Prakash cha sabudana vada to Gomantak chi fish thali: Iconic eateries in Dadar serving authentic Maharashtrian cuisine

Mumbai's Dadar area has been popular for many things - from being a shopping hub, the birthplace of some of the most crucial political movements of Maharashtra to being an all-time favourite spot to relish authentic Maharashtrian cuisines.

Ask a true Dadarkar what their favourite dish is, and they will be spoilt for choice. For some, indulging in Prakash Hotel's sabudana vada is all about reliving their childhood memories and for some biting into Ashok Vada pav's steaming hot and spicy vada pav is a favourite regular snack.

Besides, these iconic eateries not only serve scrumptious food but also have a rich history to tell. They all collectively make up for the identity of Dadar and its culture. If you plan on travelling to Dadar, stopping by these eateries to relish some of the most delicious food will surely tantalise your taste buds like never before.

Here, we share a curated list of some of these iconic eateries in Dadar

1. Prakash Shakahari Upahaar Kendra

Preserving the Marathi culture for decades, Prakash Shakahari Upahaar Kendra has been serving authentic Maharashtrian food for the past 73 years. First established in 1946 in Girgoan by Shivram Govind Joglekar aka Kaka Joglekar, the hotel is also located in Dadar's Shivaji Park area since 1971. Kaka Joglekar first set foot in Mumbai in 1946 in search of a job. That is when he thought of setting up a small food stall in Girgoan.

His grandson Ashutosh Joglekar who currently runs the hotel says, "We originally hail from the Konkan region. When aajoba (grandfather) came to Mumbai, he hardly had money for basic survival. He first set up a stall in Girgaon outside a building. The building's owner Dr Bhalerao saw aajoba running the stall well and offered to help him set up a shop next to the building. That is where it all started. Once the hotel began running well, aajoba thought of opening another branch in Dadar since it is home to maximum Maharashtrians."

He adds, "My aajoba alone used to cook all the dishes and serve the customers initially. Then when the business expanded, he appointed a few people to cook. He personally used to teach them to cook these authentic dishes. The same was done when he set up another branch here in Dadar."

Today, all dishes served at the hotel are original recipes of Kaka Joglekar. Prakash Hotel is known for its famous Subdana Vada, Misal and Piyush. Other dishes that can be relished at Prakash Hotel include Thalipeeth, Kothimbir Vadi, Alu Vadi and Pattice.

The hotel has been graced by many celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar, Sachin Pilgaonkar, Ashish Vidyarthi, Nana Patekar, and Shivaji Satam who are the hotel's regular customers. Even politicians like Nitin Gadkari and Raj Thackeray often order food from here.

2. Gypsy Corner

Another iconic eatery in Dadar that should not be missed is the Gypsy Corner. As the name goes, the eatery is quite literally located in one small corner that has an occupancy of hardly 30 customers. Gypsy Corner is famous for serving Maharashtrian meals from chapati, Bharli Vangi, and Kothimbir Vadi to Varan Bhaat.

Bhalchandra Jagannath Jadhav, 56, who has been working as the corner's manager for the past 18 years mentions that the corner was established in 1981 and earlier served all kinds of foods from continental dishes to light snacks like pav bhaji and pizzas. They also have a dedicated chat corner. However, to cater to the taste buds of Marathi people in Dadar, the corner started serving authentic Marathi dishes along with other food items.

Today, one can savour Marathi dishes like Thalipeeth, Misal Pav, Batata Vada, Kothimbir Vadi, Usal, Batata Bhaji Puri, Bhakri, Matar Pattice, Pithla Bhakri, Vangyachi Bharit, Masale Bhaat and much more.

This eatery too is a famous spot among various celebrities, especially those belonging to the Marathi film industry. Though Jadhav chose not to reveal the names of the celebrities citing privacy concerns, he says, "Almost every other day we have at least one celebrity coming to the corner to grab a few quick bites."

Mid-day Online also spoke to one of the most loyal customers of Gypsy Corner who stepped out relishing a meal. Anuja Dalvi, born and brought up in Dadar, has been eating at the corner since her childhood. Some of her favourite dishes here are Dahi Batata Puri, Thalipeeth and Misal Pav. She says, "I either visit the place or order from here almost every day. Especially after work, I prefer eating food from here."

