Sankalp is located at Hiranandani, Powai, on Central Avenue, in the Ventura Building. It is opposite the much better known Mainland China. This is a Gujarati owned south Indian restaurant which serves vegetarian and non-veg south Indian fare.
I don't often explore newly opened restaurants. I like to visit the older, salt-of-the-earth places which are more often set up to satisfy more than just a commercial need. If you look at my past reviews, you'll know what I mean. Sarvi, Bademiyan, Anant Ashram, Modern Hindu - these were opened with a view to server a particular need of the community. They will exist as long as the community's need exists.
Which brings me to the review of this miserly excuse of an eating place.
After a hard day's work, I had to take the family out for some necessary shopping and we decided we'd eat out at Gajalee. We stay close to Hiranandani, and a trip to Gajalee at Vile Parle would rob a couple of hours off us, so we thought we'd explore Sankalp. We'd heard pretty bad things, but then experience is the best teacher. We thought the owners of Sankalp would have read the reviews as well, and cleaned up their act. My guess is that they aren't that much into Internet.
The place is glitzy. Glass windows with clean views of the crowd inside. Once inside, nice seating, good air conditioning, pretty decent furniture. Comfy sofa and chairs. Nice table, good crockery - the copper glasses are the highlight of the restaurant. Nothing else matches, unfortunately.
We ordered a Mutton Pepper Dry (Kerala style), Idiappam (stringhoppers), Appams (hoppers), Parotta (paratha mallufied), and Kerala Mutton curry.
The Mutton was just plain inedible. We couldn't eat more than a piece each. They actually served the thick fat chunks we throw away at home. The mutton in the curry was just bones. As uneatable. The iddiyappam wasn't prepared the right way - it was commercial semiyan, boiled, tasteless, served with raw coconut. The appam - it's an insult to call that thing an appam - was dosa batter cooked in an appam wok. The less said about the Parotta the better. I could manage to finish one half of it, which I regretted till the next morning.
Don't go there. Please. Run them out of business. Paying INR 500 for this was sacrilege.
Go to Mainland China. It's a fine restaurant and you will never ever regret paying INR 1k for a hearty, tasty meal.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Resturant Review: Modern Hindu Hotel
Summary: No frills South Indian meals place
Getting there: Apeejay Chambers, Wallace Street. Diagonally opposite Sterling Cinema towards Cathedral School, Fort, Mumbai. Not easy to spot.
Don't Miss: The thali. What else?
Food Cost: <50
Description:
For the kind of place this is, I am amazed at the fan following and the kind of crowd it attracts.
No frills means absolutely no frills. This place defines the term. No frills in food, no frills in service, no great shakes on decor - even the building is a creaky old structure that looks like a hundred years old.
So why does the place attract a lunch crowd of young professionals from the nearby banks and offices?
Let me describe the experience.
First of all, for people who aren't the urban explorer types, it is a little tough locating this place. The regulars just brush you off. "It's opposite Sterling yaar" - is the most concise direction I got. I've never found the place in the first attempt (I always ended up at the wrong place, then try a couple more buildings and watchmen) until my office shifted close by. So here's how - get to Sterling cinema, and walk towards the Cathedral and John Cannon School (in the opposite direction from CST). The second building on the left side of Wallace street is the decripit Apeejay Chambers with many old world offices.
You could go around to the back of the building for a rickety lift ride up to the fourth floor - or take the equally rickety wooden stairs up. If you are in lunch hour - 12.30 to 3.00, simply follow the well-dressed crowd.
Right. Now you are on the fourth floor. See a dining room? No, don't barge in there. You are advised to meet the well-built man on the counter on the left side, and buy a token of Rs 40/- (TR coupons accepted). Then, join the queue.
Modern Hindu Hotel serves eaters in batches. There are two halls, which seat around 12 people each. Only when either of these halls empty out, are you invited in by an old gent. You sit in a chair-table combo, and then it all starts.
