03 August,2025 02:09 PM IST | Mumbai | Arpika Bhosale
Vada pav is one of the most popular snacks in Mumbai
When news broke last month about the Union Health Ministry's directive urging government canteens to display the sugar and oil content in eatables - including vada pav - Mumbaikars stirred uneasily. Thankfully, the ministry clarified that the rule didn't apply to local stalls and thelas, offering relief to vendors and snack lovers alike. But it also stirred up something else - a sense of nostalgia.
For this writer, the vada pav isn't just street food; it's a time capsule. Growing up in Mumbai Central meant sneaking Rs 2 from a parent's wallet and splitting a vada pav with cousins - each of us complicit in our love for that crispy, spicy carb bomb. The treat was followed by games of badminton, lock-and-key, or skating through monsoon puddles - a memory every Mumbaikar knows in their own way. So we asked those who've made it their life's work to refine the palate - Mumbai's chefs - about their go-to vada pav spots. Here's what they had to say.
Khanna's love affair with vada pav began in childhood, thanks to a humble thela on Bandra's 15th Road, across from where Starbucks now stands. "It was served with a raw papaya slaw - that's what first hooked me to it," he recalls.
When Khanna was 20, the vendor had shut shop and returned to his village. That's when Khanna discovered his current favourite: a stall outside NM College in Juhu Vile Parle. Decades later, the bond remains strong.
"The consistency, the familiar taste - I still love it as much as I did back then,. The old-fashioned, porous soft pav, generously buttered and smeared with chutney, is mouth-watering. But the real star is the vada - a slightly creamy, mildly spicy filling with a crispy, crunchy exterior. It tastes exactly like it did 30 years ago."
Chef Manish eating Vada Pav at Anand vada pav stall opp NM College. PIC/NIMESH DAVE
Unlike many purists, Khanna prefers a little twist on the side. "I love it with a tangy-sweet imli chutney. It makes the snack complete - a little spice, a little tang, butter, chutney, and that piping hot vada. Yummm."
Price: Rs 15
WHERE: Handcart opposite Mithibai College
Limaye grew up in Shivaji Park, where sampling every vada pav stall in the neighbourhood was almost a rite of passage. One of her favourites, a modest thela back then, has now grown into a small shop called Babu Vada Pav. "Thankfully, the taste hasn't changed," she says - a rare win, since sometimes quality drops when their go-to joints upgrade. "He sells other snacks too, but the vada is very âghar ghuti' - classic Maharashtrian home-style. And true to form, there's no green chutney. That's how you know it's the real deal."
Chef Aditi outside Kirti College, at the famous Ashok Vada Pav. PIC/SAYYED SAMEER ABEDI
Though she's a fan of Ashok Vada Pav and other legends, Limaye says there's something special about Babu's. "One isn't enough, and two feel like too much - it's that kind of indulgence. But what I love most is that he never preps extra ones. He'll say, âMa'am, wait five minutes.' And of course, you wait, because what you get is a piping hot vada pav, fresh off the kadhai."
As a chef, Limaye shares her insider tips: "If a vada pav needs extra chutney or masala to âfix' it, it's a fail." For her, it's more than just a snack - it's a meal with soul. "For so many hustling in Mumbai, one vada pav keeps you going for half a day. Think about it - one pav costs about '3, a vada pav '18, and that's a full meal. The only cheaper option might be the cycle-wala idli-chutney during the day."
Limaye is open to a bit of experimentation - but only if it doesn't mess with the essence. "Some innovations have been great. Outside Mithibai College, there's Dhiraj's butter vada pav - super light pav, a generous vada, and the butter makes it indulgent. Their baked vada pav is interesting too - no frying, just stuffing. It's a nice idea, but again, the essence has to stay intact."
