One of the oldest Chinese place

EK Chicken Allaphus le aana aur dekho, Peter ko bolon jara chicken acchi tarah se banayen...This is Amol Palekar's dialogue in the film Choti Si Baat, when he is trying to impress his to be and playing with his opponent Asrani. The trio are sitting in the hotel called FLORA, located at Worli Sea face.
The place know for its Chinese for years, flora was in town even before the China's from mainland landed into mumbai from the china gate's.. the charm of the place lies in its attendants who are way past retirement age and walls having big dragons and Chinese lanterns on the ceiling, give the place an old world ambience's which is seldom to find now days, reason being the road side Chinese culture flourishing in Mumbai.
Yesterday me and my college friend visited Flora after almost a year and nothing has changed still it is the same--people, decor chairs, tables and even the table cloth color, no drinks served outside but only in the permit room its a place stuck in time.
But the food is awesome not spicy like the road side not high on artificial flavors and huge huge quantity...We ordered for a man chow soup one by two and each got one bowl full of soup. After that we did not dare to order for starters directly moved to main course and one triple rice was more than sufficient for the two. If we hadn't been hungry it would have to be left. The price is a bit high for the food we got a bill of Rs 900 for that much of food.
however, if you want good Chinese food and lot of breathing space while eating go early as they shut by 11.30 and stuff yourself.       

The Cafe which calls itself Yellow tree

IF you want to enjoy a quiet tic tac with the special one or its a gathering of old friends and want to see all are seated comfortably and the attendant is not over enthu or keen on hushing you out then this Pali Hill joint which has a great ambience's always welcoming with the correct amount of lights is the place to visit.
The Yellow Tree cafe is opp the zig zag hill in Bandra. The small but two storey cafe is divided into one the bar and outdoor section on the ground with a fine dinning area on the first and lounge on the second floor. I have been to the first floor always and sitting by the window seeing the super luxury cars pass by is always a good feeling. The food served is Italian and continental but the portions are good and so is the quality. I will recommend the entire menu as most of the things i have eaten were superb my group birthdays and get together mostly happen here so we are very comfortable going to Yellow tree.
The Ambience is good recently i recommended the place to my friend who visited with his wife on a birthday occasion and he completely liked the place. No regrets and he has promised me that he will also post his experience in the comment collum. Regarding the price it is slightly expensive but all the hotels in pali area are like that. Be it MIA cucino, 5 spice or soul fry.  

Lunch under the tree

IT a hot sunny day its the state cabinet meeting on at the Vidhan Bhavan and people are rushing to and from it the atmosphere around is of tension and work work work. In between all this sits Mrs Sawant aka Mausi under a tree on the road leading to Vidhan Bhavan opposite the main Mantralay gate spreading his bag containing home made food.
I was introduced to it by an acquaintance who is a regular for non veg food. I generally avoid non veg food at first time places i visit and from local eateries. So i ordered for veg food and i got one bowl of sprout, meethi bhaji, some chana masala (not spicy) and to go with it Nachni (millet) Bhakri (bread). The food is simple to the stomach yet filling, i eat only one and a half piece of the bhakri and was full did not take rice. The food is not spicy or doesn't smell of bad oil its purely home made good food. Served through mother type looking Mrs Sawant who is happy to serve and also earn her livelihood.
This concept of kutubh sakhi, which is self impowerement of women is a concept prevalent in Indian mostly in Maharashtra where women cook at their homes and supply outside. This has worked well and many women have put up stalls during lunch hours to serve people visiting government offices, missing their home dabbas in office. The food is cheap starts with rs 30 a plate and maximum would be Rs 50 per person.

PS: No place to sit either eat standing or sit on the footpath. 

Eid special----sheer khurma

FINALLY the 30 days of fasting is over and the celebrations begin. If Muslims love their food then how can eid be without a eid special item. It has to be rich with a lot of dry fruits and substitute to food. So it is sheer khurma. It is simply saying favoured milk. But the making is an effort. Over the years my grandfather who pioneered the making of the sheer khurma has passed it on to my mother and aunt. I still remember how he used to teach them how many almonds, sew and other ingredients to be put and how should they be cut.
For us luckily it has be perfected by my mom and aunt and still the same taste and favour is there.
Sheer Khruma is not easy to make at my home the ingredients are collected couple of days in advance, then very rich quality milk is called for. The milk is cooked until it gets golden and then the add ons are put. Then keep cooking for an hour or so on low flame. The chances of the milk going bad are high if it is of poor quality so insist on good quality milk. nowadays that's available only in tetra packs. Once its ready, serve it hot with a lot of sev in it.
Before the biryani is rolled out...

Eid Mubarak

Ramadan for me

THE essence of the holy month is to imbibe discipline, rebuilding the faith in Islam and a way of teaching to learn self-discipline with which a lot can be achieved. It also signifies that one should not forget prayers and Allah in the daily chores. It’s Ramadan the holy month in Islamic calendar.

Over the years, i have come to understand that Ramadan may be all those things mentioned in the para 1, for everyone, but for me it’s more of being with my family and brothers. It’s during the iftaar that all four brothers sit together and break our fast and share the meals, which on any other given day is never possible. This sharing not only brings us close but is a way to build that strong bond which keeps us going all during the year without talking regularly.

During those 30 minutes of during and before iftaar, the coming together is very important for all of us. We our pursuing different professions but returning back home we don't forget to get some food to be eaten during iftaar. The bottom line while purchasing is not about thinking of what i want to eat but what my brothers would like to eat. Prices soaring of eatables and other products which other times would have been a factor never thought of.  The aim is to please others and in a way to seek blessings from them.