You can chose to eat in a steel plate or a plantain leaf. (Shed your north Indian sensibilities and nod for the leaf, man). The quick, mechanical, efficient procession starts as soon as you have sprinkled water on the leaf. First, two katoris (small steel bowls) get plonked (If you like your dal in a katori, ask for an extra) on your table. Sambar (a delicate, yellow type which looks and tastes more like a Gujarati kadhi with cucumber, than the Udipi sambar we are all used to) comes first, followed very quickly by rasam (tangy gravy-soup made of tamarind, dal, tomato) - these are filled in your katoris. Then a curry of the veggies of the day (it was beans + gourd + brinjal once and beans + pumpkin the other), and a creamy but light dal, on your leaf/plate. You could ask for a spoon, but everyone else would be eating with their fingers.
Chapatis follow. Once you are done, rice, dahi and a large papad follow.
That's about it. You could ask for extra helpings of the same stuff which are free of charge. However, chaas, extra papad and sweet (Mysore Pak, usually) are charged separately.
The meal isn't exceptionally rich or heavy. Niether is it made with desi ghee or the finest, most expensive ingredients. But it tastes homely, simple, light and easy on the palate and wallet. No great gastronomic experience. But I go there again and again because it somehow reminds me of a simple time long ago, when you did not have to bother about trans-fats and lifestyle diseases - because they just did not exist. There is much joy in partaking a simple, hot and filling meal.
Modern Hindu Hotel is open for lunch from 12.30 to 3.00 pm and dinner from 7.00 to 9.00 pm.
Getting there: Apeejay Chambers, Wallace Street. Diagonally opposite Sterling Cinema towards Cathedral School, Fort, Mumbai. Not easy to spot.
Don't Miss: The thali. What else?
Food Cost: <50
Description:
For the kind of place this is, I am amazed at the fan following and the kind of crowd it attracts.
No frills means absolutely no frills. This place defines the term. No frills in food, no frills in service, no great shakes on decor - even the building is a creaky old structure that looks like a hundred years old.
So why does the place attract a lunch crowd of young professionals from the nearby banks and offices?
Let me describe the experience.
First of all, for people who aren't the urban explorer types, it is a little tough locating this place. The regulars just brush you off. "It's opposite Sterling yaar" - is the most concise direction I got. I've never found the place in the first attempt (I always ended up at the wrong place, then try a couple more buildings and watchmen) until my office shifted close by. So here's how - get to Sterling cinema, and walk towards the Cathedral and John Cannon School (in the opposite direction from CST). The second building on the left side of Wallace street is the decripit Apeejay Chambers with many old world offices.
You could go around to the back of the building for a rickety lift ride up to the fourth floor - or take the equally rickety wooden stairs up. If you are in lunch hour - 12.30 to 3.00, simply follow the well-dressed crowd.
Right. Now you are on the fourth floor. See a dining room? No, don't barge in there. You are advised to meet the well-built man on the counter on the left side, and buy a token of Rs 40/- (TR coupons accepted). Then, join the queue.
Modern Hindu Hotel serves eaters in batches. There are two halls, which seat around 12 people each. Only when either of these halls empty out, are you invited in by an old gent. You sit in a chair-table combo, and then it all starts.
You can chose to eat in a steel plate or a plantain leaf. (Shed your north Indian sensibilities and nod for the leaf, man). The quick, mechanical, efficient procession starts as soon as you have sprinkled water on the leaf. First, two katoris (small steel bowls) get plonked (If you like your dal in a katori, ask for an extra) on your table. Sambar (a delicate, yellow type which looks and tastes more like a Gujarati kadhi with cucumber, than the Udipi sambar we are all used to) comes first, followed very quickly by rasam (tangy gravy-soup made of tamarind, dal, tomato) - these are filled in your katoris. Then a curry of the veggies of the day (it was beans + gourd + brinjal once and beans + pumpkin the other), and a creamy but light dal, on your leaf/plate. You could ask for a spoon, but everyone else would be eating with their fingers.
Chapatis follow. Once you are done, rice, dahi and a large papad follow.
