dadar - Travels for Taste

Global Street Food Kitchen – bringing International favourites to London

January 19, 2016 by manjirichitnis 18 Comments

The first of a chain of restaurants soon to open in London, Global Street Food Kitchen has opened its first outlet in the busy mall which houses ASDA in Hounslow East.

Not to be confused with the regular multi-cuisine restaurants which often manage to serve up sub-standard food with confusing menus and buffet style dining. Global Street Food Kitchen has a well researched A la Carte menu concept backed up by a philosophy of sourcing which an emphasis on provenance. For instance usage of only the very best herb fed, free range chicken from Pilmoor Farm, in Yorkshire, similarly only organic tomatoes to go with the pizza flour and cheese for the pizza which are imported from Italy.

No wonder then that the Butter chicken was delightful not just in taste but texture and managed to enhance the robust spices used in the marination. This dish is a firm favourite with me when it comes to North Indian food. It is a very popular Indian dish and most roadside ‘dhabas’ (little shanties that dot the national highways) serve this indulgent curry with buttery parathas – fuel for all those driving long distance on dusty roads in temperatures hitting 40 deg cel plus.

When I first walked into GSF with my friend the first thing we noticed was the cool college canteen style look which screams ‘shack’ or ‘tapri’ (meaning a small roadside stall in Marathi, usually built with scrap material lifted off construction sites like scaffoldings and wooden planks). The rustic feel is emphasised by the functional but dhaba style furniture and wooden effects.

I especially liked the open plan kitchen and bar area.

The wood fired oven adds a comforting warm glow to the huge open plan kitchen.

The massive warehouse style space which can house a large number of guests has a very welcoming vibe.

With so many tempting dishes on offer I really was at a loss at where to start sampling. I picked my top 2 fav’s – Pani Puri is my absolute favourite when it comes to Mumbai street food and I also can’t resist seafood especially Prawn Koliwada – blame it on my roots – a true blue Bombayite aka Mumbaikar and a Maharashtrian with a staple diet of fish curries – I go weak in the knees at the very sight of prawns.

One bite of these crispy spicy prawns and there’s no going back folks!

Clearly, consultant Chef Shailesh Deshmukh and Head Chef Sudhir Jadhav who have worked together to conceptualise the menu have found just the right mix for the various spices and techniques to perfect global street food classics. With Oriental, Indian, Mexican, British, Italian and American cuisines on the menu there is something to satiate every type of street food craving. All ingredients are sourced from high-quality suppliers and farms and the proof lies in the fresh flavoursome food which does justice to its respective cuisine.

Consultant Chef Shailesh Deshmukh brings with him a rich background of experience gained at establishments like The Dorchester, Marriott, Hyatt, Four Seasons and Jumeirah, that coupled with boundless energy and passion has resulted in the creation of dishes like this Bakarwadi chaat – presented so tastefully, to tempt even the most discerning palate. Bakarwadi is a classic snack from Pune in the state of Maharashtra India – best described as a spicy crunchy fried spring roll like savoury snack, made famous by ‘Chitale Bandhu’ – Pune’s premier purveyors of traditional Maharashtrian sweets and snacks. No trip to India is complete for me unless I queue up outside Chitale Bandhu to buy freshly made bakarwadi by the kilo 😉

To keep us hydrated we had a fabulous mocktail called Tamarind Chilli – love the way they describe it on the menu too, very entertaining! I also like the cocktail called Mr.Gatsby – potent but refreshing all at once.

We also sampled the crispy aubergine which are so morish we could have easily eaten a few more portions but there was so a tempting variety of dishes to sample we had to do justice to all of them 😉

A medley of flavoursome global street food

L-R: Mexican Quesadilla, side of sauteed spinach with shallots, onion rings, Wall Art – a world map with a difference at GSF, a juicy GSF classic beef burger served with hand-cut triple cooked chips.

I was very keen to try Misal Pav which hails from the state of Maharashtra in India, done well this dish is a absolute delight. A combination of a humble legume and sprouts curry spiced with sev and served with a soft ‘paav’ bread. At GSF they this spicy curry topped with fresh ‘farsan’ commonly known as the Bombay Mix, with a side of a delicious mystery sauce which is to be poured on the top.Finally the dish is topped off with finely chopped red onions and a generous squeeze of lime. No wonder this dish won the ‘Foodie Hub Award’ in London last June!

One of the reasons this dish is so delicious is the bread that is served with it is so fresh. Like all their other carefully selected ingredients and their emphasis on provenance, all the bread served at GSF are specially made for the restaurant by artisan baker Maison Blanc.

