As Gaylord turns 60, staffers get into flashback mode

Noel DrsquoSouza and AN Malhotra at Gaylord PicsSuresh KarkeraBack in 1987 it was at Gaylord that Churchgate resident Minal Jagtianirsquos love story blossomed Having relished many Indian and Continental meals during childhood at the city landmark she also picked the venue for the first rendezvous with her tobe husband Lalit Comfortably seated on its signature wrought iron chairs in the garden section the duo bonded over Chicken Salad Sandwiches and Open Cheese Toasts and later got married and moved to Singapore ldquoIt was the starting point of a lovely lifelong relationship Till today my dad buys me the walnutfruit log cake when I visit Mumbai It carries a taste of loverdquo she reminiscesChicken A La KievThe Jagtianis may be one of the many couples who inspired Noel DrsquoSouza the restaurantrsquos general manager for the last 30 years to pen lsquoMarriages are made in heaven but blessed at Gaylordrsquo for an advertisement back in the day ldquoI would work in 11hour shifts and during breaks relax in the garden section and observe families matchmakingrdquo smiles the 60yearold DrsquoSouza as we soak in the familiar setting of the restaurant mdash replete with arched glass windows and wall paintings mdash that has been holding fort in Churchgate since the last 60 years its birthday is on November 16Then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee awards owner PL Lamba centre and Noel DrsquoSouza extreme right for the Best Restaurant In the Western Region 1997ndash98 at National Tourism Awards presented by Government of IndiaIn 1956 Delhibased food entrepreneurs PL Lamba and the Ghais they have separated now of the Kwality Group opened Gaylord after establishing their ice cream brand and flagship restaurant at Connaught Place in Delhi ldquoWe also owned Hotel Nataraj at Marine Drive where InterContinental now sits So the location was convenientrdquo says 36yearold thirdgeneration owner Dhruv Lamba who has trusted its daily operations to DrsquoSouza and an 88yearold retired CEO AN Malhotra who has been part of the restaurant since its inceptionGaylord is known for serving coffee in Cona Coffee a retro allglass coffee maker that brews with coffee beansThe swinging 60sldquoWe began with 16 staffers now we have over 80 The owners paid a rent of 5000 which was huge at that time However the restaurant was successful from the beginningrdquo says the octogenarian getting nostalgic about the 1960s and rsquo70s mdash a time when the stretch from presentday Eros to Pizza By The Bay was known as a restaurant street housing the likes of Berryrsquos an Irani restaurant in the space where Jazz By The Bay sprung up Talk Of The Town Kamling and Chopsticks later taken over by the LambasldquoWe had a dance floor and a live band would play Western music for high tea and dinner We would also have jam sessions on weekends The place would be packed How I miss those daysrdquo exclaims Malhotra adding that the band was led by Ken Cumine Indiarsquos only Jazz violinist with his daughter Sweet Lorraine on the mikeThe restaurantrsquos clientele boasted of the whorsquos who from business and Bollywood including Dhirubhai Ambani Raj Kapoor Dilip Kumar Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz ldquoIn fact ShankarJaikishan had a special table and they would get upset if someone was occupying it when they arrived Asha Bhosle still visits regularlyrdquo says MalhotraBomb GaylordDivided into three sections mdash Indian Continental and Tandoor mdash the menu offered over 150 dishes even in the early days Each section was helmed by a separate chef which is followed even now ldquoMr Lamba had roped in Bernard Rozario from Kolkata for Continental dishes while chef Sundar Mani took care of the Indian sectionrdquo informs MalhotraFrom Vegetable Parisienne an au gratinstyle baked vegetable to Shepherds Pie Grilled King Prawns and Baingan Mirch Ka Salan many dishes that were part of the original menu will be revived for the anniversary celebrations The restaurant will also offer 60 per cent discount on the entire menu including signatures like Lobster Thermidore and Chicken A La Kiev a Russian offering that features a fried chicken fillet stuffed with potato mash and butter Malhotra tells us it was producer Yash Joharrsquos favourite ldquoOnce he cracked a joke that it should be known as Bomb Gaylord because it costed a bombrdquo laughs Malhotra adding that earlier a coffee cup would cost 25 paise and a meal 25Gaylord bake shop housed within the property is as famous as the restaurant ldquoInitially we would only bake sponge cakes soup sticks dinner rolls and chicken patties We expanded in the early 2000s and had a production plant in Navi Mumbai to make 48000 loaves every day Due to logistical issues now itrsquos shifted to Marine Linesrdquo says DrsquoSouzaTimes are a changingldquoEarlier Continental fare was more popular than Indian especially among Gujaratis who liked sweet gravies However Indian cuisine has taken over The Lambas also added Chinese and Turkish fare for a brief periodrdquo says DrsquoSouza adding that lunch crowd has dwindled with most offices shifting to BKC ldquoThe outdoor catering is strongrdquo says MalhotraTo keep up with the Instagramgeneration the restaurant recently launched a new menu featuring dishes such as Cooker Ka Kukkad presented in a pressure cooker ldquoPresentation is important But we will avoid deconstructed dishesrdquo informs DrsquoSouzaDid you knowThe founder PL Lamba posted an advertisement in The Statesman inviting suggestions for christening the restaurant A Bengali reader suggested the name Gaylord ldquoThe name included initials of both the partnersrdquo says Lamba Hence it stuck on and the reader also won prizes Also the team has started Gaylord in various parts of the world including London it completed 50 years recently Kobe Japan and Hong Kong