London sips on Irani chai and savours Jhal Muri

Dishoom gtu00a0dishum n 1 The old Bollywood sound effect produced when a cine hero lands a good punch to the villain 2 Similar to popular slang usage of the expression ldquoMojordquou00a0eg ldquoHersquos got that Dishoomrdquo Notwithstanding the citation from their company39s website selfproclaimed ldquoDishoomwallahsrdquo Shamil and Kavi Thakrar admit that their title is a reference to their having conceptualised Dishoom a snazzier version of Mumbairsquos quintessential Irani cafeacute for London The idea has been so appreciated that in less than three years the team has not only bagged several awards but theyrsquove opened a second outlet as well The Covent Garden outlet Bring back the cafeacute The irony of this expansion wouldnrsquot be lost on Mumbai residents like cityresearcher Rafique Baghdadi who has conducted Irani cafeacute trails for years now Baghdadi has long lamented the disappearance of these quirky little diners each of which he believes has a distinctive style and character Reports reveal how Mumbai was home to at least 350 such cafeacutes in the 1950s today the number doesnrsquot even cross 25 Dishoomrsquos Shoreditch outlet has a blackboard with remarks as were scrawled on Bastanirsquos blackboard This Gujarati cousins were keen to preserve this fading legacy Shamil explains ldquoAs a boy I spent many holidays with my grandmother in our Kingrsquos Circle flat opposite which is Cafeacute Koolar With every trip we noticed another neighbourhood Irani cafeacute had shut The sadness at each cafeacutersquos loss was the reason to start Dishoom We wanted to pay homage to the Irani cafeacute and share our love for them with people who might never have the chance to visit onerdquo Kavi Thakrar Boman Kohinoor proprietor of Mumbairsquos Britannia Cafeacute Shamil Thakrar and Naved Nasir Recreate rewind Plates inscribed with memories of these cafeacutes were originally intended to adorn the walls of Dishoom alongside antique family portraits and pictures of Zoroastrian families sourced from bazaars but the team has been inundated with requests to sell these Baghdadirsquos description of family rooms at cafeacutes often patronised by courting couples is on one such plate and accounts from friends diners and food bloggers adorn others Firsthand research played a huge role with the decor ldquoWe visited every Irani cafeacute in Mumbai and spent time soaking up the atmosphere like brun soaks up chairdquo shares Shami adding ldquoChef Naved who was earlier with ITC Maratha helped work out the menu with his wealth of culinary knowledge and passion for the cityrsquos food and heritagerdquo A plate with a customer account of their visit to an Irani cafeacute Originally from Meerut Chef Nasir admits to being a fan of Britanniarsquos Berry Pulao and the KheemaPav at Olympia Cafeacute His menu now includes authentic Irani dishes such as Akuri Kheema Pav Bun Maska Jeera biscuits Kheema Puff Veg Puff and a few anglicised recipes like the popular Bacon Naan Roll Set the mood A team of interior designers stayed in Mumbai to experience and interpret the Irani cafeacute culture ldquoWersquove lovingly borrowed a great deal from these cafeacutes the floor tiles the ceiling fanseven the peeling paint and slightlyuncomfortable bentwood chairsrdquo says Shamil admitting that their outlet at Shoreditch rather than at Covent Garden is closer to the original in terms of design Therersquos a blackboard with remarks as were once scrawled on Bastanirsquos blackboard ldquo All thatrsquos leftrdquo he says with a chuckle ldquois to find a blunt yet affable senior to run the placerdquo Jhal Muri Express gt Angus Denoon Duncan was holidaying in Kolkata in 2005 when charmed by the cityrsquos incredible streetfood culture he decided to make a film to capture ldquothe beautiful ways of their the vendorsrsquo handsrdquo Jhal Muri Kolkatarsquos version of bhel thatrsquos traditionally prepared with puffed rice inspired Denoonrsquos imagination because it was both easy to prepare and delicious ldquoThere was particularly this one guy who was so fluid and graceful in his movementsrdquo he recalls describing a Jhal Muri vendor ldquoThen the more I looked around the more Jhal Muriwallahs I saw each had his own style so I was fascinated by the dish with all its variationsrdquo he shares Angus Denoon Duncan offers a slice of Kolkata to Londoners Duncan started selling the snack at supermarkets in London upon his return he would cook on the road at events and weddings he tells us Duncan explains that while he had worked in the kitchens of restaurants before now he appreciates how incredible it is to see his satisfied customers and to make food under the open sky He charges pound3 for a cone of Jhal Muri and has also added Ghugni Chaat Phulchas Lassi and Dhoklas to his menu A couple of trips back to India and Duncan was equipped not just with all these recipes but also Indian signs ldquohandpainted by Ganga an artist from Dasghara West Bengalrdquo he reveals He fit these into the van he lives in and thus was born the Jhal Muri Express Itrsquos now a big attraction whenever it parks on Londonrsquos high streets and even in more demand when itrsquos booked for special events