Iconic Mumbai eatery Shalimar still dishy as ever after 45 years

Entering Bhendi Bazaar is a treat to the five senses mdash the incessant noise of screeching traffic the vibrant scene of a busy street a push or two in the ribs from passersby along with the fragrance of fried onions mingled with mutton rice and desi ghee tadka that makes the mouth water and leaves an urge to stop for a biteAn old sepiatoned photograph of Shalimar when it first opened as a juice centre in 1970My taxi stops outside Shalimar at the Minara Masjid lane In the late 1950s Zainuddin Shaikh who came to Mumbai from Uttar Pradesh in search of work initially worked for someone but gradually he opened a small juice shop of his own and later on introduced falooda to its menu Which till date remains the hottestselling item here A painstakingly detailed recipe the chef would boil and reduce 10 litres of milk to four litres which by then would acquire a reddishbrown tinge Sabja basil seeds and khoya condensed milk would be mixed in it This would be topped with sancha icecreamA man makes Malpuas during Ramadan at Tawakkal Sweets Bhendi Bazaar file picSecond generationRiding high on the success of his juice centre Zainuddin opened a fast food joint and later a restaurant which served Chinese and Indian fare By then his son Shahabuddin Shaikh had joined him in the business and they opened a fullfledged restaurant in 1970 Post that there was no looking back He continued to expand mdash from a 50seater and today Shalimar has a seating capacity of 600 Last month Shalimar completed 45 years on April 10Third generationldquoMy grandfather was very fond of two chefs mdash Mehboob for falooda and Ustaad Shammim for Mughlai cuisine mdash who he had brought from his hometown They would make the falooda milk and the Mughlai Dum Pukht Biryani on coal a tradition we follow till daterdquo says 27yearold Shaikh who took over the business singlehandedly in 2002 when his father passed away Between studying for his Class 10 exams and firefighting to retain his staff Shaikh worked toward fulfilling his fatherrsquos vision ldquoSince I was in Class 7 my father would post my duty in the kitchen during holidays From morning till evening I would be assigned odd jobs like chopping the meat vegetable making curries and learning the masalas The kitchen is the heart of a food business Early on I learnt to make Chinese foodrdquo reveals Sheikh who opened a sweets shop in 2005 and the bakery in 2014Omaer Shaikh the thirdgeneration owner of Shalimar PicsPradeep Dhivar ldquoMy father was a real innovator and we had a softy and milkshake machine before anyone else in Mumbai A perfectionist he would tell me that every stain of masala on my chefrsquos uniform was my licence to be in the kitchenrdquo says Shaikh recalling his early days when he would cut his palm put a bandaid on and get back to chopping meatThe bakery was opened last yearUnder Shaikhrsquos leadership Shalimar added fusion dishes to its menu to suit the Indian palate ldquoWe introduced dishes such as Hummus with Chicken Tikka and Chicken Tandoori pizza Every few months we turn our kitchen into a lab and try out new dishes which we serve our customers to try If they like it it makes it to the permanent menurdquo says the resident of Mumbai CentralToday Shalimar has branches in Andheri West Saki Naka and Vashi In the next five years Shaikh hopes to expand to other cities in India and take the brand abroad Within the next one month Shaikh will open an ISOcertified central kitchen at Grant Road too ldquoAt 27 I feel like I have the experience of a 47yearold I didnrsquot get into this food business I was born into itrdquo Shaikh signs offThe food streetsAlong with Shalimar Bhendi Bazaar and Mohammed Ali Roadrsquos Minara Masjid lane are peppered with eateries that people frequent during Ramazan and other the festivities all through the year ldquoDuring Ramazan people throng here to savour the Malpuas kebabs and ChickenMutton Tikkas The Minara Masjid Lane also has popular eateries such as Suleman Mithaiwala and Noor Mohammadi which now has a ground level and posh upper seating Here yoursquoll get mouthwatering Seekh Kebabs Dal Ghosht white Chicken Biryani and a dish called Chicken Sanju Baba named after actor Sanjay Dutt who is supposed to have given the reciperdquo explains blogger Kalyan Karmakar who blogs on wwwfinelychoppednetCross over and yoursquoll come to the Bhendi Bazaar area that has the Bohri Mohalla and Chor Bazaar Here although there are no iconic eateries of Shalimarrsquos stature the area does include popular eateries that are frequented by locals ldquoTherersquos Haji Tikka Corner for kebabs Valibhai mdash which shut two months ago mdash for Surti Bara Handi India hotel for Bheja Masala The dessert shops are mostly owned by Bohris including the 125yearold Taj Ice Cream and Tawakkal Sweets famous for malpua during Ramzanrdquo says KarmakarRedevelopmentHowever a lot is likely to change with the recent redevelopment plans says Karmakar who conducts Food and Heritage Walks in the city ldquoIf the redevelopment gives the area a swanky look with fancy high rises the topography will undergo a transformation The food available in this area is inexpensive and people from all walks of life converge here Take the example of the JJ Flyover Since its construction those commuting to town and back never pass the area under the bridge which has turned it into a blind spot of sorts Given the scrumptious food available at Bhendi Bazaar we can only hope that the area retains its local charm after the redevelopmentrdquo