The big, fat wafer trail

Vile Parles hidden gemIt may resemble one of the many farsan shops in the neighbourhood but Pankaj Farsan And Wafer Mart stands out for its small production unit where batches of potato wafers are fried every evening Piping hot crisp and adequately salted the classic variety has been popular among Vile Parles Gujarati and Maharashtrian residents since Kanti Dedhia launched the shop in 1963 My father would fry the wafers in a coal bhatti The aroma made you hungry says secondgeneration owner Pankaj Dedhia He now uses a gas furnace but sticks to the traditional process We dont use a drying machine Instead we soak the slices in water to wash off the starch We use potatoes with less water content to retain the white colour The flavours includes tomato peri peri and cream and onionAt Pankaj Farsan Shridhar Apartment Hanuman Road Vile Parle EastTime 830 am to 1030 pm closed on MondayCall 26112716Cost Rs 400 per kgUsha and Ramesh ChainaniFancy a peri peri or wasabi waferHindi retro hits welcome customers at A1 Wafers amp Namkeen on Grant Road They have nongreasy wispy wafers with flavours such as peri peri tomato pudina and a cheese variety with no pasty aftertaste One of our customers packs six kilos of masala wafers for his birthday in the US every year says Usha Chainani who has been managing the business with her son Ramesh for over 30 years Her fatherinlaw Gokuldas Chainani launched A1 Wafers in 1959 with sons Naraindas and Kishanchand They made the wafers at the shop In 1980s the production shifted to Reay Road in Navi Mumbai We plan to introduce tadka masala jalapentildeo and wasabi flavours says RameshAt A1 Wafers Victoria Building behind Apsara Cinema Balaram Street Grant RoadTime 1130 am to 7 pm closed on SundaysCall 23077151 COST Rs 350 per kgWelcome Wafers plantCycle to successHailing from Kutch in Gujarat Velji Gada launched Welcome Wafers in 1977 Back then we had 40 cycles to supply the wafers across Mumbai he says Their flavour list were told features 50 varieties including salsa and American cheese The products are manufactured in Govandi and retail in Mahim Youll also find our wafers at Dreamland and Paradise cinema halls says secondgeneration director Sameer GadaAt Welcome Wafers Mori Road opposite railway station Mahim WestTime 9 am to 815 pmCall 25512501Cost Rs 350 per kgVenkatesh SubbiahA jali good fellowA kadhai with 60 litres of boiling Vanaspati ghee sits six inches above the furnaces flame to ensure equal distribution of heat This contraption was devised by M Subbiah when he took over Ideal Wafers in Khotachiwadi in 1958 A Catholic resident who had learnt to make wafers started this shop in 1942 My father who supplied potatoes to him took over once the owner took up a job Later he bought this property too says Venkatesh Subbiah now incharge of the family businessOn sale are salted limeandspicy hot masala and garlic flavoured potato wafers A highlight is the jali wafer with crisscross patterns created by manually cutting the slices both horizontally and vertically It takes 15 hours to make a kilo of them he saysThe potato source depends on natures vagaries he adds Wed get potatoes from Talegaon Mahabaleshwar and Hubli but the unseasonal rains have affected the crop Were now procuring supply from Indore and Gujarat About seven kilos of potatoes will produce less than two kilos of wafers because excess water and starch content is removedDhaval KhakharAt Ideal Wafer House Compound Khotachiwadi GirgaumTime 9 am to 9 pm Monday to Saturday 9 am to 1 pm SundayCall 23812569Cost Rs 360 per kgFrills attachedLocated near Malad railway station Janta Farsan amp Sweets is a popular pitstop for those seeking a quick bite of samosa or vada pav The shop is also known for its Nadiyadi bhusa mixed chivda and potato wafers that find takers from Surat Delhi and Kolkata The display shelves feature tomato frill wafers mdash tangy and spicy with just a hint of sweetness mdash along with cheese peri peri and salted ones While this shop opened in 1964 their practice of making potato wafers dates back a decade to when Dhirubhai Khakhar a Gujarati businessman from Rajkot launched Janta Wafers in Malad The current space is across from the farsan store Back then most wafermaking businesses were in south Mumbai Thats why he thought of started a wafer store here says Dhaval Khakhar son of Janak Dhirubhai Khakhar and thirdgeneration director of the shopAt Janta Farsan amp Sweets Janta Niwas near Railway Station Daftary Road Malad EastTime 715 am to 10 pmCall 28890126Cost Rs 370 per kgBlast from the pastDid you know that actor Boman Iranis family owned the popular Golden Wafers located behind Novelty Cinema Grant Road Boman says that during the interval people would rush to the shop to buy wafers says food writer and TV personality Kunal Vijayakar adding About 40 years ago my grandmother sent me there When I asked her for the address she said Stand outside Novelty Cinema and follow your nose Those were the best wafers in the city After frying them they would pour butter over themAlso tryMasala jali wafers green chilli and sweetandsalty from Camy Wafers At Outlets in Colaba Mahim Khar Andheri West Tardeo Byculla Santacruz West Cost Rs 450 per kgCheese peri peri or hotandspicy or sample kand purple yam wafers At Avarya outlets in Lalbaug Ghatkopar Breach Candy and Santacruz West Cost Rs 85 200gmCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates