There's Bombay in USA and this is not a joke

As we know, Mumbai was earlier called Bombay. The Indian city is popular around the world, irrespective of whether a person has visited here. But what if we say there is another place called Bombay thousands of kilometres away from the actual Bombay?

We aren't kidding. In New York state in the US of A, there's a town named Bombay. Its exact location is the Franklin County in New York.

The history of this Bombay goes back to the 19th century. In other words, the city has been running since centuries but not many of us know this. Interestingly, the Bombay in US is connected to the Bombay of India.

As per history, the Irish ship captain Michael Hogan became rich in east Indian trade. He came to the US in 1805 and bought 20 thousand acres of land to the north side of Adirondack Mountains in the New York state. This includes the area that came to be known as Bombay.

Photo source: Wikipedia

There's an interesting story behind the naming of the city. Hogan's wife was an Indian princess hailing from Bombay in India. He named the town Bombay in honor of the hometown of his wife - Bombay.

The total land area here is only 92.90 kilometres. As per 2010 census, the total population of Bombay is 1357. It is 63 metres above sea level.

Also read: The forgotten independent newspaper owned by citizens and journalists

In India's Bombay there's an area called South Bombay for literal reason. The same is the case with America's Bombay as well. The settlement at the north side of Bombay is called Hogansburg while the one on the south is simply called South Bombay.

We are sure Hogan's gesture behind naming the city such will be appreciated by Mumbaikars. On a less serious note, we are sure this town in the US won't be changing its name to Mumbai.

Learn more about the Bombay in US from here and here.

Additional reading:

5 types of Chai available on Mumbai's streets

1950s: The forgotten independent newspaper owned by citizens & journalists

When it comes to the freedom of the press, India ranks a dismal 142 out of the 180 countries. But it would be wrong to think that this is just a recent phenomenon. As early as the late 1950s, a group of journalists were not happy at all with the lack of freedom of press back in the day.

In fact, the journalists of that era felt severe restrictions on the press from the pro-profit minds of the management and the government. This went on to such an extent that a group of top journalists started a newspaper owned by them as well as the readers.

This has an interesting backstory which was told to My Culture Café by one of the senior-most journalists in India Sudha Hariharan, who has around 47 years of experience. In the late 1950s, her father [name withheld] was the editor of a known newspaper. The paper used to also come out with a tabloid bulletin in the afternoon.

It so happened that the editor was in the US for an event with fellow journalists. He had kept an acting editor in the meantime. Exactly during this time, a known company was coming up with a detergent brand for washing clothes.

“So this detergent company contacted the acting editor as they wanted to publicize their product,” said Sudha Hariharan. “I don’t know whether they paid money or what the arrangement was. The entire tabloid from page one to the last page only had advertisement of this detergent. There was not a single news. Plus, at the bottom of a page my father’s name had appeared as a byline.”

When the editor returned, he was shocked and asked the acting editor for an explanation. “But he didn’t have any,” said Sudha Hariharan. “So this resulted in an en masse resignations by him and other journalists working for the newspaper. They walked out and started this independent newspaper called Newsday.”

She tells us that they all were very well-established, well-known and well-reputed journalists. “They were not happy with the way the newspaper was running. Secondly, they had their own ideas on what they wanted to do. They all got together and started Newsday. Their team also included Bal Thackeray and trade union leaders like George Fernandes,” she said.

When it came to investing capital in the new venture, Newsday got lucky. “They used to put their savings. They were also helped by the trade union people with some money. They raised money through the public by issuing public shares. It was the first paper in which the public could buy shares for Rs 10,” said Sudha Hariharan. The purchasers of the shares included some film-stars and people from the Public Relations and advertisement sector.

She added that taking help from trade unions didn’t mean that Newsday will support every strike of theirs.

Interestingly, they received words of encouragement even from the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. “Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s secretary wrote to say that as a matter of principle the Prime Minister could not subscribe to the shares, but wished the project every success,” added Sudha Hariharan.

But, as encouraging as this may sound, Newsday could run only for 10 months. As you may have guessed, the reason for the was financial. “Although they were very senior journalists, the problem was that they were competing with well-established newspapers in the market. Secondly, they didn’t have a proper place. They had taken up a small office in Dalal Street itself,” she said.

