A paanwala and a London-style telephone booth are odd things to find in juxtaposition, more so within an office complex. But these are really fronts for Please Don't Tell, or PDT, a new speakeasy or hidden bar in Lower Parel. Dialling a code in the booth leads one to the concealed space, which is predictably grungy with exposed pipes and unfinished walls, for cocktails and a menu inspired by street food. Like PDT, Silverspoon Gourmet too chose to be located where intimate groups of guests could order from a changing food selection or test their own culinary skills. What these new establishments in the city are attempting to do by design, however, is what some others have done by default - staying a secret that is known to and appreciated by a dedicated few.
"People in Mumbai don't know of the best places to eat," says Vipul Yadav, an assistant brand manager by profession who leads food walks on weekends. "They will send you to Bade Miyan for meat, Lucky's for biryani or Bachelorr's for desserts but those are not all that great." He prefers gems that are little known and unaffected by hype, like the 125-year-old Taj Ice Cream in Bohri Mohalla within Bhendi Bazaar. The humble shop still makes hand-made 'sancha' ice-creams that are creamy in texture and have fruit in each bite. The custard apple and mango flavours are rated highly. Taj Ice Cream was to be recognised as the oldest of the sort in India, says Yusuf Icecreamwallah, one of three brothers who own the shop, but "we don't have written proof."
The mohalla, in fact, has been gaining the recognition of 'secret scouters of cool' over its more popular neighbour Mohammad Ali Road. Kalyan Karmakar, food blogger and columnist, discovered the locality only after spending 16 years in the city. He often returns there for the bara handi (a dish cooked in 12 pots) at Valibhai Payawala. The recipe has been used every single day of its 132 years of existence. The meat is slow cooked without oil for 12 hours on a coal flame. The owner, Ansari Ismailbhai, also regales diners with stories of the visits from famous personalities including Shahid Kapoor, Javed Akhtar and Farooq Sheikh.
"You get food that is distinctive. It often comes with lot of character and history and tastes great," notes Karmakar. Rather than Britannia & Co or Jimmy Boy, Karmakar picks Ideal Corner in Fort for his Parsi food fix. The eatery, easy to miss in a bylane off D N Road, is now a stop in the food walks he conducts in South Mumbai. Some 30 years ago, the space that packs in half a dozen tables used to be a garage for servicing Yezdi bikes, says manager Pervez Patel. With the two-wheeler going out of production, the owners began selling tea and snacks before fully embracing the food business. Though Patel is not sure about the story behind the restaurant's name, it could have been derived from Ideal Jawa, the manufacturer of the Yezdi motorcycle.
Unbeknownst to many, the rooftop of the dowdy Strand Hotel hosts the Bayview cafe while that of Hotel Rangsharda is home to Oceania Restaurant. Their decor may be unimpressive and the offerings limited to cold beers and snacks, but these eateries offer stunning views of the coastline in Colaba and Bandra, respectively, which brings a steady stream of patrons. There is also Khodu's cafe, at least 50 years old and a favourite with locals in Colaba. Apart from chai and shakkar pani (a spin on lemon tea), its kitchen dishes out Kerala Muslim specialities like dal gosht and Malabar parotta.
Some restaurants have such a quiet presence that you could walk past not knowing what you've missed. However, inside Kitab Khana, the bookshop in 150-year-old Somaiya Bhavan, the faint clinking of spoons hitting coffee cups is unmissable. Shoppers often end their sojourn at Food for Thought, a cafe within the store. Started by husband-wife duo of Kapil and chef Reshma Sanghi, it is known for specialities like an obstinately dense hot chocolate and the curious bestseller 'bhelpuri sandwich'. The menu is modified every few months but Kapil Sanghi says one rule is constant. "We don't have Wi-Fi. If people want to be on their laptops all day, we send them to Starbucks."
Hidden restaurants are low on hype but they have little enthusiasm or funds for PR and advertising. They are regarded for uniqueness and not for ambience or famous promoters. But quaintness does not always cover costs and business can be overshadowed by bigger names. This caused Ideal Corner's Patel to recently register with a food website. He furrows his brow for a while before remembering its name. "Zomato. Have you heard of that?"
