Iconic eateries in Mumbai rethink menus as fuel crisis drags on

Rice-based dishes have been removed from Aram Vada Pav’s menu, while employees are cooking potatoes at home to save gas. PICS/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

With hoteliers' hopes about the gas supply shortage ending looking unlikely at present, the menus of several iconic restaurants across the city have been tweaked since early March. Many have even started adopting charcoal-run chulhas and firewood to prepare meals. Speaking to mid-day, those at the helm of three famous eateries talk about how they are managing amid the crisis.

Aram Vada Pav

Kaustubh Tambe, who owns Aram Vada Pav, an 86-year-old eatery in Fort, said, "We have removed more than five to seven items from our sit-in menu. These are mostly rice-based or dishes like upma since they take time to cook. Luckily, we had renovated our front kitchen two years ago and added an induction cooktop, which has now come in handy."

Rice-based dishes have been removed from Aram Vada Pav's menu, while staff cooks potatoes at home to save gas. PIC/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

As a way to save gas at the restaurants, Tambe and other employees boil potatoes used as an ingredient at home. Regarding customer demand, he said, "We call our daily customers VIPs, and they have been understanding, but we feel disheartened that we cannot serve them their usual orders." He added, "Since we have started using charcoal-based cooking methods and also a chulha, there have been complaints about smoke, but we don't have a choice."

Garden court

Vilas Khare, account manager of Garden Court at Azad Nagar in Andheri West, said, "We have a PNG [piped natural gas] connection so we are not as affected as kitchens that run on LPG, but we also have to be cautious about our gas consumption as we have received revised consumption limits from MGL [Mahanagar Gas Limited]. There is a risk of a complete cut in gas supply if we exceed them." MGL has informed restaurants that they must get by on only 80 per cent of their average consumption.

Amar hotels

The Amar Hotel in Borivli

Jayesh Kesaria, a partner in the Amar group of hotels, said, "I know many restaurant owners who have been forced to shut because of LPG scarcity. A few have cut down on heat-intensive items like chai. We have given many of our tenants a temporary 25 per cent relaxation in rent to help them cope with their losses."

Jayesh Kesaria, a partner in the Amar chain's Borivli outlet

Balaji restaurant

Balaji restaurant and its kitchen. Pics/By Special Arrangement

Santosh Kumar Shettygar, hotelier, Balaji Pure Veg restaurant in Malad, said, "I had to invest more than a lakh in induction cooktops this month and still I am unable to offer the full menu to costumers. I figure that I will have to bear a 20-25 per cent loss this month."

What AHAR says

Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, vice-president of the Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association, said, "The worst thing is that if restaurants close, many will be unemployed, so we have told our association's members to cut usage as much as possible. Such a situation has never happened before. We are coming up with as many alternatives as we can." He added, "If this continues, restaurants will close, as not all know how to cook with charcoal and other alternative methods. Consumers will be affected as prices will rise. We are resilient. Even during the pandemic, we persisted, and we will persist now as well. We just need the government's support."

Why not induction?

>> It does not match the standard of productivity and efficiency for restaurants
>> Shortage of high-level cooktops