The Well-Fed Bong

When I first moved into Mumbai in the mid nineties, Gujarati Thali was a big thing. At a time when expense accounts were still some years away, the sheer promise of unlimited food (even if vegetarian), attentive waiters and wholesomely pretty gujju girls (even if vegetarian) all sounded like the greatest option ever. That most of them were tucked into bylanes made them (in the era before map-laden smartphones) only added to the adventure. Don’t get me wrong though, I also do love the food. This whole prologue is leading up to my visit to Panchvati Gaurav today, hidden inside a mall in Thane. The somewhat odd name means the pride of five banyans and derives from an eponymous religious place near Nasik ; this is where the chain originates too. It was one of the star thali places in those days, suitably hidden in Marine Lines behind two thousand shows of Hum Aapke Hain Kaun. In those days it used to rank somewhere between Status and the very hard to find Thakkar . The original loca...

Mumbai is full of ghasphoos, especially the kind espoused by our northern neighbour. Even in this sea of veggie wonders, however, some dishes stand out and one of them is the near–mythical undhiyu . I say near-mythical with reason; there are so many stories around its origins, ingredients and preparation, starting with the name itself – upside down. Apparently the authentic version is prepared on the farms of Surat by burying pots of exotic winter vegetables underground, and then lighting fires above it. Moonlight and morning dew are also rumoured to be involved. Here’s a short list of the ingredients that really go into the dish: Surti papdi (a kind of flat winter bean) Ariya kakdi (a kind of zucchini) Old potatoes Ravaya (small purple brinjal) Kand (purple yam) Sakhariya (sweet potatoes) Unpeeled ripe Rajagiri bananas Methi muthia (fenugreek leaf and besan dumplings) Lilva (green tuvar dal) Green garlic (garlic chives) Lots of oil ...

A mistaken turn led us deep into Kalbadevi today and since it happened to be lunchtime, a visit to Shree Thakker Bhojanalay seemed in order. Some basic idea of the location led us part of the way, but finally a little genie from google maps nudged us to the doorstep of 31, Dadyseth Agiary Marg, Kalbadevi . Dodge the Shiva statue at Adarsh Hotel, withdraw some money at the Union Bank, figure out which of the row of non-descript doors is the right one, climb up a flight of stairs and you’re at the elaborate wooden doorway of the bhojanalay. Thakkers is hard to find, but no one can accuse it of being undiscovered. The walls tell you about their long repeated lists of foodie awards and their coverage by every newspaper that could find a critic to go vegetarian. I must say though, that Thakker by and large lives up to its hype. I haven’t been here since my  last couple of visits over a decade ago – and the memories of what I ate are faint but on the impressive side. I must say tha...