Omelette Pav to Prawns Koliwada: Must-try dishes that have been on the menus of Mumbai's eateries for decades

Mumbais restaurants and eateries serve up an inclusive wellrepresented platter that rightfully defines it as a multicultural hot pot In this diverse food scene yoursquoll come across many iconic dishes that remain unchanged and uncontested We revisited a few standout dishes that have been etched on menus for decades because Mumbaikars keep coming back for moreSalaam bun maskaOmelette pav from Cafe de la PaixFarokh Shokri of Kyani amp Co at Dhobi Talao reveals that the iconic eatery which opened in 1904 sold only bakery products the mawa cake Rs 25 per piece being the oldest They served a tiny menu that included omelette and halffry with pav ldquoWhen I took over in 1995 I decided to add Parsi dishes like salli boti Rs 170 mutton keema pav Rs 150 and dhansak dal Rs 250 which I taught the staff and they carried it down However when our main cook goes on a holiday there is a changerdquo he reveals ldquoDo customers spot the differencerdquo we ask ldquoNo but we dordquo he admitsAt Girgaumrsquos 88yearold Cafeacute de la Paix owner Gustad Dinshaw Irani mans the kitchen as well as the cafeacute with one helper ldquoWe source buns from a relativersquos bakery Previously this area was a junction for Tram number 4 and later it was a spare parts market Large quantities of tea in samovars went from our cafeacute during the diamond bazaar erardquo he recalls Along with the regular serving of masala omelette pav Rs 140 packed with chillies and onions Irani has recently added new variationsAt Kyani amp Co Dhobi Talao Cafeacute de la Paix GirgaonCall 8928616793 23824384Continental turfGrilled fish lemon butter sauceWhen cannelloni Rs 635 first featured on Galloprsquos launch menu in 1986 pasta sheets were not easily available Owner Yajush Malik shares an interesting hack they used to make a crepe for the filling of white asparagus in brine chopped carrots cauliflower French beans and lots of spinach ldquoThis was slathered in a white beacutechamel sauce layered with tomato sauce and baked with cheese The recipe still standsrdquo he smiles Another dish that stands out is the grilled fish in lemon butter sauce Rs 895 The rawas is seasoned with salt and pepper rubbed with lemon and mustard marinade and lightly grilled ldquoThe sauce is made with butter cream parsley and lemon We had a patron who wanted his son to try it but he didnrsquot like fish She told him it was chicken and he ate it Now hersquos a grown up and orders the grilled fish regularlyrdquo he sharesAt Galloprsquos inside Mahalaxmi Racecourse via Gate 1 Keshavrao Khadye Marg Royal Western India Turf Club MahalakshmiCall 69600111Bhindi nostalgiaFried bhindi PicAnurag AhireThis crispy snack was served for free as a bar bite especially the theatre loving junta that spilled over from Prithvi for a drink Soon it emerged as a popular favourite on the menu of On Toes pub and restaurant in Juhu ldquoWe opened in 1986 the fried bhindi on the house was introduced on the menu by 1989 Till date even if people are not drinking they order it while they wait for their order We finely slice fresh ladyfingers and deep fry it It is dusted with red chilli masalardquo shares owner Damodar BindalAt On Toes 7 Mithilla VM Road JVPD SchemeCall 9619860907Punjabi all the wayPaneer butter masala right Prawn koliwadaMini Punjab opened as a small kiosk in 1982 when founder Karnail Singh came to Bombay from Amritsar ldquoThey only served prawn koliwada Rs 410 and rawas koliwada Rs 490 It is a simple desi homestyle recipe of besan ajwain a houseblended masala and no garam masalardquo says thirdgeneration owner Parvinder Singh Over the years the space expanded and more dishes were added Paneer butter masala R340 being one of them ldquoItrsquos made with inhouse paneer cashew gravy with butter tomato paste and a tadka of mustard oilrdquo he saysAt Mini Punjab junction of 16th and 33rd Road TPS Road Bandra WestCall 9833563225Halwa and some morePapad churi Dal fry Moong dal halwa Kutchi beerBhagat Tarachand was founded in 1895 In 1951 it opened in Bombayrsquos Zaveri Bazaar Today there are several branches run by various family members Bhisham Chawla who runs seven branches including Zaveri Bazaar Masjid Bunder Malad and even one outpost in Indore under the name of K Bhagat Tarachand says ldquoThe moong dal halwa Rs 180 and dal fry Rs 160 are two dishes that customers order without seeing the menu The specialty of our dal is that we do a tadka of caramelised onionsrdquo says Chawla Two sides that we love are the papad churi crushed papad with masala Rs 120 and the chaas Rs 50 per glass and Rs 150 per bottle fondly nicknamed as Kutchi beer literally served in recycled beer bottles The perfect digestiveAt K Bhagat Tarachand outlets include Malad Masjid Bunder Andheri BorivaliCall 8657991976 8928255526Southern callingPicsAnurag AhireA few years ago owner Amarjeet Shetty tried to give the humble badam halwa Rs 95 and upma Rs 50 on his menu since 1939 a lift by making it richer ldquoWe added more ghee and dry fruits but our customers caught the change and asked us to return to the original recipe We have people coming to eat just thatrdquo says Shetty The rava dosa Rs 70 too is special ldquoThe USP is that it will stay crispy till your very last biterdquo says ShettyAt Ramashraya ground floor Jamnadas Mansion Laxmi Narayan Lane outside Matunga Railway Station Central Matunga EastCall 224102623Kheer cravingsCrystal ki kheerCrystal has been serving North Indian ghar ka khana since it opened in 1951 Crystal ki kheer Rs 100 has been the most sold item on the menu ldquoMy nani Rita Khanna made litres of her special kheer at her residence and sent it to the eatery every dayrdquo owner Sanket Mehra tells us ldquoThe eatery opposite Chowpatty started with the idea to cater to students and professionals living far from homerdquo Khanna tells usAt Crystal Lily Cottage Near Wilson College Chowpatty Seaface GamdeviCall 23691482Authentically OrientalAromatic shredded duck Peking duck A server carves the Peking duck PicsSameer MarkandeSince the restaurant launched in 2003 two dishes have earned loyal customers at Royal China mdash the Peking duck half for Rs 3400 full for Rs 5500 and the crispy Aromatic shredded duck half for Rs 1750 full for Rs 3200 Owner Neville Vazifdar explains the process ldquoWe stuff the duck we source from Thailand with our secret recipe spiced with aromatic ingredients like star anise There is a process of airing the duck that I learnt during a visit to China This ensures the skin gets a crispy coat when barbequed while keeping the meat moist and tender The ducks are then roasted over a coal fire to retain the flavours The entire process takes two days When a customer orders it the chef bathes it in hot oil in a wok to make the outer skin crispierrdquo he shares A similar process is followed for the aromatic shredded duck but it is fried instead of roasted and shredded before serving Both are served with pancakes and condiments ldquoThe Peking duck is carved at the table where a skilled server separates the skin from the meat The extra meat from the full duck is served as a fried rice or soup as per requestrdquo he addsAt Royal China outlets in Fort and BandraCall 9082940105