled bread on it.

chaat hunting in bandra

WHEN it comes to chaat eating in Bandra west people quickly respond with Elco Pani Puri, Karachi Sweets but if you look beyond these places there are a few local joints which are not popular among the visitors to bandra but a hit with the locals. Every corner of bandra has a nice chaatwala which allows residents of bandra not to crave about the two most famous joints but to overlook the praises showered on them.
If your on hill road then you can visit a small stall opp the jain temple off Hill road the place is run by a north indian with a huge pony from the centre of his head. In mumbai language its run by a bhaiyya. Earlier it was the only chaat shop in the area but now there is a competetior next to it but you will realise the quality diffrence even before eating as the crowd only visits this stall. How to reach---entre the lane adjoining the Vodafone store, go straight you reach jain temple, the stall is on the left.
At bazaar road, there is a chaat owner who runs his shop on a cart know as Gupta chaat wala. He houses his cart outside baba nagar. He has been putting up the stall since i was a child and that means it has been over 25 years now. The thing to try there is ragda pattice. How to reach---baba nagar is in the lane adjoining hotel Balaji on the hill road.
When your at Pali Hill in the evening there is an old chap who comes with his cart and parks it near the zig zag slope on pali hill. The man is old but he doles out a good chaat and the way you know it when you bite the puris..they are crisp and fresh.
So guys if you think of chaat the next time in Bandra to try the local ones. As Mumbai chaat is essentialy about more of kothambir and not layers and layers of sev... That goes well with Dhokla...  

paragliding in kamshet opens up local employment

OVER the years Kamshet has become a paragliding heaven and sport lovers from across the country come there to enjoy it. This steady flow of the small paragliding family has led to a local employment for the youths who did not want to plough their fields and were dis-interested in studies.

Paragliding as such is an eight month sport, excluding monsoons. There are three companies operating in the Kamshet who teach and give joy rides (Tandem Rides). The rides are from two mountains Shelar and Tower Hill. Around these mountains are small villages whose main occupation is rice farming. Youngsters instead of joining their family tradition are now opting for paragliding by becoming trainers and pilots.

Papu Shete (22) is a school dropout he has joined Indus Paragliding four years ago said I was not good at studies and always wanted to do something else. I used to see the people flying in the air and pilots giving joy rides to people. So I asked the owners of the company whether he would train me and fortunately he agreed and after completing the courses I am now a trained pilot and am permanently employed with the company.

The role of a pilot is not limited to giving joy rides he also is involved in teaching at the base camp. Pankaj another pilot cum trainer said We permanently stay at the base. The company for which we work takes care of us. What started as a curiosity for me has now become my profession.

There are more than 10 locals employed with the training schools and their salary ranges from Rs 7,000 to Rs 15,000 per month. Shete said Flying in the air teaches to be self-dependent and in control of the situation. It has helped me in life my income is usually spent on the family members who now lead a better life.

Not only have the pilots who are employed earn in Kamshet. School children from around the area also do by way of packing the glider’s in the bag for the descending para-gliders. The children get min Rs 20 for each glider they pack. On an average everyday there are at least 20 paragliders enjoying in the area.

Sanjay Penduskar, owner of Indus said Local youngsters have a lot of talent. The learners feel inspired after hearing their stories on how they learnt flying.

Shete who is keen on someday participating in para-gliding competitions held in Himachal Pradesh and abroad said As of now I don’t have the competition attitude/approach but I aspire to participate in the competition, soon.

visit the friends union joshi club

Many of us might be knowing about it as the place Friends Union Joshi Club has been in existence for several years and people who have visited Kalbadevi have surely eaten there once. FUJC is opp the lane leading to the Kalbadevi temple, housed on the first floor of a wada which nowdays is only used as a commercial premises.
Once inside the bhojnalay (eating hall) tables are already ready with thali plates, you sit and they start serving. The food comprises of simple three sabzi, papad, chaas (butter milk), chopped onions, kachumbar, pickle, unlimited rotis including my favorite bajra roti, then rice or khichdi and sweet and khari daal. At the end they also serve deserts which can be gulab jamun, rasgulla or any seasonal desert. I got aamras to eat ( its was hapus ras). The desert is charged extra.
FUJC is a nice clean and tidy place the food is light and well prepared and tasty. It is mostly aimed at the workers of the large business community in Kalbadevi who stay away from home for work and desire to eat homely food. Shoppers and first times like me who visit on recommendations are also seen post the lunch hour. The place is open from 11 am to 3 pm and 7 pm to 10 pm. FUJC is a place to visit if you want to eat good gujrathi thali with a good service team.