Breakfree Journeys’ Food & History Walk around Fort Bombay

The sun has begun to inch towards the horizon. The golden hour has begun. A small group of hungry individuals gather outside the new glass building of Churchgate station. They are here for Breakfree’s first Food walk around Fort. The walk is not just about food, but it is also about the Story of Bombay. A story of the islands, the fort, the structures, the people and of course, the food.

We begin our walk on the erstwhile Churchgate Street, now known as Veer Nariman marg. Walking on the reclaimed territory, we stop at K. Rustom & Co to devour the myriad flavours of ice cream served between two wafer biscuits. An ice cream sandwich found nowhere else in Bombay and an integral part of many childhood memories. The number of flavors on offer are overwhelming. Our favourites include Toffee Crunch and Rum & Raising.

Munching and slurping we walk down towards the sea to but this time not to admire the sunset or the sea. We turn around to look at the array of Art Deco structures facing us.

I point out the defining characteristics of these buildings, the story of reclamation and the rise of Malabar Hill. As photos are taken, we start moving back towards the station. Avoiding the newer places, we halt at Stadium Restaurant. An unassuming place, with stark interiors, glass covered tables (with the menu tucked in between) and wooden chairs. Here the choice is simple. Kheema Pav. Minced mutton cooked in some delectable spices eaten with fluffy pav. But Stadium has three varieties to offer. Ghotala (kheema mixed with eggs), Fry (Kheema tossed with tomatoes, onion and chillies) and Plain. Over some milky sweet Irani chai, we demolish a laadi of pav and call for some more.

Our walk continues through the Oval maidan precinct as I speak about the Art Deco lined buildings on one side and the Neo-Gothic structures on the other side. The story of Bombay is best told through these structures that leave a legacy behind and no greater joy in narrating it to an interested bunch of folks. We amble about the University Library and spot a Baobab tree. There are several more around Bombay I say. We turn north at the New India Assurance building and we zoom in to appreciate the engravings on its facade.

Fountain is up next and the Cathedral of St. Thomas but we are late and it is closed. So, we troop over to Pratap Lunch Home. The newly done interiors, a washroom and some plush seating is impressive.

Gassi, Kori roti and chicken, neer dosai and chicken junglee is quickly ordered. There’s also Sol Kadi to wash it all down. Junglee chicken is something that I haven’t tasted before, it is on Apurva’s recommendation that we order this. Grilled chicken pieces served with a nice spicy gravy, perfect with the dosai. Prawns gassi is the typical manglorean curry best enjoyed with everything. Crunchy kori roit made of rice and served with a generous helping of Mangalorean chicken curry was a delight too. The next stop is Hotel Deluxe but we delay our visit for a while. Instead, we walk around Horniman Circle, towards Old Custom’s house passing Jimmy Boy and then turn around and settle down over the steps of Asiatic.

It is nine by now and some of us residing near Thane leave. The central line has been affected by the CEAT tyre factory fire. The rest of us decide to skip Deluxe and head straight to our last stop. The king of Falooda – Badshah. With the backdrop of the iconic Crawford Market, we devour this unique persian drink. There’s Mango, Kesar and Badshah that we choose. Badshah clearly stands out for it contains the locally made kulfi which is thick and has to be scraped with the spoon to be had with a spoonful of the vermicelli and chopped pistachios sprinkled generously over it!

The Sunday evening comes to an end on a sweet note and we all depart with our stomachs full and our hearts content.

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It was a great experience for us at Breakfree. We had a lot of fun, planning the walk and conducting it! Special thanks to Apurva Chaudhari of What’s In A Name for the Junglee recommendation. With a resolution to eat more, we promise to return with another walk very soon!

If you missed this walk but would like us to organise a personalised guided walk for your group of friends, do get in touch with us to discuss the details.

We walk around for about 2-3 hours covering major structures and not so major ones around Fort area of Bombay. Be prepared to walk at least 1.5 – 2km.