That's about it. You could ask for extra helpings of the same stuff which are free of charge. However, chaas, extra papad and sweet (Mysore Pak, usually) are charged separately.
The meal isn't exceptionally rich or heavy. Niether is it made with desi ghee or the finest, most expensive ingredients. But it tastes homely, simple, light and easy on the palate and wallet. No great gastronomic experience. But I go there again and again because it somehow reminds me of a simple time long ago, when you did not have to bother about trans-fats and lifestyle diseases - because they just did not exist. There is much joy in partaking a simple, hot and filling meal.
Modern Hindu Hotel is open for lunch from 12.30 to 3.00 pm and dinner from 7.00 to 9.00 pm.
Restuarant Review: Sarvi
Summary: Great seekh kababs in Mumbai
Getting there: Nagpada Junction. There's a dilapidated old building opposite the Police Station. No signboard. Use your nose :-)
Don't Miss: The Seekh Kabab
Food Cost: <50
Description:
I read about Sarvi in a recent issue of "Time Out Mumbai" which listed down the best dishes in Mumbai - ranging from a Rs 1500 Camembert Dariole at Taj to a Rs 25 seekh kabab (at Sarvi). A collector's edition - but hey, we're not reviewing Time Out - we're reviewing Sarvi.
And being the adventurous sort when it comes to food, I took time off from work to seek out this curious place which serves the "best seekh kabab" in Mumbai.
The toughest part of the whole adventure was locating the restuarant. As instructed by the reviewer in Time Out, I got down at Nagpada Junction. Looked for a signboard sponsored by Pepsi or Coke with giant "SARVI" in garish colours. Didn't find one. Walked all over the junction. There were many restuarants, but didn't find Sarvi.
Wait. From where I was standing, I smelt delicious Tandoor smoke. Yes, I turned around - ahh - there it was. No signboard, nothing. Just a place with as many doors as there were windows. All open, probably to let the noise and vehicle fumes in ;-)
This is a typical Muslim place in a predominantly Muslim locality. Vegetarian food just doesn't exist. Neither do good manners, clean tables, or polite waiters. It's all rough and tumble and yell, eat, eat more, pay and go. It was love at first sight!
So I seat myself in a round two-seater in a corner, opposite a gent dipping tandoori roti in greasy curry. A waiter comes and looks. "Kya hai?" I could make out only "Alu Gosht" in his distracted, rushed reading of the menu. So Alu Gosht, tandoori roti ("Kitna?" "Ek") and seekh kabab it was.
The anticipated seekh kabab comes in a small plate with a generous helping of "kuchumber" and mint leaves. I break off a piece - it breaks easily. And the first taste is just awesome. The texture is just right. I can't describe the taste of meat, but this was just the best meat I ate. It was so soft, I almost didn't need to chew. I just let the taste seep in, savouring every morsel.
Apparently the secret of the Sarvi seekh kabab is the use of animal fat for cooking, and turmeric, instead of maida that many restuarants use to economize on the quantity of meat. Just to know the difference, I took home a couple more seekh kababs, and bought another couple from a reputed restuarant in south Mumbai. Sure enough, it was the Sarvi kabab that brought out the full taste of the mutton. It was much softer, even when cold (I live an hour long train journey away!) while the other one had become quite chewy. I'm no chef, but I suspect it's the flour and the oil that makes the difference. But am not sure whether animal fat is healthy :-(
So back to Sarvi. The rest of the food is nothing to write home about. The Alu Gosht was only okay - it was just something to dip the Roti in. I ordered one more seekh kabab. I've also tried a couple of other chicken and mutton curries on later visits. But I'll recommend only the seekh kabab here.
And yes, the atmosphere of old Bombay, at its chaotic best.
Getting there: Nagpada Junction. There's a dilapidated old building opposite the Police Station. No signboard. Use your nose :-)
Don't Miss: The Seekh Kabab
Food Cost: <50
Description:
I read about Sarvi in a recent issue of "Time Out Mumbai" which listed down the best dishes in Mumbai - ranging from a Rs 1500 Camembert Dariole at Taj to a Rs 25 seekh kabab (at Sarvi). A collector's edition - but hey, we're not reviewing Time Out - we're reviewing Sarvi.
