Swati Snacks - Tardeo (Mumbai)

(Guest article written by Pratima Chabbi. Co-authored by Me)

Well it’s the last few days before I quit my current job and with basically nothing to do at work, I’ve been making the best out of working in Worli. The past few days have seen a flurry of activity in relation to exploring quite a few places to eat, in and around this part of the city. Today I decided to take Shin (Shinoy) out for a farewell lunch treat.

As usual Shin walks up to my cubicle, peeps in and says "chalo chalo where are we goin?” The think-tank starts to whirr …trying to fix on a new restaurant to patronize; and we have restrictions too - its gonna have to be pure veg coz of Shin’s Lent restrictions! It finally boiled down to 2 - Swati Snacks in Tardeo and Anant Ashram, near Opera House. I figured Anant Ashram would be a better choice during the Non-veg days, as they serve delicious fish delicacies. I’ve heard many people raving about Swati Snacks too and how it was a ‘must visit’ destination!!! Swati Snacks won this round.

It was 12.40 when we left for lunch - usually we would still be sitting in office, anxiously staring at the clock right above us to strike 1.00, but these are my ‘chill’ days so it really didn’t matter. The funny part was that Shin was already at the ground floor lobby of our building while I was still on my way down!!! We set off to Tardeo, in the hot sun, chattering away in the cab, about random things, as usual.

Swati Snacks is considered to be an institution in itself, and a very famous one at that. It’s been around for years and now has a highly respected position in the gastronomic fabric of Mumbai. We reach there to find that we had to put our name down in the queue list and wait outside till seats were free and we were ushered inside. This waiting game is another talked about feature of this restaurant. We had gotten a glimpse of the interiors and the patrons and commented to each other about how the place looked like a ‘hip’ Gujju (Gujarati) joint - like the ‘fru-fru’ types (a term I’ve coined to refer to ‘hoity-toity’ people).

The interiors had a very modern look with liberal use of steel, wood and glass – very unlike a joint which served up Gujju cuisine. The décor surely had our approval!! We glanced through the menu and were super-confused. For first timers the maze of names is quite a task to crack – however a brief explanation of each dish is given. All the dishes on the menu fall under the snacks genre. Gujarati cuisines almost entirely consists of food which we would categorize as snacks. No single item will whet your appetite on its own. Quite a unique fact, that!

We began our meal with Dahi Sev Batata Puri an extremely popular snack item. Nothing great - quite ordinary. The Fadani Khichdi with curd (spicy rice gruel) was out of this world. Took us back to the time Shin & I would raid a very dear Gujju colleague’s ‘dabba’ at Bates Enterprise (where we were formerly employed). Great stuff this. Khichdi was followed by Satpadi Roti (a seven-layered, spicy, fried wheat roti) and Gatta Nu Shak (gramflour dumpling and yoghurt curry). Although this was authentic stuff we felt like we required an acquired taste to relish it. Our experimental mood led us to order Panki Chatni (soft, paper thin, rice pancakes steamed in banana leaves). This too requires an acquired taste to really enjoy it – I guess the taste slowly grows on you.

Shin and I never ever leave a restaurant without indulging is dessert. However apart from several flavours of ice cream, there was nothing else worth considering. So, we ordered for Kesar Lassi – sheer bliss shone through on Shin’s face. Lol. We later realized that we didn’t notice the Malai Malpua (a deep fried dish made with sweetened cottage cheese in sugar syrup).

With most dishes ranging between Rs.50 & Rs.80 it was quite within budget. And who wouldn’t mind paying for such authentic fare. Word around is that some dishes served at Swati Snacks are not available anywhere else in Mumbai.

Overall, we’d say that the food is quite overrated, but tasty and interesting, nevertheless.

Restaurant Class: Mid-Range

Address: 248 Karai Estate, Tardeo Road, opposite Bhatia Hospital, Mumbai.

Tel. No: 022 - 56808405

Aaswad - Dadar (Mumbai)

Although most vegetarian restaurants would be stop-gap, temporary places for me to tide over this veg phase, there are a few joints which serve up some awesome vegetarian delicacies.

Aaswad is one such joint. Located at Gadkari Chowk in Dadar, it’s the place to go for authentic Maharashtrian fare. Don’t confuse Konkan/Gomantak cuisine with Maharashtrian cuisine. They are distinctly different in several aspects like place of origin and base ingredients amongst others.

For the purpose of this review I had taken a couple of friends, AD & G, along. I reckoned that this way I’d be able to taste a wider range of dishes. As we entered the restaurant, AD who is a Maharashtrian, immediately exclaimed that the place had undergone a marked change. Apparently it used to look like any run-of-the-mill eatery a few years back. That was hard for me to believe as the current interiors absolutely do not betray its dilapidated past. Air-conditioning, fairly comfortable chairs and a potpourri of décor bric-a-brac make the ambiance quite inviting. And what’s amazing is that no premium is charged for this.