Photos by Ameya Bhagat and Rithika Kumar. View the full album here 

A Malwani Sojourn in Dadar

Malwan, for the uninitiated is the southern coastal region of Maharashtra. Covering districts of Ratnagiri and Sindudurg, it is famous for its sun kissed, palm lined virgin beaches, the Alphonso and other varieties of Mango and of course the Malwani cuisine. People from Malwan speak a unique dialect also known Malwani which is a combination of Konkani and Marathi. The soil of Malwan is rich in iron and therefore red, the houses are made of red bricks and the sloping roofs are lined with red tiles. The staple food items include Rice and Fish preparations but Chicken (Kombdi) and Mutton preparations are also eaten quite frequently.

But my introduction to Malwani was through the television. Numerous Marathi actors hail from this region and their plays, films and songs have an element of their roots. Vastraharan by Machindra Kambli is a masterpiece. It showcases the plight of a few Malvani actors trying to enact the Vastraharan scene from the Mahabharata. A large chunk of the mill workers came from the Konkan. The traces of their presence can be seen at Lalbaug and Parel where the traditional Malwani masala is prepared and sold along with other ingredients traditional to Malwani cooking. Numerous Malwani joints abound in Bombay, very few are authentic.

One such unassuming, humble place is Raju’s Malvani Corner on Gokhale Road, Dadar, next to Hotel Sachin (which incidentally sells similar fare). Standing tall under the open skies of Dadar, run by Narendra Govind Sawant since over 20 years, the eatery is but a hand cart with a side kitchen, all set up on the corner of the pavement. Raju, as Narendra is known serves up plates of lip smacking Malwani chicken and fish. On the side, in a large wok filled with piping hot oil batches of vade are being fried. A vada is made of rice flour, udad dal and spices, fried until fluffy and enjoyed with the spicy curries. On a weekday, I trooped over with my friend Rithika to try out their famed Kombdi Vade (Desi chicken and not broiler). The seating, as you might have guessed is on the footpath. Plastic chairs and a table make the set up complete. The streetlight nearby provides good lighting. Perfect.

We called for Chicken Saguti and Chicken Sukka, both spicy curries native to Malwan(Although Saguti is served as Xacuti in Goa). The chicken pieces were on the bone and tasted quite awesome with the hot vadas. Our order came along with an extra bowl of curry. There were 4 vadas in a plate but we had to call for another one to polish off all the curry! Folks on the adjoining table called for rice instead. Deep friend Bombil or Bombay duck were next were served hot off the wok. Missed having the sol kadhi but I hear it is very good. Other options include fried Surmai, Prawns and Prawns pulao. The tables are located on a lane going off Gokhale road so it is generally peaceful to enjoy the meal. The only thing missing was the sound of the waves, of the surf breaking on the shore but then again Shivaji Park isn’t very far from there . Service is prompt and the food is fresh. Some of the dishes are cooked at home in the Sawant household and hence run out by 9pm or so, especially on weekends. So to sample the best selling items, do visit early and let me know what you thought of the food!

The items were reasonably priced, Chicken Saguti and Sukka – Rs. 100 each, a plate of Vade Rs. 35 and Bombay duck fry Rs. 70.

Raju can be found on the corner of Gokhale Road and  Anant Patil Marg.

Complete address: 1/23 Kubal Niwas, Gokhale Road, Anant Patil Marg, Dadar West, Mumbai, Dadar, Harishchandra Patil Rd, Chandrakant Dhuru Wadi, Dadar West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400028 Phone:022 2446 2405 ( he is pinned on Google maps too)

Photos by Rithika Kumar

Chai Time at Fort

There are several times when a cutting chai isn’t enough at four thirty, the lunch has long been processed and a hunger pang begins to set in. Over the past few years, at this hour, I have found myself hungry, low on cash and standing on the streets of South Bombay. This has led me to find some of the best budget places that offer a sumptuous evening time meal along with some good chai. If you are around, irrespective of whether hungry or not, you should visit these small places that hardly find a mention on the internet but serve authentic stuff. Also, I often end up taking most of my friends to these places if we are catching up, so ditch the ‘Bucks and drop by here.