And being the adventurous sort when it comes to food, I took time off from work to seek out this curious place which serves the "best seekh kabab" in Mumbai.
The toughest part of the whole adventure was locating the restuarant. As instructed by the reviewer in Time Out, I got down at Nagpada Junction. Looked for a signboard sponsored by Pepsi or Coke with giant "SARVI" in garish colours. Didn't find one. Walked all over the junction. There were many restuarants, but didn't find Sarvi.
Wait. From where I was standing, I smelt delicious Tandoor smoke. Yes, I turned around - ahh - there it was. No signboard, nothing. Just a place with as many doors as there were windows. All open, probably to let the noise and vehicle fumes in ;-)
This is a typical Muslim place in a predominantly Muslim locality. Vegetarian food just doesn't exist. Neither do good manners, clean tables, or polite waiters. It's all rough and tumble and yell, eat, eat more, pay and go. It was love at first sight!
So I seat myself in a round two-seater in a corner, opposite a gent dipping tandoori roti in greasy curry. A waiter comes and looks. "Kya hai?" I could make out only "Alu Gosht" in his distracted, rushed reading of the menu. So Alu Gosht, tandoori roti ("Kitna?" "Ek") and seekh kabab it was.
The anticipated seekh kabab comes in a small plate with a generous helping of "kuchumber" and mint leaves. I break off a piece - it breaks easily. And the first taste is just awesome. The texture is just right. I can't describe the taste of meat, but this was just the best meat I ate. It was so soft, I almost didn't need to chew. I just let the taste seep in, savouring every morsel.
Apparently the secret of the Sarvi seekh kabab is the use of animal fat for cooking, and turmeric, instead of maida that many restuarants use to economize on the quantity of meat. Just to know the difference, I took home a couple more seekh kababs, and bought another couple from a reputed restuarant in south Mumbai. Sure enough, it was the Sarvi kabab that brought out the full taste of the mutton. It was much softer, even when cold (I live an hour long train journey away!) while the other one had become quite chewy. I'm no chef, but I suspect it's the flour and the oil that makes the difference. But am not sure whether animal fat is healthy :-(
So back to Sarvi. The rest of the food is nothing to write home about. The Alu Gosht was only okay - it was just something to dip the Roti in. I ordered one more seekh kabab. I've also tried a couple of other chicken and mutton curries on later visits. But I'll recommend only the seekh kabab here.
And yes, the atmosphere of old Bombay, at its chaotic best.
Restuarant Review: Bademiyan
Summary: Legendary place; The best tandoori food in Mumbai
Getting there: First left turn (near Cafe Leopold) on Colaba causeway, turn right again. Tables are on the street.
Don't Miss: Anything, except the vegetarian food.
Food Cost: 100-200
Description:
It's easy to spot Bademiyan. When you turn the corner from the Colaba Causeway, you can faintly smell the aroma of chicken in the tandoor. Turn right again, and you can cruise straight into the restuarant.
First you see the smoke, then the bright lights and the visitors gawking at the cooks. Then you hear the sizzle of meat on tandoor, and by this time, the smoky smell of tandoor already has your tongue salivating in anticipation.
Don't loll around, I humbly suggest. Grab the nearest empty table (they're hard to find; but a ten-buck note pressed into the boy's hands works wonders), and stay put.
Order a Chicken Baida roti (egg-roti stuffed with chicken) first, and then take a look at the rather small menu-card (I wonder why they don't put the prices there!). I'll recommend that you buy Tandoor Chicken Leg, Bheja fry, and a roomali roti to go with it. I'll also suggest that you order a coke or packaged water here.
While the above dishes are the highlights, many people like the chicken roll, which is quite filling. I also like the boti kebab, chicken and mutton seekh kabab, chicken tikka and gurda (kidney) fry. The tangdi kabab is also pretty good.