Vada pav has transcended its status as street food, she says. "People now order it on apps and pay '50 for something that once cost '5. That's how much we love it - it's even become a bar snack!" As a chef, she has experimented with the format. "I've made mini vada pavs with multigrain pav, and even chicken vada pavs - people love them at catering events. Every food entrepreneur wants to be unique and stay relevant. Trends help, but not at the cost of the original spirit." And yet, there are limits. "I've seen Italian vada pavs with lettuce and mayo, and worse - chocolate vada pavs with gooey fillings. It sells, sure, but not for me. I'd never make that. Ever."
Price: Rs 25
WHERE: Babu Vada Pav, Vile Parle
Shree Datta Guru Snacks is a mandatory pitstop for many enroute Pune. They would skip the Expressway to be able to snack here. PIC/SAYYED SAMEER ABEDI
Samtani, who grew up in Chembur, remembers his childhood trips to Lonavala not just for the getaway, but for one specific stop - Shree Dattaguru Snacks near Palaspe Phata on the old Mumbai-Panvel highway. "We still take the old road instead of the Expressway because skipping this place just isn't an option," he says. Even today, as he speaks, the aroma of freshly fried vadas from the roadside eatery drifts him down the memory lane.
"For me, a bite of the Datta vada pav is like travelling back in time," says Samtani. "Nothing has changed - not the pav, not the vada - but what makes it special is the lasun chutney. The balance of garlic and spice is perfect." Now based in Ulwe, Samtani often makes that same detour, bypassing the Mumbai-Pune Expressway for the old route. "I'm 40, and no matter how rushed I am, I never miss it. That vada pav isn't just food - it's a bite of my childhood."
Price: Rs 20
WHERE: Dattaguru Snacks, Panvel
This true-blue Thane boy'sall-time favourite vada pav may have shut down, but he's found a worthy contender. "Vada pav is central to the Thanekar experience," he says, recalling countless memories tied to the beloved street snack.
Shantanu Gupte at Ruchi Vada Pav, Maithili tower, Vartak Nagar, Thane West, near IDFC. PIC/SAYYED SAMEER ABEDI
For Gupte, a great vada pav has to meet a few non-negotiables. "The besan coating should be thin - not doughy - and the flavour must be balanced with the right blend of garlic, curry leaves, ginger, chilli, mustard seeds, and coriander," he explains. What sets it apart? "The chutneys. They can make or break the dish."
His current favourite is from Ruchi Vada Pav, which, he says, nails the balance. "Their chilli and yellow besan chutney are incredible - full of flavour and always consistent." What keeps it that way, he believes, is their approach: "They make everything in small batches throughout the day. That's why the vadas are always piping hot. Everything, right down to how it's wrapped in paper, works."
While Gupte is a fan of tradition, he's also open to innovation. "There are days when I crave the OG vada pav, but I don't mind a twist now and then. I once created a deconstructed, pre-plated version of the dish on a food show," he laughs. "I truly believe there's room for both - the original and the experimental - to coexist."
Price: Rs 15
WHERE: Ruchi Snacks and Vada Pav, Pokharan Road 1, Thane West
For D'Souza', his favourite breaktime and unwinding is associated with a vada pav, "After a hectic restaurant shift, our whole team would walk down around 6 pm. We'd grab chai, vada pav, and just pause for a bit. This stall feels like a breather," he says, adding, "The Bhola Vada Pav in Worli Koliwada market uses fresh ingredients and stays till everything's sold out. No shortcuts, no drama - just solid street food," he adds.
Bholanath Mhatre (left) of Bhola Vada Pav along with Chef Richard D'Souza at Kesharinath Buwa Bhaye Marg, Worli Koliwada in Mumbai. PICS/SATEJ SHINDE
So does the vada pav need a makeover, we ask? "Not at all!" he immediately quips. "It's already perfect. Chefs can glam it up, but the janta decides what works - and they still love it just the way it is. People have experimented - made it gourmet, plated it pretty. But the essence is untouched," he adds. The best way to eat it - "Standing on a street corner, eating it right after it is fried and probably with a cup of chai" he adds.
Price: Rs 15
WHERE: Bhola Vada Pav at Kesharinath Buwa Bhaye Marg, Worli Koliwada