She continued, “In those days, they used to use linotype [machines for making newspaper pages]. Their linotype composition used to be done, I think, somewhere in Prabhadevi. They used to load the pages onto taxis and they used to bring it to the printers.”

This cost them a lot and printing was expensive then. “You are working in one place, composing in another place and loading in another place. Then you are printing and giving it to the guys who are distributing the papers. So, it was financially tough. They also had to pay for supplying newsprint. Those who were supplying newsprints were also pressurized by the established newspapers,” added Sudha Hariharan.  

They then had no option but to wind up the paper after 10 months. Once they even kept their principles at the backseat and took funding from Fatehsingh Gaikwad, the then Deputy Minister of Defence. “It was a huge loss because everybody had put in their money and savings. Half of the times they were also working without a salary,” said Sudha Hariharan.

Each member who was a part of the independent newspaper went different ways and took up jobs in other publications while Thackeray, as we know, concentrated on Shiv Sena. “My father joined USIS (United States Information Service) in Delhi. Later he joined Hindustan Times. He continued there till he passed away,” she said.

The short journey of the newspaper was indeed sad but Sudha Hariharan is glad that it happened. “It is interesting that such initiatives were undertaken. Whether they survived or not is a different story altogether. The very fact that the journalists took the initiative and had the guts to do it and fight against well-established giants itself is a big thing,” she said.

But she wonders why hardly anyone speaks about this, especially in journalism circles. “I don’t know why it doesn’t find a mention anywhere in the history of journalism. Nobody teaches this even in journalism school now. But it is an important part of newspaper history in Bombay,” she signed off.

By: Keyur Seta

Additional reading:

Bombay 1960s: When this govt card was mandatory to buy milk

How Bal Thackeray's 'Marmik' magazine looks today

Cutting Chai Recipe: The one we get on Mumbai's streets

Making tea is no big deal. It is made daily in almost every household in India. But the flavour and taste of the 'Cutting Chai' available across thousands of stalls located on Mumbai's streets is something else. You won't find such a taste in any of those big restaurants or cafes.

So, making tea might be easy but making 'Cutting Chai' isn't everybody's cup of tea [pun intended]. I have been having 'Cutting Chai' on the roads ever since I was in school, which is almost 20 years ago.

After observing their way of making the tea, I started making it at home. Ever since that day I have been making a separate tea for myself. The simple tea made at my place is not my cup of tea.

So here's a simple procedure or recipe that can help you make that 'Cutting Chai' at your place. This is more useful in the current times of the lockdown where one is devoid of the 'Cutting Chai' at stalls.

Here's a step-by-step guide to make 1 cup of this kind of tea:

-- Take a little over half cup of water and start boiling it

-- Add little over 1 spoon of tea power and sugar as per your need

-- Add grated ginger to it. I know we can use mashed ginger as well but that won't give you the desirable taste. In fact, adding grated ginger is the most important ingredient to make this type of tea.

-- You can add elaichi (cardamom) as well if you wish to add more flavours. If you have acidity related issues, it is advisable to only put elaichi.

-- Keep stirring it in between. It's important to mix the ingredients well. You might have observed chai walas do this regularly because it's an important step in order to bring that specific taste.

-- Add half a cup of milk. If you prefer a stronger tea, add a little lesser milk.

-- Stir it again. At this stage it is all the more important to stir as the milk might not mix well with other ingredients

That's it. You are all set to enjoy the deliciousness of 'Cutting Chai' even in the lockdown.

By: Keyur Seta

Also see: 5 types of Chai available on Mumbai's streets

Why the audio cassette shelf is my most prized possession

Songs have always played a major part in mainstream Hindi cinema, or Bollywood, as it is popularly known. As my love affair with Hindi films started right from the time I can remember, it is obvious that I was fascinated with Hindi film songs too from the same period.

Those who were born after the 1995 would find it difficult to believe that, apart from FM radio, our source of songs were audio cassettes. It's like a flat box which can be played on both sides - A and B. On an average, there were around five to seven songs on each side.

