On his daily route to Campion School as a kid, the sight of his father or kakas manning large crowds at Girgaum's Daryush bakery was a routine for Neil Bastani. "We would sell over 80 different products back in the day, and used to live next door. Each morning, I would see people line up for our pattices on cycles. There would often be fights, as employees of school, college and railway canteens, other bakeries and retail stores would also come early to procure our products and resell them. My kaka, Daryush [also the name of his great great grandfather] would often have to yell at people to stand in a line," Bastani says.

Strategically located close to the many cinema halls of the old Grant Road neighbourhood, Charni Road railway station and an erstwhile diamond market, Daryush has been a landmark in Girgaum for 90 years now. The bakery was started by Bastani's great great grandfather, great grandfather Boman and grand uncle Rustom, all of whom came to India from Iran. Their sons Daryush, Niroomand and Rohinton continued running the bakery over the years. Their khari is a bestseller even today, apart from mawa and plum cakes. These 90 years haven't always been easy, Bastani says. The turning point was the diamond market shifting to BKC. "The shift hit us instantly, such that at one point, we were down to stocking just six different items from 80. I wasn't a part of the business then," he reminisces. Back then, Bastani had just started a pizza delivery chain (Juno's), and two-and-a-half years ago he finally sold his stake in the chain to his partner. It was his brother who suggested that Bastani join the business given his experience in the hospitality industry. Once he did that, Bastani worked hard to increase their product roster again, the first being a rejig of the classic mawa cake. "Everyone in this city had sadly moved on to cupcakes from mawa cakes. That's why I started making fusion mawa cakes such as caramel, chocolate and almond, which I now supply to different eateries," he says.