Though I would have loved to sample their dessert menu I simply couldn’t after devouring such a feast but then we had one last treat come our way – Masala Chai served with a fabulous Bun Maska. Now folks bun maska takes me back to my days in Pune where I frequented this place called – Cafe’ GoodLuck where my friends and I spent hours drinking one cup after another of hot sweet masala chai served as ‘cutting’ -half a cup with a soft bun doused in golden soft butter and sprinkle of sugar. Winter evenings in Pune after work were so good! The same delightful treat I also enjoyed as a college student at various Irani Cafes around Matunga, Dadar and South Bombay – perfect treat for an always broke college student perpetually in need of more ‘pocket money’.

For those with a sweet tooth do take note that GSF source all their ice cream and sorbet from the award winning ‘Snow Flake Luxury Gelato’ – yet another reason why their food is so good – the focus is clear – to create and serve authentic dishes.

I urge you not to miss out on this simple but fabulous treat at GSF, the buttery goodness encased in a fresh soft bun is almost like having a feathery light sponge with creme’ chantilly….

Global Street Food Kitchen offers a refreshing new take on serving street food – authentic flavours, emphasis on provenance and chefs trained at some of the best establishments in the world – all key ingredients to their delicious offerings. I for one cannot wait for their new branch in Central London, until then whenever the craving for street food hits I know where I will be going.

*With thanks to Humayun Hussain and Global Street Food Kitchen for the invite. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Mumbai’s little-known Irani Cafe – Cafe Colony

September 11, 2013 by manjirichitnis 21 Comments

An interview with the owner Agha and his daughters Bibi Sadat , Bibi Fatehmehand son Mirza

Interview with Mr. Agha and his two daughters – owners – Cafe Colony – Hindu Colony,Dadar, Bombay.

Manjiri :

Ever since I moved back to Bombay after a few years in Pune and with Cafe Colony within walking distance, I wanted to meet Agha and have a heart to heart chat with him. I soon became a regular customer as well as established a friendly rapport with him and his daughters that calling this piece an interview is not apt. It’s just snippets of a long conversation over several cups of Irani Chai and several evenings. But it was only after I had moved to London and then on one of my unplanned visits to India that I got an opportunity to really get talking with Agha’s daughters, Agha himself was too busy but did let me come and click a dozen pictures, he never lets anyone do that so I guess my skills of persuasion worked! In fact there was so much more to catch up on even after my conversations with Aghas daughters, that I let Mrinal (who blogs at Retro-Reflections) catch up with Agha after I came back to London after my visit to Bombay this May. I am so glad she managed to get him talking!

My earliest memories associated with Irani cafes are of eating giant omelettes with soft buns slathered in butter with my father at a now nonexistent Irani cafe opposite Dadar Station. This happened a few years in succession as we waited for my grandmothers train to arrive at the station, invariably delayed we confidently sat down to have breakfast at this quaint cafe instead of sweating it out on the platform. This Irani cafe no longer exists and has long been replaced by an Udipi joint. The typical wooden chairs, the glass-topped wooden tables with a simple plastic ‘’tablecloth’’ and the trademark maska-pav dripping in butter was great fun to eat and I also got to feel all grown up and important by having a cup of tea to myself instead of the daily glass of milk!

Aghas daughters are shy by nature and very simple too but standing behind that counter and ‘’manning’’ the post has taught them a lot. After being cheated and fleeced silly by a manager who they had for a short while, the girls decided to take over when Agha needed a break. The elder one started coming to the shop when she was 18 and her brother when he was even younger . Soon they learnt the ropes of the working of the cafe. Mind you managing a shop in a city like Bombay is no mean feat. No one would know that better than me, after managing 9 supermarkets in Pune including lauching them. I got to see a bit of live ‘’action’’ when during my visit to Bombay in November’13 all shops were forcibly made to shutter down due to some political tension in the city and the girls very ably managed to safely shut shop and get themselves home. Believe it takes some major spunk to do this sort of stuff.I had to ask them if any other Irani cafes they know are now ‘’manned ‘’ by the women in the family , I was so happy to hear their reply, ”Light of Bharat” Irani cafe is at times managed by a lady and Crown Bakery has the Irani Parsi girls managing the show.My thoughts are interrupted by a customer who come to buy a few eggs and another person seeking change for a large amount is politely but firmly turned away ,atta girls!