The portions are not very generous, but filling all the same. The vegetarian menu is not inspiring. This isn't a place for vegetarians.
All dishes are served with tangy green and red sauces and a generous portion of onions. I never touch them - I don't like any other taste interfering with the succulent chicken!
This place is a legend on it's own. It is the only streetside joint in Mumbai city which has been allowed to exist legally - rumour has it that a past police or municipal commissioner was a regular of this place and gave it legal sanction, rather than pack them up in one of those infamous BMC trucks...
Getting there: First left turn (near Cafe Leopold) on Colaba causeway, turn right again. Tables are on the street.
Don't Miss: Anything, except the vegetarian food.
Food Cost: 100-200
Description:
It's easy to spot Bademiyan. When you turn the corner from the Colaba Causeway, you can faintly smell the aroma of chicken in the tandoor. Turn right again, and you can cruise straight into the restuarant.
First you see the smoke, then the bright lights and the visitors gawking at the cooks. Then you hear the sizzle of meat on tandoor, and by this time, the smoky smell of tandoor already has your tongue salivating in anticipation.
Don't loll around, I humbly suggest. Grab the nearest empty table (they're hard to find; but a ten-buck note pressed into the boy's hands works wonders), and stay put.
Order a Chicken Baida roti (egg-roti stuffed with chicken) first, and then take a look at the rather small menu-card (I wonder why they don't put the prices there!). I'll recommend that you buy Tandoor Chicken Leg, Bheja fry, and a roomali roti to go with it. I'll also suggest that you order a coke or packaged water here.
While the above dishes are the highlights, many people like the chicken roll, which is quite filling. I also like the boti kebab, chicken and mutton seekh kabab, chicken tikka and gurda (kidney) fry. The tangdi kabab is also pretty good.
The portions are not very generous, but filling all the same. The vegetarian menu is not inspiring. This isn't a place for vegetarians.
All dishes are served with tangy green and red sauces and a generous portion of onions. I never touch them - I don't like any other taste interfering with the succulent chicken!
This place is a legend on it's own. It is the only streetside joint in Mumbai city which has been allowed to exist legally - rumour has it that a past police or municipal commissioner was a regular of this place and gave it legal sanction, rather than pack them up in one of those infamous BMC trucks...
Restuarant Review: Anant Ashram
I managed to retrieve some of my old restuarant reviews from the blog www.sigfood.org. Nobody seems to be keeping house there, so I don't know when it will go to seed.
Here's the first one.
Summary: If you haven't been to Anant Ashram, you have no right to call yourself a Mumbai foodie!
Getting there: Ask the cabbie to drop you at Gaiwadi, Girgaon. Anant Ashram is tucked away in a quaint cottage in Khotachi Wadi, a small lane.
Don't Miss: Surmai Fry, Surmai Curry, Teesrya (Mussels), Mutton Kaleji, Chicken curry, Prawns curry... and yes, the tangy chutney.
Food Cost: 100-200
Description:
Khotachi Wadi is one of the few places tucked away in south Mumbai that takes you back in time. It is a pedestrian only lane, narrow, and has a small christian shrine in a cul-de-sac. The candle is always lit. Old fashioned houses, closely packed, snuggle into each other. If you are lucky, you will see an old gentleman strumming a guitar and humming a tune. And some kids calling out to each other from the balconies. You almost expect a bullock cart to pass by.
Anant Ashram is a place which reinforces the old world charm of Khotachi Wadi. Walk a few steps into this quaint little lane and you will see a old signboard on the top of a two-storey building. Anant Ashram was established more than 50 years ago, as a mess for young Maharastrian bachelors from rural/coastal Maharashtra and it is a veritable culinary heritage site.
Make sure you are on time (Lunch 12 noon to 2 pm, Dinner 7 to 9 pm, Sunday holiday). Otherwise the grizzled old waiter will ask you to get lost, in no uncertain terms. In Marathi.
