A chat between foodies Kunal Vijayakar and Kurush Dalal about the phasing out of the mutton sandwich from city menus led us on a trail to find the best of it
Nostalgia is overrated. As youngsters, we often write off our elders for it and tend to forget that age will catch up with us, too. All the romanticising of old cafes, out-of-fashion organza sarees, and yesteryear hunks sounds like a whole lot of jargon. Until, we take a step back and think of the endless nights we spend talking about audio cassettes, Winamp and Limewire in a room full of millennials. Perhaps we don't realise that tagging each other on memes around '90s paraphernalia is also subconscious romanticising. It's really a classic case of to each his own.
So, recently, when someone pointed out to us a palaver between city-based foodies online, reminiscing the classic mutton sandwich, a legacy that fit characteristically into the Irani café and colonial-era club repertoire, we hurriedly said to them, "So, what's the big deal?"
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And then, we called up actor and food enthusiast Kunal Vijayakar, who shared an image of a classic mutton roast sandwich, to understand why he called the snack a "lost dying art" on his post.
"You know what I miss the most? I miss the simplicity," Vijayakar heaves, referring to the no-frills sandwich consisting of nothing more than some good ol' white bread, meat, butter and sometimes, a little mustard, too.
On Vijayakar's post, Mumbai University professor and food historian Kurush Dalal wrote, "BTW it's bloody expensive and most people don't sadly want to pay for a good mutton sandwich (sic)." Explaining this further, Dalal tells us, "In the '70s and '80s, the cost of raw mutton and chicken was at par and so, the sandwiches would cost the same. But over the last 25 years, mutton has become increasingly more expensive because chicken has been farmed in a big way."
Vijayakar echoes this but believes there is more to it. "People are health conscious, so they tend to avoid red meat. Also, we have a lot of first-generation vegetarians in Bombay. So, they start off with chicken. And broiler chicken is tasteless. If it has no taste, the vegetarian won't get offended,"
he jokes.
And as the snack becomes increasingly elusive, here are a few places to try it out at:
The classic at the cafe
The iconic Iranian cafe is one of the few places that continues to serve mutton sandwich in its original avatar, which features white bread slathered with butter, minced roast mutton and mustard. It happens to be one of Vijayakar's favourite haunts for the snack, too.
TIME: 7 am to 8.45 pm
AT: Kyani & Co, Jer Mahal Estate, Dhobi Talao.
CALL: 30150864
COST: Rs 95
The icon in the iconic
Since 1956, the restaurant has been the flagbearer of Mumbai's past and despite changing their menu to include new-age dishes in 2016, they continue to serve the classic mutton sandwich, which is much like the one at Kyani's. Except that here, the delectable triangles are served with a salad and potato crisps.
TIME: 12 pm to 3.30 pm; 7.30 pm to 11.30 pm
AT: Gaylord, Mayfair Building, Churchgate.
CALL: 220446935
COST: Rs 200 to Rs 380
Pic/Atul Kamble
Old, but with a twist
You can satiate your craving for a mutton sandwich at this bar and eatery. However, they have their own rendition. Ensconced within a slice of white and another of brown bread is minced lamb mixed with mayonnaise. The bread slices are smeared with butter and coriander chutney. The snack is available in a grilled version, too.
TIME: 11 am to 1 am
AT: The Lantern Bar at Kandeel, MG Road, Fort.
CALL: 22673875
COST: Rs 250
Pic/Bipin Kokate
Baking bad since 1908
A bakery that has been around for more than a century will surely know what city foodies mean when they say "classic". Here, the snack is a simple combination of oven-roasted mutton, white bread, butter and a sprinkle of grated cheese.
TIME: 9 am to 8.30 pm
AT: American Express Bakery (Bandra West and Byculla outlets).
CALL: 26422857
COST: Rs 90
Kurush Dalal
Also check out
Katy's Kitchen
CALL: 9820136511 (minimum order: 10 sandwiches to be placed 24 hours prior)
Cafe Military
AT: Tamarind Lane, Fort. (22654181)
Kunal Vijayakar
Ideal Corner
AT: Gunbow Street, Fort. (22621930)
Candies
AT: Pali Hill, Bandra West. (26430728)
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