”The Agha girls” as I shall call them here because I choose not to name them, I could but as they very kindly told me a few reasons why they wouldn’t want to be photographed , I genuinely think it’s a mark of respect to not use their names here either – they later changed their mind after ma in law convinced them that they should be PROUD that they stand alongside the men in the family their father Agha and brother Mirza and help run the cafe so efficiently, so the photos you will see in this post are old photographs they have kindly agreed to share with aai and me.

It seemed apt to munch on some mawa cake and down it with tea at this juncture,always a good way to keep the conversation going.

Moving to Surat in India one of the reasons for migration was the growing discomfort between Irani Muslims and Irani Parsis they tell me.The elder of the two sisters started helping out her father at the shop when she was 18. Labour issues, staff theft and skyrocketing taxes, the girls have seen a lot.The LBT strike are happening on and off in India during this period (April 2013) and sugar and dal stocks are badly affected. Imagine an irani cafe that can’t serve tea they say …shudder shudder…

Someone has ordered a plate of dal rice, the common mans daily meal in India and supremely satisfying as a comfort food.

The girls recount that biryani was added onto the menu much later and even today Irani cafes continue to serve authentic rice and kheema in-spite of mutton getting more expensive each passing day.

Increasing taxes,expensive ingredients, political turmoil, staff issues are just some of the many daily challenges the surviving Irani cafes face, many have shit shop, yet others have renovated to keep in step modern and risked loosing the old world charm and so many others are on the brink of extinction as future generations have migrated or chosen other professions. But the elder of the Agha girls remembers the 1992 communal riots vividly and how the locals came to their rescue and they agree Bombay is home and the Cafe is their only means of livelihood, and they wouldn’t trade what they have for anything in the world. I heave a silent sigh of relief …

A consignment of sweets from Iran has arrived and I get to to inspect the package,photograph it before it goes into the freezer, all this is done with a great amount of fanfare and Mrinal and me have managed to attract a small amount of giggly kids outside the store. One bold but very cute kid one comes and tugs at my shirt ,”tumhi reporter aahe? newspaper madhe photo yenar? majha ghya na” – Marathi for ”you a reporter?wil these photographs be printed in tomorrows newspaper?please click a picture of me” ! 🙂

Gaz is nothing but Persian for nougat originating from the city of Esfahan and Boldaji, located in the central plateau of Iran. The same nougat is also made in Iraq where it is known as Mann al-Sama

The Cafe’ was now getting very busy and lots of customers were approaching the counter, business as usual….

………………………………………………………………………………………….

In the ‘’interview’’ with Agha below Mrinal takes a walk down memory lane with, of course with rather distractedly tempting photographs in between the paragraphs.

Mrinal – (blogs at Retro-Reflections)

It was after a great deal of persuasion that Mr.Agha of Cafe Colony, Dadar agreed to talk to me putting his busy schedule on hold. He was apprehensive at first but once he got into the mood there was nothing to stop his enthusiasm talking about his experiences in running of the cafe. But first, my association with Agha’s extended family (when there were several partners in the business) goes way back to the sixties and the early seventies when Cafe Colony was run by Mr Mohammad. He was a jolly young man who lived close by with his wife and two cherubic children, little Mohammad and Fasila. I remember them constantly running in and out of the shop and making a terrific ruckus to get attention whenever their father sat on the counter. Many a times these children were invited to our house for goodies they had never had and they came most willingly and also out of curiosity.Cafe Colony at the time was a small cafe with very little to offer. My memory is quite hazy but as the years went by it began to expand gradually offering a wide range of items and a buzzing place , a hub where all gathered .I learnt later Mohammad and his family left.

Several of Agha’s family was involved with the running of the cafe till Agha himself took over.Like other Irani families, his family too migrated and came via Surat. The cafe opened in 1933. Since then it has steadily and surely catered to hundreds of residents living in Hindu Colony and around it. There were other Irani joints nearby —–Yezdaan, round the Dadar T.T corner now where Metro Shoe shop stands. Point out Agha’s daughters, ‘on a clear day one can see the etching of the name Cafe Yezdaan on top of Metro shoe shop if you are tall enough) and Cafe Premier near Dadar station. Both these have closed down now. But Cafe Colony still survives despite all odds.