1. Café Bharat, Opp Churchgate Station (Maharashtrian)

Tucked away in a small corner, next to a mini supermarket on Indian Merchant Chambers road Cafe Bharat is a bustling place, complete with a mezzanine floor. Generally overshadowed by the nearby Satkar and even fancier places all around, it goes unnoticed. The food served is simple, delectable and cheap. Puri Bhaji and Misal Pav rule the charts. I always prefer having a plate of Misal with Pav. Misal is nothing but Usal with some farsan thrown in. Usal is a spicy pulses curry eaten with rice otherwise. In this part of town, finding a good Misal Pav is rare unlike in Marathi strongholds like Dadar (Hotel Prakash) or Thane (Hotel Mamledaar). You may opt for the batata vada with some usal which again is a fantastic combination, not available at every outlet. The vada is made in the typical Maharashtrian way with the filling containing good amount of garlic and coriander.

Be prepared to share the table during peak hours.

Misal Pav: Rs. 30

Also, MLA Canteen, next to DGP office.

2. Hotel Deluxe, Pitha street, Fort (Malabari)

Now, Hotel Deluxe deserves not a small mention but an entire blog dedicated to their wondrous food items that they serve. One of the few places in Bombay serving Malabari cuisine, you can visit HD anytime of the day and come out satiated. Sadhya, Fish Thali, Fish Curry, Biryani are served and devoured with great delight during meal times but between 4-7 they have a special menu. Three baskets woven out of coconut leaves are laid on a small table next to the cash counter, filled with three types of snacks. Fried bananas, small vadas, chicken rolls, sweet preparations. The best part is that the options keep changing every day. One can even order for a plate of dosas which are served with a small bowl of fish curry or a dollop of chicken curry! Both curries, typical of Malabari cuisine with a good hint of curry leaves.

The chai is unique too. Served in a tall glass, it isn’t milky but neither watery. It is frothy and packs a punch, I generally have it after my dosa and fish curry. I have had several good meals at this place about which I have blogged here and here. Also, it is probably the only place that remains open on Sundays when this bustling business district goes silent.

Meal for one: Under Rs. 50

Non veg options: MLA Canteen next to DGP office for Bhurji, Omlette Pav.

3. Hotel Poornima, on the junction of Bombay House (Udupi)

I am a sucker for south Indian snacks. I can have them at any time of the day. But finding good authentic, Matunga type fare is rare. Therefore, when I visited Poornima the first time, I knew I had found my SoIn place at SoBo. Entering Poornima is like stepping into an era goneby. The decor hasn’t changed since the 90s (except for new steel tables on the floor and the cash register), there’s no menu (sign of a real South Indian joint) but a board which states that it will be 50 naya paise for extra sambar and two waiters that recite the entire menu each time. They also have a mezzanine floor where orders are taken while on the ground, you have to serve yourself.

I love the Vegetable Upma here along with some coconut chutney. Worth trying are the Mysore Masala dosai, Idli Vadai and Onion Uthappa. And the best part is that they serve good, pure filter coffee (Although, recently they switched to paper cups and ditched the tumbler-dabara combo to save water and time). In the afternoons, they serve a very good veg-thali for Rs. 66.

A snack and coffee here should set you back by Rs. 50

Other Filter Coffee places worthy of mention: Hotel Ramanath, Colaba and Hotel Swagat, off PM Road, Fort.

4. Moti Halwai, Cawasji Patel Marg (Sindhi)

Located at a short walk from Horniman Circle or Fountain, Moti is a fairly huge place that dishes up Chole Bature, Samosa Chaat, Kachori, Daal Pakwan and of course Chole Samosa. If you are in the mood for some heavy stuff, Moti should be your stop. They also have a wide variety of sweets on sale. I love trying out the warm Gulab Jamnus on display. Bhajiyas are passable so stick to the Samosa served with some Chole and finish off with a tall glass of special lassi(less creamier version is also available).

Alternatively, you could opt for the special chai which is quite strong and brewed fresh on order.

Meal for one should be again around Rs. 50-60 including a snack and a chai.

Puncham Puri at VT is a good option too.

There’s also the Irani – Cafe Military on Nagindas Master Road that starts to serve beer along with Caramel Custard at around 4-5pm.

Also, of course there is Yazdani close to all of these places on Cawasji Patel street but their chai is passable. Though the brun maska is great. Best thing to do: Go after 7, they outsource their tea from the nearby tea stall which tastes absolutely amazing with the brun!

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I am sure there are plenty of other joints that serve equally delicious and cheap fare in and around Fort. If you have any recommendations, do let me know!