Comfort canteens for city on-the-move

Back in the early 1900s employees of the BEST Undertaking while drafting a petition for a pay hike and reduction in work hours had also demanded for an operational canteen at the Dadar depot Marathi writer SN Pendse later made a mention of this in his 1972 book The BEST Story published by the General Managerrsquos office of the transport company Many of these demands were met by the management he wroteLittle did anyone know then that this modest demand would lead to the creation of one of the most iconic eating destinations in the city Synonymous with interesting and pocketfriendly meals the BEST canteens are the goto refreshment pitstops for those on the moveThe BEST Company Limited was founded in 1905 The demand for a canteen was made two years later by a group of striking employees The appeals continued till before World War 1 in 1914 but with a shift in priorities the demand was soon forgotten It was only post 1918 when the war had ended that the BEST finally acquiescedBEST board committee member Sunil Ganacharya explains that since the transport service ran in three shifts those working odd hours could not carry food from home The Factory Act of 1948 made it mandatory for organisations having more than 100 employees to have canteens within the premises They were expected to remain open through the day The employees needed nutritious food as they were involved in heavy duty workThough the canteens began as a welfare project for the BEST staff they slowly opened to the public While those located inside the depots are usually reserved for the staff the ones at bus stations are open to everyone says former BEST PRO AS Tamboli Some are open 24 hours and others runs late into the nightUnlike other shops that sell snacks the food available here is prepared at inhouse kitchens These canteens also boast of a seating area which functions like an oasis for employees to converge BESTrsquos deputy PRO Manoj Varade says that employees who live far away make most use of the canteens If a bus driver or conductor has an early morning duty he reports to work in the night to avoid delays Thanks to the canteen he can enjoy a hearty breakfast at a subsidised rate before setting off on workFood enthusiasts too have fond memories Actor Khurshed J Lawyer 44 is a BEST canteen loyalist He remembers spotting the BEST mobile canteen at The Oval Maidan in Churchgate as a collegian We hungry mortals would stop and grab some misal or a rice and gravy and share it While we were told that it was exclusively for the BEST staff we invariably got some chowThe mobile canteens arrived on the scene in the 1960s The iconic Leyland Tiger Cub bus was converted into a snack shack on wheels The unique feature of this bus was that it had a huge sixcylinder diesel engine located in the middle of the bus chassis says BEST transport museumrsquos curator Yatin Pimpale The layout of the canteen included a kitchen platform and a wash basin Even today BEST has a mobile canteen which is usually stationed where permanent canteens do not exist and has a dedicated patronageThere are currently 69 canteens at depots and stations across the city A different contractor is hired to run each one The prices of items range from R5 to R150 Until June last year 39007 employees were availing the canteen facility but the number dropped to 37488 this yearWith the heritage department planning to change the look of the BEST canteen located outside the Prince of Wales Museum BEST fans are now hoping for a revival of these famed dugouts We travelled to canteens across the city to bring you the seven best that topped our grub and nostalgia listWorliGurda kalegi with rotiMore than 200 people visit this canteen for daily meals Chicken and egg curry and gurda kalegi are the most popular dishes This canteen is frequented by BEST employees but customers also stop by to have lunch or dinner The canteen also offers misal poha sheera and vada pav Ranjit Thakur who works nearby says he usually settles for a plate of dal khichdi I prefer a simple mealRanjit Thakur digs the dal khichdiTiming Open all hours We ordered Chicken curry gurda kalegi and rotisThe bill Rs 140Electric House ColabaRashid Sheikh who works at Bhendi Bazaar visits the canteen twice a weekThis is a popular choice in South Mumbai and barring an hour in the evening it is open throughout the day Rashid Sheikh 25 a salesman at a footwear shop at Bhendi Bazaar visits the canteen twice a week I heard about it eight months ago from a friend and have been coming here since I like the misal and usal Itrsquos also very peaceful here he saysTiming 6 AM to 5 PM 6 PM to 4 PM We ordered Misal pav and special teaThe bill Rs 25Regal CircleTourists throng the Regal Circle canteen for its vadas and samosasLocated right outside the gates of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya this BEST canteen is a mandatory stop for all tourists who are part of the Mumbai Darshan This joint is known for its vada and samosa We serve hot and fresh food and our rates are lower than other shops nearby We also prepare poha misal and usal against orders said Nirmal Chaudhary a staffer Chaudhary however points out that a lack of seating and noparking have led to a fall in numbers There was a time when wersquod get more than 300 customers daily We are down to halfTiming 6 AM to 10 PMWe ordered Vada pavThe bill Rs 12Andheri WestApart from regular snacks this canteen also offers vada usal which is a deep fried potato fritter served with a rich gravymdasha distant relative of the South Indian dish rasam vada Chicken biryani is another favourite order The canteen is open to all but has some benches that are reserved for BEST employees and customers get gentle reminders if they stray Around 700 people eat here dailyVada usal a deep fried potato fritter served with a rich gravy is popular hereTiming 530 am till midnightWe ordered Chicken biryani and vada usalThe bill Rs 125Santacruz EastThis canteen is unique in more than one way For starters it has an outdoor seating Then it serves Chinese and is one of the few canteens to serve a variety of fish meals The choices include pomfret bangda and rawas The canteen is also listed on food delivery apps Tushar Gholam manager says We get 500 customers every day People love the Chinese food here We also make a good chicken sukkaTiming 730 AM to 130 AMWe ordered Chicken fried rice and chicken chilly The bill Rs 120The Santa Cruz canteen serves a mean chicken chilly fryabove and fried riceKalanagar Bandra EastNetaji Tukaram KhadeThe lack of a seating area doesnrsquot deter patrons from flocking to the Kalanagar depot canteen While it serves both vegetarian and nonvegetarian thalis Netaji Tukaram Khade a staffer for 30 years says most of the customers come for their special lemon tea A plate of papdi topped with freshly chopped onions is the perfect accompaniment And evenings are meant for ordering a plate of gol bhajji Over the last 10 years Khade has noticed the number of visitors drop He says This is inevitable There are so many stalls in the area now that offer similar dishes at competitive ratesWho manages the Kalanagar canteen says customers enjoy the special lemon tea with papdiTiming 7 AM to 10 PMWe ordered Two glasses lemon tea one plate papdi one plate gol bhajjiThe bill Rs 50Ghatkopar EastOne of the largest in the city the Ghatkopar East canteen staff is a cheery bunch They work round the clock to make sure that fresh food is served at all times We get so many customers that we get tired of washing the plates We only serve vegetarian meals and they are cooked fresh after the order is placed says Hemant Pujari manager He adds that most BEST employees bring their dabbas and order an omelette or another side dish The sev bhaji is a hit The dish has a creamy texture and the grated coconut and freshly chopped coriander serve as the perfect garnish The dish goes well with pav or chapati This canteen is open 247 Pujari says that while four people work during the day shift three work at nightTiming Open 247 We ordered Omelette pav and sev bhajiThe bill Rs 35From the archivesAn archival image of the 1960s Leyland Tiger canteen bus the new mobile BEST canteen Pics courtesy BEST Museum and Sanjay Rahra69Number of canteens currently operationalCatch 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