Images

Eating Out: All food in Bombay Chowpatty does not taste ethnic

Eating Out: All food in Bombay Chowpatty does not taste ethnic

The ‘paapry chaat’ was just about acceptable, the chicken ‘dosa’ was not a patch on the original thing
22 May, 2016

For some time, for some unknown reason, I had been avoiding Bombay Chowpatty and its ethnic food. But then when two beautiful educationists at LUMS invited me to try it out, why would a meek food critic decline.

This eatery has a number of branches in Lahore, and the one we went to was within the university. So came the order sheet. After a lot of arguing, most of it animated, we ordered a ‘paapry chaat’, a chicken ‘dosa’ and a ‘dal chawal’. It was enough for the three and we got into trying it.

The ‘paapry chaat’ was just about acceptable, the chicken ‘dosa’ was not a patch on the original thing with the tamarind missing, and the ‘dal chawal’ just about fine. A Kashmiri would never eat it. We went through the routine and ended up with a ‘ras mallai’ each, which was good.

Paapry: a mix of diced potatoes, onions, meethi and theekhi chutney, yogurt , chaat masala topped with Sev - Photo from Bombay Chowpatty Facebook page
Paapry: a mix of diced potatoes, onions, meethi and theekhi chutney, yogurt , chaat masala topped with Sev - Photo from Bombay Chowpatty Facebook page

After this experience the next day I returned for a quick lunch of ‘paapry chaat’ and it was just about enough for one person. It was good, or just about. Then again I returned for a sandwich, which students told me was better than their ethnic food. I found that to be correct. Their simple chicken sandwich is not bad at all. The only grouse I have are the exceptionally high prices.

But then let me judge this experience on the Michelin Scale of one to nine.

For food taste it gets six out of nine, for food quality a seven is justified, for service six, for cleanliness a six is fine, for variety available six, for prices a four (this is an expensive place), for ambience six and for quality of crockery and cutlery another six is fine.

This means that this place gets 5.9 out of nine, which is just about fine for a “not fine dining” place. But then I did not expect more from this place. Recommended!!

Parathas topped with butter - Photo from Bombay Chowpatty Facebook page
Parathas topped with butter - Photo from Bombay Chowpatty Facebook page

MAGAZ BLUES: One of the most difficult parts of enjoying a traditional ‘magaz’ meal is to make the chef cook it the way you want. My normal instruction is to not break up the ‘magaz’, keep it low on chillies and load it with ginger and greens. Very few chefs have been able to satisfy.

On Friday evening after a slog of a day I ended up at Zakir Tikka in the Lahore Cantonment. My instructions were clear and when the meal came it was virtually like mince-meat. So tired was I that I refused to protest and consumed the notch potch with two reasonably hot ‘khameeri rotis’. When will chefs learn to listen to what customers want?

Originally published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2016

Comments

charu May 22, 2016 11:41am
well neither does the chole bhature on actual chowpatti...i mean in mumbai they call gol gappe pani puris.... when it comes to chaat nothing beats sadi dilli
Recommend (0)
Nazeer Ahmed May 22, 2016 11:44am
So the review of the local outlet in a university of a food chain now amounts to an acceptable piece of writing for the culture section? Oh well. This ought to be restricted to casual notes in someone's diary at the most. Or a Facebook post?
Recommend (0)
jamal May 22, 2016 11:51am
is there a Gourmet in IIT?
Recommend (0)
Fruit Salad May 22, 2016 11:52am
How does one compare authenticity without ever eating at Bombay Chowpati? I am talking of the actual beach in Mumbai and not the chain in Lahore.
Recommend (0)
NKAli May 22, 2016 11:54am
No matter how hard the upcountry cooks try...you cant touch the original taste of food cooked in Karachi. Now I am referring to cross-border southern dishes. Salams
Recommend (0)
HSK May 22, 2016 12:05pm
Dear Author, Your parallel/fictional rating system has nothing to do michelin star. Please let that system stay out whilst evaluating these dhabbas. Not even as a figure of speech. These places are only meant for catering to passerby, when the subject has no other option within tactical range.
Recommend (0)
ZAFAR May 22, 2016 12:28pm
@jamal Lots of them in and around as well.
Recommend (0)
charu May 22, 2016 12:43pm
@jamal : I can speak of IIT Delhi, no gourmet food outlet as such and the food is pretty subsidized in the canteen but nothing hifi. There was a parantha wala just outside, and a restaurant named COSY nearby, which is still there ...fantastic food...my hubby passed out in 2003 but the "tond" developed from these places still lingers on :-)
Recommend (0)
DELHIITE! May 22, 2016 01:17pm
If you want to get the real taste of all these dishes, better go to Mumbai! Though nothing beats Delhi at the chaats, Mumbai is right there at the top. Tomorrow you may say, I ate paraanthe wali gali Kay paraanthe, but made in Pakistan.. That'll be hilarious to me!!!!
Recommend (0)
Charles May 22, 2016 02:03pm
@Fruit Salad well said.
Recommend (0)
Vijay May 22, 2016 02:04pm
These dishes doesn't look authentic at all. For real street food juhu beach in mumbai is best. @charu mumbai is known for its chaats and street food - aloo chat, dabeli, Pav bhaji, vada Pav, masala Pav, Franckie, various variety of dosas, sev puri, bhel puri, Pani puri, dahi puri and endless list. Chole bhatture is not prefered by mumbaikars it's craze is mostly in north india.
Recommend (0)
rohit May 22, 2016 02:18pm
Indian foods, in INDIA are not ethnic food.
Recommend (0)
Mohammad Zafar May 22, 2016 03:27pm
Educational institutions, hospitals are expected to excel in their areas and not food. In these places food is for survival and not to whet your taste buds. The. Location of your great expectations are in a misplaced location. We must not try to turn a trival news item into cultural notes. Have pity on the readers
Recommend (0)
Ayesha Nabi Khan May 22, 2016 05:09pm
Gosh ... their sandwiches are good. Totally agree with the critic and the rating seems spot on. The 'chaat' is so-so. The Chicken Dosa impossible to handle. I would give lower marks.
Recommend (0)
usman May 22, 2016 08:36pm
The rates are exorbitant and mojor fail on value for money. But look how they have mushroomed in a span of three years...from a single branch on mm alam road to 5 branches.beats me frankly!
Recommend (0)
a May 23, 2016 12:48am
Nobody can beat the street food of North India.
Recommend (0)
Akil Akhtar May 23, 2016 05:54am
I have eaten the indian food and let me tell you the same dishes are not cooked the way we do it in Pakistan and it does not taste good to our pallet.
Recommend (0)
Sachin May 23, 2016 06:32am
@Nazeer Ahmed isnt culture all about a popular place or thing to eat or meet or see or talk or wear written by someone with a personal perspective ?? Otherwise it just become news coverage.
Recommend (0)
nasreen jafar May 23, 2016 08:39am
Well Mr. Food Critic- It's very rude to tell the chef how to cook. Your job is to review and recommend or not recommend and not to give instructions!!!
Recommend (0)
Nats May 23, 2016 12:34pm
Their food is rubbish - i ordered bhel poori it was so sweet there was no taste of the chapata sauce in it juts a sweet sauce . it has a combo of two diff sauces their sauces are not good . Flamingo & Bhel puri in saddar is the best for these foods .
Recommend (0)
Apache May 23, 2016 01:20pm
daal chawal? who eats daal chawal outside from home I mean? not me
Recommend (0)