During lunch hour on most days, you will have to spend some good minutes waiting in the queue.
Having made it in, you will have to fit yourself between a wooden chair and a marble-topped table, both from the last century. The waiter will come and look at you. Tell him what you want (Hindi would do, English also works a bit). I would recommend fish fry and fish curry (Rs 40 each). Along with the "specials" you will get three chapatis, a katori of tangy solkadi (spicy kokum + coconut milk), green mint chutney, some onion, a pinch of salt and one "unit" of rice. This is charged, but well below Rs 10 each. If you still have space inside you, order Prawns curry with one more unit of rice. (I order one more fish curry when I am really hungry - I just love it).
The food here is cooked the old-fashioned way, on slow wooden fires. Curries have a coconut base, typical of the Konkan-Goan-Malabar belt. There is not much variety, but the type of fish depends on the day of the week. From my visits I gather that Fridays and Tuesdays, it generally is Surmai, on Mondays it is pomfret. Besides Fish, you get mussels, crab and prawns, Goan style. Mutton, Mutton Liver and Chicken (all Goan style curry preparation) is available if you aren't a sea food freak (I've never tried these dishes).
This place is well-known in culinary circles, but shuns publicity and has never been photographed. Apparently, they shoo-ed away Rashmi Uday Singh when she tried to interview the owner.
You won't get a finger bowl. No napkins either and no table-cloths and all that first-world finery. Just plain good food served by sour old waiters in pajamas and banians.
Try it. I'll bet my bottom dollar that you'll enjoy the experience.
Here's the first one.
Summary: If you haven't been to Anant Ashram, you have no right to call yourself a Mumbai foodie!
Getting there: Ask the cabbie to drop you at Gaiwadi, Girgaon. Anant Ashram is tucked away in a quaint cottage in Khotachi Wadi, a small lane.
Don't Miss: Surmai Fry, Surmai Curry, Teesrya (Mussels), Mutton Kaleji, Chicken curry, Prawns curry... and yes, the tangy chutney.
Food Cost: 100-200
Description:
Khotachi Wadi is one of the few places tucked away in south Mumbai that takes you back in time. It is a pedestrian only lane, narrow, and has a small christian shrine in a cul-de-sac. The candle is always lit. Old fashioned houses, closely packed, snuggle into each other. If you are lucky, you will see an old gentleman strumming a guitar and humming a tune. And some kids calling out to each other from the balconies. You almost expect a bullock cart to pass by.
Anant Ashram is a place which reinforces the old world charm of Khotachi Wadi. Walk a few steps into this quaint little lane and you will see a old signboard on the top of a two-storey building. Anant Ashram was established more than 50 years ago, as a mess for young Maharastrian bachelors from rural/coastal Maharashtra and it is a veritable culinary heritage site.
Make sure you are on time (Lunch 12 noon to 2 pm, Dinner 7 to 9 pm, Sunday holiday). Otherwise the grizzled old waiter will ask you to get lost, in no uncertain terms. In Marathi.
During lunch hour on most days, you will have to spend some good minutes waiting in the queue.
Having made it in, you will have to fit yourself between a wooden chair and a marble-topped table, both from the last century. The waiter will come and look at you. Tell him what you want (Hindi would do, English also works a bit). I would recommend fish fry and fish curry (Rs 40 each). Along with the "specials" you will get three chapatis, a katori of tangy solkadi (spicy kokum + coconut milk), green mint chutney, some onion, a pinch of salt and one "unit" of rice. This is charged, but well below Rs 10 each. If you still have space inside you, order Prawns curry with one more unit of rice. (I order one more fish curry when I am really hungry - I just love it).
The food here is cooked the old-fashioned way, on slow wooden fires. Curries have a coconut base, typical of the Konkan-Goan-Malabar belt. There is not much variety, but the type of fish depends on the day of the week. From my visits I gather that Fridays and Tuesdays, it generally is Surmai, on Mondays it is pomfret. Besides Fish, you get mussels, crab and prawns, Goan style. Mutton, Mutton Liver and Chicken (all Goan style curry preparation) is available if you aren't a sea food freak (I've never tried these dishes).