3. Hotel Gomantak Boarding House
One of the oldest hotels serving delectable Goan seafood is the Gomantak Boarding House established by Ramnath Gopal Borkar in 1952. Borkar hailed from the Konkan region of Maharashtra. He came to Mumbai in search of livelihood. Located near Dadar's popular Plaza Cinema, Gomantak Hotel used to be crowded with workers from the neighbouring Kohinoor mill. Sunil Borkar, the son of Borkar who now runs the hotel with his elder brother Sudhir Borkar says, "We used to serve mill workers with a rice plate. This consisted of steamed rice, a piece of local fish fry - either Surmai or Halwa and some fish gravy. That is how the hotel's food rose to popularity."

As the hotel's popularity rose, the menu saw various additions that included Gomantak Special Thali (chicken, mutton and fish), fish fry, tisrya, prawns, and mutton/chicken sukha among many others.

Sunil Borkar proudly points out that Gomantak Hotel is one of the rare ones that serves soft boneless mutton dishes which makes it a favourite of many.

This seafood restaurant also is famous among actors like Bharat Jadhav, Siddharth Jadhav, and Jhonny Lever. Sunil says, "Some actors are regular visitors and mostly order our thalis and fish fry."

He adds, "When customers give us feedback about how much they love the food served at our hotel, it makes our day. Ultimately, customer satisfaction is what we aim for."

4. Tibb's Frankie
A famous frankie brand across Mumbai finds its strong roots in Dadar's Shivaji Park out of the many outlets in Mumbai. Helmed by Yogesh Powar, a 53-year-old resident of Dadar, this Tibbs Corner was established in 1993. Prior to this, Powar only sold ice-creams and soft drinks from 1987. Tibbs Corner is a franchise owned by a Punjabi individual named Amarjit Singh Tibb.

Powar says, "Mumbai is the birthplace of frankie. It is a Mumbai staple just like vada pav is." The frankie seller began selling this dish observing customer demand for this item. Initially, frankie had only three variations - chicken, mutton and veg frankie. "The classic chicken and mutton frankie is relished by old customers of Dadar even today," says Powar.

Frankie is a popular snacking and meal option among Dadarkars. Its unique taste is unlike any other roll. The blend of unique masala and meat gravy coupled with sliced onions rolled inside a flatbread is what makes Tibb's Frankie unique.

When asked what makes him happy, Powar reminisces, "When the customer takes his first bite and satisfies his cravings, the happiness that reflects on his face thereafter is what makes me happy. Earlier we used to serve frankie in a small plastic cover that collected the leftover meat soup and gravy. After finishing the frankie, the customers would sip on the gravy from the plastic cover. Watching them relish the item used to truly make me happy." Now, the frankie is served in a rolled paper that soaks in all the gravy.

Now, the frankie is served in numerous variations ranging from schezwan frankie to chipotle rolls to cater to a wider customer base.

5. Ashok Vada Pav
When we think of eating a vada pav in Dadar, Ashok Vada Pav is the first one that crosses our mind. Needless to say, this stall serves a loaded, bulky vada pav, one that is rare. Besides, its spicy green and red chutney coupled with chura is what makes it so popular.

Established in 1978, the vada pav that we relish at Rs 30 was earlier sold for just 30 paise.

Ashok Thakur, the man behind one of Mumbai's most famous vada pav stalls says, "I opened the stall because I couldn't find a job anywhere. I needed to do this for my survival." Today, his stall has been visited by prominent Indian personalities like Sachin Tendulkar and Shabana Azmi.

Thakur who loves to cater to the customer's needs and chutney choices standing at the stalls says, "I don't add any artificial flavours or even baking soda in the batata vada. We prepare vadas in the way they are prepared at home. The red chutney I serve along with the vada pav is my speciality which is made from over 44 ingredients."

At the stall, Thakur is often spotted urging customers to eat another vada pav after gulping down the first with much love.

While these are a handful of popular eateries in Dadar that continue to tingle every Dadarkar's taste buds, there are many others like Mama Kane's Swatchha Upahar Griha Aaswad, Light of Bharat, Shree Krishna Batatawada, and Gokuldas that are surely worth trying.