Says Agha . those days it was easier to man the cafe . Raw stock was easily available and labour was cheap. Even the effect of the LBT affected items like sugar, flour and dal. These are the things one has to grapple with.The ‘irani Boys’ who waited at the tables were loyal and honest and did all the odd jobs. I remember there was personalised service if one was staying nearby. They used to personally deliver eggs bread and other items.People were friendly and the crowd was motley. We even had a juke box and a weighing machine.Many residents from Parsee colony too would come to the cafe and enjoy the music and sit around till late. But soon all this disappeared as the suburb began to grow and old structures gave way to new ones .The footpath in front of Cafe Colony widened as traffic increased on the Tilak Bridge. Cafe Colony was no longer the same where one could sit quietly and enjoy a cup of chai without the blaring of horns. But with it the cafe too began to expand and many more things were added to the cafe besides bakery products and tea accompaniments.Nearer to Cafe Colony (two shops away) Agha’s family purchased another corner shop called Bakery and Candy Store, which did a brisk business for a short period but ran into a considerable loss and was sold off. But Cafe Colony soldiered on.

Any political issue resulting in a strike or (since the area came under a party’s stronghold) shops would down their shutters but not Aghas Cafe . In fact people used to collect there for major discussions and endless cups of chai would be supplied just to keep the bonhomie going. His daughters recall how the colony people protected them and their shop during the communal riots and they are more than grateful till today. However, it was sad Candy Corner bore the brunt and was vandalised . On 26^th July 2006, when Bombay was under water Cafe Colony was open all night despite no lights and was offering customers whatever was available as well as refuge.

Other highlights in the life of Cafe Colony are when Ramdas Athavale (political figure ) visited the cafe and it catered for his entire security guards about thirty to forty of them. Another time when Agha himself prepared Biryani for Dr Ambedkar’s grandson.

Today all that has changed and the struggle goes on . The Irani boys keep changing and one has to keep a hawk eye on them. Very often I see Agha himself in the kitchen giving a helping hand, just rustling up a quick breakfast or giving finishing touch to the Biryani on a Sunday morning or taking the delivery of the meat from the butcher . The delicious mutton and chicken patties which earlier were available any time at the counter now need to be ordered beforehand. Although his own supply of almonds pistachios figs Turkish delight Irani jars and occasionally a lovely carpet may be on sale. The versatality of the shop is just amazing!

Unlike other Irani cafes around Bombay whose owners are apprehensive about the second generation manning the cafe cum restaurant, Agha’s cafe is currently in the safe zone as his son and daughters give him that support he desperately needs to keep it going. The future according to him is uncertain. But what of the good old residents of the Colony for whom Cafe Colony has been a landmark . A closure of this iconic place would surely herald protests of all kinds .

The next post in this 3 part series will take you to an Irani Cafe London….coming soon!

Cheers,

Mrinal (who blogs at Retro-Reflections) and Manjiri

References:

Wikipedia

13th Sept’13 – Friday

Mrinal and me were so happy to receive an email from Bibi Fatemeh who is Agha’s younger daughter.She has very generously and proudly agreed to share their names and their photographs taken while they are at the counter.I cannot express my joy and pride at how much this means to both Mrinal and me. Bibi Fatemeh has been very generous in her praise about this article:

”It was pleasure reading about our interview and seeing pictures of Cafe Colony. A real proud moment for us. We all liked to whatever you & Mrinal has written. All the credit goes to my Dad for the struggle & all the hard work he has put in till date.”

Thanks Bibi Fatemeh, we too are very proud of your Dad and we can only say one thing ”LONG LIVE CAFE COLONY”

Bibi- Fatemeh has shared a picture of her at the Cafe Colony where she and her elder sister Bibi Sadat proudly manage the counter.Bibi Sadat’s picture will follow soon enough.

(What I love about Bibi Fatehmeh’s photo below is the beautiful and confident smile and the huge stack of eggs behind her that sell off quickly as they are sold at the wholesale rate, a respite form the other crazy expensive retail rates! Another feather in the cap for Cafe’ Colony!)

Watch this space for Bibi Sadat’s photograph – up soon!

Ok Folks!Bibi Sadets picture is here!And a lovely photograph of Agha with both the lovely girls.

Last but certainly not the least is Bibi Fatehmeh with her brother Mirza.

Dedicated to Pigeons WORLD OVER

May 1, 2012 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

I have always been fascinated by these feathered fellas , they seem to have an amazing survival technique and are such fun to observe !

I have spent many an evening at Trafalgar square admiring these naughty birds .They always seem to gather around in a hungry bunch whenever they see anyone eating anything at all, not only are they super swift in swooping down at lightning speed to pick up the crumbs as I nervously and rather hungrily gobble my sandwich on a wooden bench watching the fountain and watching the pigeons too from the corner of my eye …. lest they attack me and steal away my meal deal , gosh with a few coins left in my purse ,couldn’t afford another !