The food is the high-point of Aaswad. We went straight for the main course and ordered Matki Usal and Dalimbi Usal (dishes using 2 different varieties of lentils), Bharli Wangi (an eggplant dish with gravy) and Batate chi Bhaji (a dry, potato preparation). These were accompanied with chapattis and steamed rice. We also placed an order for Masala Rice, a delicious concoction of rice, spices and a sprinkling of coriander, served with Raita (a condiment based on yoghurt). The extraordinary thing was that this food was extremely light on the stomach. We didn’t get that ‘heavy’ feeling that usually follows a full blown Punjabi meal. All the dishes got my hearty approval. However the best was yet to come.

The desserts. There aren’t enough words in my limited vocabulary which I could use in praise of the sweet treats that followed. Kharwas – an extremely light textured sweet dish, with a modicum of sugar and a dash of saffron. Gajar Halva – a sweet dish made from finely chopped carrots and milk and Dudhi Halva - a sweet dish made from finely chopped bottle gourd and milk. What a treat! Piyush (a curd based drink) is another item on the desert menu that is recommended.

When the bill arrived we were taken aback – pleasantly. Barely Rs. 200 for all of the above items which served 3. What a steal!

The verdict’s out. Fantastic place for authentic Maharashtrian fare – tasty food, comfortable interiors and a very slim bill – you can’t ask for more!


Restaurant Class: Economy

Address: 252/D, Wavda Building, Gadkari Chowk,
L.J. Road, Dadar,
Mumbai – 400028

Tel No: 24451871

Free Home Delivery.

‘Tis the season of Veg!

Given a chance I would always prefer non-vegetarian food over vegetarian fare. But during the season of Lent I move into ‘veg-mode’ having given up meat and eggs for 40 days till Easter. This is the period when I actively seek out restaurants and eateries which serve great vegetarian dishes.

My next few posts will be dedicated to reviewing such veg havens and some lip-smacking preparations!!

New Ideal Restaurant - Gamdevi (Mumbai)

In my quest to unearth tasty local fare, last Sunday, I discovered New Ideal Restaurant, tucked away in the heart of Gamdevi, opposite the August Kranti Maidan BEST bust stop.

The less said about the overall ambiance of the place, the better. The interiors were very basic, the furniture, functional and the name board outside required a fresh coat of paint. However, the service was quite prompt and friendly. I asked for the menu and a laminated, folded piece of paper, standard to most economy class restaurants in Mumbai, was handed over to me.

A quick glance at the menu card revealed quite an impressive assortment of non-vegetarian dishes with the exception of fish. I placed an order for Mutton Afghani and chapattis. The food arrived without much delay and I began my inspection.

I had assumed that the mutton would be in white sauce – the Afghan connection, you see. I was wrong. What was placed before me was red. A trifle disappointed I stirred the contents of the dish to reveal mutton pieces (not boneless) and slices of omelet. Quite a unique combination, that. On tasting it, the disappointment changed to sheer happiness. The mutton pieces were succulent and well cooked. The omelet added a dash of character to the dish, which also had a smattering of chopped coriander leaves. However the chef had gone a bit overboard with the oil content – so this isn't for the health conscious lot.

The dessert section was practically non-existent. The only item on the dessert menu was caramel custard. I ordered for it with skepticism about its quality writ large over my face. They proved me wrong yet again. The custard was delicious, and of extremely light texture – reminded me of fine chocolate soufflé. A fitting end to a satisfying lunch.

Overall, this restaurant’s a good place for a quick and tasty non-vegetarian meal if you don’t care too much about the ambiance.

Restaurant Class: Budget

Address: 66/B, Motiwala Mansion
A.K. Marg
Mumbai – 400036

Tel No: 23864810/ 56643873

Free Home Delivery. Charges for containers extra.

The Lunch That Never Was.

The elusive holiday was here. Sunday – a full day to myself to rest, chill and basically do my thing. This was a good day to indulge in some good food for lunch. I did not have to think too much about which restaurant I wanted to patronize today. Hotel Gomantak Yashwantashram, Grant Road, was my destination. However, by the time I got myself to leave home it was 2:30 in the afternoon. The local trains were unusually crowded and I had to let a couple of them go by before I got on to one that gave me a foothold!

With my stomach rumbling, I stepped out onto Grant Road station. The anticipation of the meal ahead was almost getting the better of me. Hotel Yashwantashram is a small unassuming restaurant, which serves up some mouthwatering non-vegetarian Gomantak dishes. Their sea-food course is out of this world!

My pace towards the exit gate quickened. There in front of me was the yellow board advertising the cuisine available in-store. But what I saw next left me in shock. There was momentary numbness. The shutters were down. Yashwantashram was closed.

Noooooooooooooooooo !!!

It took me almost five minutes to recover. I stood there rooted to the asphalt, numb, trying to make sense of it all. The buildings around me seemed to close in. There it was, a blackboard with the restaurant timings scribbled on it.

Morning: 11:30 to 3:30. Evening: 7:30 to 11:30.

The time was 3:40 pm.

Hotel Gomantak Yashwantashram will definitely be reviewed in the coming weeks !