This place is well-known in culinary circles, but shuns publicity and has never been photographed. Apparently, they shoo-ed away Rashmi Uday Singh when she tried to interview the owner.
You won't get a finger bowl. No napkins either and no table-cloths and all that first-world finery. Just plain good food served by sour old waiters in pajamas and banians.
Try it. I'll bet my bottom dollar that you'll enjoy the experience.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
How to Drink Naariyal Paani and Look Cool While You Are At It.
Like Lola Kutty's favourite beverage? Like Alex?
Some facts about the ubiquitous, humble coconut:
100% of Naariyal Paani joints are on the street. You needn't:
a) Sit down to have a drink
b) Look for a bottle opener
c) Get off from your horse... or car or bike or whatever it is that you ride
100% of Naariyal Paani vendors are men from God's own country (ruled by atheist Marxists right now). The Naariyals, though, come from Karnataka. These joints don't have a name. (no name, no name board, no MNS hassle, no taxes).
Here's a quick and dirty guide to "How to Drink Naariyal Paani, and Look Cool While You Are At It".
Some facts about the ubiquitous, humble coconut:
100% of Naariyal Paani joints are on the street. You needn't:
a) Sit down to have a drink
b) Look for a bottle opener
c) Get off from your horse... or car or bike or whatever it is that you ride
100% of Naariyal Paani vendors are men from God's own country (ruled by atheist Marxists right now). The Naariyals, though, come from Karnataka. These joints don't have a name. (no name, no name board, no MNS hassle, no taxes).
Here's a quick and dirty guide to "How to Drink Naariyal Paani, and Look Cool While You Are At It".
- Know the price. It doesn't take much to know (read the next sentence). INR 18/-. Anywhere in Mumbai.
- The man (called Alex on TV, but generally Ganesan, Kutty or Nair) will ask "Malai ya paani". Malai is the tender coconut that's like semi solid jello, but tastes much better. Say Malai if you want to eat that, otherwise just say "paaniwala".
- Watch out for the squirt when he peirces the coconut. The liquid causes a permanent stain on your clothes.
- Pick out the straw, enjoy.
- If you've asked for the Malaiwalla, the man will daintily chip out a larger opening. He'll also give you a natural spoon. Don't worry, it's perfectly hygeinic.
- Be careful when you're drinking from the Malaiwalla coconut. The water is always up to the brim.
- Don't haggle over the price, unless you are one of them ladies.
- Don't ask stupid questions like "Accha paani wala dena" - a coconut is a coconut is a coconut. They never taste the same. They aren't made in factories, you know. And there is no way the guy knows beforehand.
- Don't get alarmed when the guy taps the coconut before he gives it to you. He's just checking whether there are any frogs trapped inside.
- Don't judge the taste or the quantity of the water by the size of the coconut. It's the colour that matters. And the relative dryness of the outer shell. You know a dry coconut when you see one - it isn't green - it's a dry brown.
And here's where you can get your favourite Naariyal Paani from:
Around the next corner near where you are right now
OR:
- Adjacent to McDonald's, Opposite VT Station. Nothing remarkable but you can watch all the college kids poison themselves at McDonald's.
- Adjacent to McDonald's, Opposite Andheri West. This spot is a permanent meeting spot for couples and friends, a lot of umm... people watching.
- Opposite SNDT Churchgate, near Khau Galli (Oval Maidan). The plus point? SNDT Churchgate. Not bad entertainment.
- Opposite Passport Office, Parel. Boy does he do roaring business!
- SV Road, Irla - two opposite to each other. They're brothers I think.
- Andheri Kurla Road, a few feet away from the temple just outside the station.
- Andheri Kurla Road, Marol Pipeline. The area is quite unhygienic so skid right past.
- Saki Naka "State Bank". Two of them, and one inside Saki Naka Pipeline. The area is full of mallus... makes sense. Brisk business, and generally good stuff. A mallu worth his mundu knows his coconut water, so they don't fool 'em out here.