Ramadan Mubarak

Convenient Kurla

It never struck me that Kurla the warehouse of Mumbai will also have such good eating places and as a taster i was introduced to it last night. It was my badi raat where you are up the entire night and pray. Accordingly that was done and for seehre my younger brother said we should go to kurla to get the food.At 3.30 am we drove through empty roads of BKC to reach kalpana talkies.
To my surprise the area was buzzing with people at that hour, cars, bikes and people. It was like a small Mela. The resto, Sahara, deluxe, Delhi zaika, seek paratha wala behind kalpana talkies, jafraan, have put up huge stalls on the road and have two to three malpua makers sitting with their big fry pans.
My brother said we should try the rajdhani malpua, it is a huge malpua filled with dry fruits and gulp it down with fresh malai..Then was the turn of kheema and surprisingly the mince was soft, well cooked and not too oily. The chai latter on made a perfect seehree, but the USP of the place is that its convenient and all are welcomed. Unlike, Jogeshwari where reservations to the fairer sex can be made out..
The seek kebab joint behind kalpana i am told is very famous and does a lot of business even in non Ramadan days, when i tried it the kebab was really soft and made for a good combination with the paratha. Take a parcel as the place is not that great to sit and enjoy the food. Their chutney is also a good supporter. For me instead of spending an hour to reach Mohammad ali road from bandra, this is a new viable option which i will keep on exploring...
Don't forget to try the lucknowi firni from the place which calls itself the original lucknowi cuisine

Ramadan Mubarak

shalimar the old horse going strong

At the junction of bhendi bazaar and dongri lies the huge landmark of Muslim ghetto Hotel Shalimar. The huge premise of the hotel can serve around 600 people at a time. It is a place where everyone non Muslims visit and say they have eaten at Mohammad Ali road.
The long halls a huge pool with sharks and cat fish is an attraction for the children and patrons. The fast food joint is a super hit with its shorma the pick of it and so are the pizzas. The most tasted is their ice cream falooda which people just go and drink. Inside the hotel don't forget to try the non veg platter and butter chicken, it their speciality. Ask for chicken dishes in Chinese ask for chicken chilly with gravy. The biryani is nice and during ramdan dont forget to try the kullad rabdi...slurp slurp...its the best...rest of the food is routine and not out of the ordinary. But the ambiance and the feel of large Muslim families, turning up to eat together is a nice feeling. 

Ramadan Mubarak

CNG (Chinese and Grill)

This is one resto at Mohammedali road which started as a purely Chinese place to provide an alternative to the tasters who were high on the mutton and chicken dishes served in the lane. It was rarely visited during the old days when the tasters and the audience liked to hog more on the original Indian delicacies like, bhuna ghosh, brain masala, gurda etc. But with the dwindling tasters of good food and people with less appetitte and ability to digest rich food the place has seen a lot of crowd.
I personally don't like it, the tacky name C&G which means Chinese and Grill Puts me off. One thing good though which has started few years ago is that it serves nali nihari, haleem which is really worth the try. The place has encroached a lot of space and thus leaving the poor local women selling sandan (rice pudding) at the very far end of the khau galli.
The service is slow but the Chinese food is good and it also serves sizzlers which is again a put off at least during the holy month. But wannabe crowd does try it and families do visit the family section to enjoy the delicacies. If your really not satisfied with the raste ka food and have reservations about it but still want to boast of visiting Mohammedali road, then hop into c&g.

Ramadan Mubarak 

chudi bazaar

This is not related to food but its is with Ramadan and one cannot forget it. The famous chudi bazaar at bhendi bazaar is a place to be if one wants to get the best and the largest variety of glass bangles. The lane opp shalimar hotel which is normally bustling with footwear and other personal accessories stalls changes into the famous Mumbai chudi bazaar.
I had always seen it while passing through it but only when a friend insisted that she wanted to buy chudis and that also from there we had visited the place. This has been some years now. A week before when i passed from there it still is the same. Almost 20 stalls selling glass bangles with a lot of lighting on the stalls to attract customers. The crowd here is not that heavy during fasting days but when it comes to the night before eid and the crowds throng the roads for eid shopping this small lane is filled with women wanting to buy the latest and different combination bangles. The look of the bazaar is so bright that one might feel its still day time but it actually is not. So if you want to impress your wife/gf/friend with bangles then do visit the bazaar for the large variety...Don't forget to bargain..

Ramadan Mubarak

the fighting brothers of bandra who serve delicious food

EVERYONE in bandra knows where 'Jeff caterers' is..Junction of chapel, varoda and station road. The shop is small now next to a medical and run by a lady. Next to it is Lucky caterers run by the brother in law of the lady running Jeff.
Earlier it used to be called as only one Jeff and the one big shop now two used to curl out delicious dishes. However, nothing has changed except that the customers have been divided but business for gods grace is available to both of them. During Ramadan the shops have lovely things on offer. Try the red potatoes from lucky, the Russian cutlets, mince patties. While look for lollipops, chicken rolls and ragda Channa from Jeff. The servings are good and most important is the food is cooked stored and sold in hygienic conditions. Oh and don't forget to try the small samosa from both the places its worth the try.
For us the daily dose from these two places is required. Among the many changing items we bring daily from there the red potatoes is permanent. Earlier when i used to throw out a traditional wear, eid party for my friends this was a great supporter with the biryani. Oh those days have gone the meetings and people have moved far away but the food remains and my taste.
Over the years the price has risen and now with rs 300 in hand we can get only few things but its worth it.

Ramadan Mubarak