Burping and satisfied after a sandwich,crisp and drink meal later , I lazily lounge on the bench as the birds curiously walk around my feet and search under the bench for more crumbs , they then fly to the top of the statue and perch there. I wonder how they always find such prolific locations to poo on !

I have therefore pldeged never to work hard enough to become so famous that after I fall dead someone thinks of erecting a statue of me somewhere, imagine I’d become an instantly popular new ”poop spot” for pigeons,not a pleasant thought that is it?

I always avoided KABOOTAR KHANA at Dadar as much as I could cause the very thought of a zillion pigeons gathered in one place to eat grains donated by willing masses and poop all over the place later ,though may sound ideal to any pigeon , I always feared what if they all decided to gang up against us humans and peck out everyone’s eye balls for fun ? shiver shudder shake shake …. brrr scary thought that .(KABOOTAR KHANA , KABOOTAR in Hindi Language means a Pigeon, can you imagine that in a city like Mumbai , we have a place named after Pigeons and a whole area dedicated to the, isn’t that proof enough for how powerful and omnipresent they are ??!)

(best ever image of Kabootar Khana is taken by Humayunna Peerzaada and is available to be viewed on at the following flickr link – http://www.flickr.com/photos/humayunnapeerzaada/471662046/ ) ( I love all the other albums in his link as well , amazing photography I must say !)

Theres another way I entertain myself while I wait at bus stops (during the Olympics I shall have to do that more frequently me thinks 😉 !!) ,at any given point of time there is always a small group of busy pigeons strutting their feathers near the bus stop, walking around the bin which is always there next to the stop and trying to snuggle up between people’s feet ,maybe to keep warm?

If you observe pigeons on Oxford Street for example I swear , they are busy chatting amongst themselves and checking out the millions of tourists walking all over the place .Whenever I am crossing the road at the main signal at the 4 exits out of Oxford street tube station there will always be a bunch of pigeons walking yes WALKING alongside us humans crossing the road , now why on earth do they do that ?? You have wings fellas remember ??They almost obediently wait for the signal , all the time tilting their neck to one side as if to say ” What ya looking at woman , keep your eyes on the signal will you ?” as soon the signal turns green there they are marching alongside oblivious to the thousands of feet stamping nearby. At times I swear I saw one of the naughtier ones trying to tilt its neck and peek up a womans’ skirt ! Just as it was able to , another pigeon came over and nudged Mr.Peea-Kaboo hard enough , they both then majestically walked away pretending as if nothing had happened ! HA ! Little did they know that I had SEEN their dirty little trick humphfh !Naughty little perverts !

Not to mention the clever ”KABOOTAR’S” that I have encountered in India . They even have an entire song dedicated to them in one famous hindi flick , yes yes it’s true, here’s the link !

This song is proof that Pigeon Mail is faster ,more reliable and more affordable than posting letters at least for our Bollywood stars.This is just one song , there are many more such songs where the pigeons have pivotal roles that get the other actors in lead roles together for a happily ever after end …hummmm

And then I have this pal who now is wiser after studying a few more years but has a passion for breeding ‘homing’pigeons , yes yes and yes , he was rather good with it too.After all they always came back ‘home’ AFTER they were sold 😉

Now with all these observations over the past many years I am sure that pigeons world-wide have some sort of an internationally recognised body run and functioning solely supported by pigeons alone wherein they plan and strategize survival techniques against the growing atrocities by us humans .

Given their amazing ability to stay warm in harsh winters, feed themselves and maintain their population at a constant healthy number ,they are doing a marvellous job at it !

I am never short of opportunities to click snaps of pigeons cosying up, here’s just one such example….

But the most amazing incident by a pigeon in London that I witnessed left me utterly speechless and CONVINCED that pigeons really ARE very, very smart ….on a dreary day in London (even a bright sunny day can turn dreary especially if you have a day out planned!) this pigeon STOOD alongside several passengers on a busy platform and actually BOARDED the train after us humans **gasp,gulp,gasp*

Then it proceeded to strut under a seat and peck at errant food particles dropped by a messy teenager who had just wolfed down a LARGE sandwich.About 2 stations after this clever bird had BOARDED the train it looked left and right when the door opened at a station,made some cooing sounds and HOPPED off ! GAWD, if I hadn’t consumed coffee that morning I would have certainly slipped into a coma.It definitely beats flying in rainy weather I’d say and ticketkless too.TFL , are you listening?! Guess not…baaah!

Ah well, I better get back to life now and observing more of my feathered companions along the way 😉 Adios !