And about the looking cool part... I don't know, if I knew I would've been SRK. Dress like Lola Kutty or Alex. That'll be really cool!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Best Places for a Haircut in Mumbai
Try these. As the title of this blog suggests, most of these places charge around $1 (US). Or slightly more.
Best: Air Cool at Churchgate.
Haircut INR 75 (Around a dollar and some cents)
Head massage INR 50
It's air conditioned. Rather large, should be around twenty seats. The best part is the hygiene. Fresh new bibs, combs and scissors for every customer. Downside - head massage not to good.
Second best: Liberty at Andheri East (Opposite Brijwasi, near the courts / Andheri Gymkhana)
Haircut INR 35 (Less than a $!)
Air conditioned. Plastic bibs, hygienic, but scissors and comb are cleaned and reused. Head massage is pretty good. Downside - the attitude of some of those guys p****es me off.
Footpath outside Saki Naka Post Office
Haircut INR 15 (don't bother with converting).
Special particle cleanser with extra dose of carbon monoxide. Never been there. Upside - you get to sit with your back to the road (honestly, that's the only upside I can think of. Well I guess they change the shaving blades. If you could afford to spend only INR 15 for a haircut, stop reading this blog and go earn some money!) Downside - Should you really ask?
Al-Sabah at Nahar Amrit Shakti, Chandivili
Haircut INR 35
Decent. I go there only if my hair becomes unmanageable on a weekend or a holiday. Sometimes when you gotta get a haircut, you just gotta get a haircut. If you have dense, thick hair, you would know how irritating it can get. It's air-conditioned, though gets a little stuffy. There is always some '70s movie running on the TV behind your back, like Deewar or whatever.
Downside - Hygiene not the best. Massage doesn't rock either. If I do go, I make sure I have a good shower afterward, with some really good shampoo and nice, warm water. It gets crowded with folks from the Nahar and Raheja complexes, especially on Sunday evenings (you know, I try hard not to go there, but a good haircut is the difference between a nice Monday morning to work, and a horrid Monday morning - yes, I am one of those who like Mondays :-(
Best: Air Cool at Churchgate.
Haircut INR 75 (Around a dollar and some cents)
Head massage INR 50
It's air conditioned. Rather large, should be around twenty seats. The best part is the hygiene. Fresh new bibs, combs and scissors for every customer. Downside - head massage not to good.
Second best: Liberty at Andheri East (Opposite Brijwasi, near the courts / Andheri Gymkhana)
Haircut INR 35 (Less than a $!)
Air conditioned. Plastic bibs, hygienic, but scissors and comb are cleaned and reused. Head massage is pretty good. Downside - the attitude of some of those guys p****es me off.
Footpath outside Saki Naka Post Office
Haircut INR 15 (don't bother with converting).
Special particle cleanser with extra dose of carbon monoxide. Never been there. Upside - you get to sit with your back to the road (honestly, that's the only upside I can think of. Well I guess they change the shaving blades. If you could afford to spend only INR 15 for a haircut, stop reading this blog and go earn some money!) Downside - Should you really ask?
Al-Sabah at Nahar Amrit Shakti, Chandivili
Haircut INR 35
Decent. I go there only if my hair becomes unmanageable on a weekend or a holiday. Sometimes when you gotta get a haircut, you just gotta get a haircut. If you have dense, thick hair, you would know how irritating it can get. It's air-conditioned, though gets a little stuffy. There is always some '70s movie running on the TV behind your back, like Deewar or whatever.
Downside - Hygiene not the best. Massage doesn't rock either. If I do go, I make sure I have a good shower afterward, with some really good shampoo and nice, warm water. It gets crowded with folks from the Nahar and Raheja complexes, especially on Sunday evenings (you know, I try hard not to go there, but a good haircut is the difference between a nice Monday morning to work, and a horrid Monday morning - yes, I am one of those who like Mondays :-(
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