The decision on whether to buy a cassette would depend on the song trailers of a particular film played on TV or the new songs played on the radio. Then we would excitedly wait for the album of that film to release. Many a times, the decision of buying a cassette would depend purely on the number of big stars in a film.

It would be an exciting moment to visit the music shop buy a cassette. During my early years, a cassette would cost somewhere between Rs 25 to 30. The price kept gradually increasing until it reached around Rs 55 or 60 till the early to mid-2000s.

Unlike today, we used to patiently listen to the entire cassette of a film album, on both sides. But more than patience it was because of the the high quality of Hindi film music that we would never mind playing the whole album in one go.

This is absolutely impossible in today's times where you hardly find any album with even three impressive songs. This is the low at which the current Hindi film music scenario has reached. And those unending and unimpressive remixes have worsen the scenario many times further.

Going back to the old days, we had one or two favorite songs in every album which we would play repeatedly. No, unlike today, we didn't have a simple way of just clicking on a song to play it again. We had to rewind the cassette and stop exactly at the point where the song in question would start. I and many others too I suppose had developed the skill to stop at the exact moment using our judgement.

There would also be films where only three or four songs would turn out to be impressive. Hence, there was also an option of getting few songs from two films in one cassette.

Another interesting feature about audio cassettes was that we also had the option of having a medley of songs from various films. The audio cassette shops would do the task for us after we give a list of songs to them which they would copy on a blank cassette.

Later on, we developed the skill on our own. So, suppose my friend has a cassette from which I like only one song, I would get it copied in a blank cassette through the two-in-one tape recorder.

This would sound funny in today's times but back then I was quite passionate even for the dialogue cassettes. I have the dialogue cassettes of Mohabbatein (2000) and Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001). Needless to day, I had mugged up all the dialogues from these cassettes. Much during my childhood we had a four-cassette set of Sholay (1975) which got lost over the years.

As you can guess from the picture, we are very possessive about our collection of audio cassettes. This shelf is more than 20 years old. It has cassettes from as early as Prem Rog which released way back in 1982 to The Killer [starring Irrfan Khan and Emraan Hashmi] which released in 2006.

Yes, we used the cassette player till 2006 or little after that even though music CDs had become the in thing much before that year. Actually the CDs were expensive at around Rs 100 to 200 and we didn't want to spend it on a not-so-great album. I had bought CDs of only superhit albums like Don (2006).

Obviously I get 'Those were the days' kind of feeling whenever I glance at the shelf. But along with feeling nostalgic for the simpler times, this is also because of the deteriorating quality of Hindi film music in today's times.

But nevertheless, I am glad we have maintained the shelf through the decades. This corner in my home assures me that life is still simpler like it was in the 1990s.

By: Keyur Seta

Dabeli had a different name in its previous birth in Mumbai

The city of Mumbai is getting overcrowded with more and more restaurants. But its roadside food culture is showing no signs of dying down. In fact, the street food stalls are also growing at a numerous rates. Needless to say, most of them serve Mumbai’s traditional favourite Vada Pav and Bhajji Pav.

But another dish that has risen to fame over the last decade or so has been Dabeli. It is a variety where brown coloured potato masala is tucked into the Pav and is filled with pomegranate seeds and spicy peanuts. The Pav is then fried on a pan with butter and served with shev.

But it would be wrong to think that Dabeli has acquired fame only since last 10-12 years. If you happen to be a youngster who grew up after the 1990s, you might feel this is true. But that is not the case. The dish has been satisfying the tastebuds of Mumbaikars before the mid-1990s.

The only difference, however, was that it had a different name. In the early to mid-1990s, Dabeli was called Double Roti. I clearly remember buying Double Roti on various occasions then. It was only known by this name. The word ‘Dabeli’ was never heard of.

But then somewhere after the early-2000s, people selling it started calling it Dabeli. Obviously, the buyers also started addressing it with the same name. It tastes exactly like what it was called before – Double Roti. The only difference was that earlier the Pav wasn’t fried while now it was and it wasn’t served with shev. All other ingredients remained the same.

Recently, I and a friend got curious as to how the name of a popular dish got changed over the years. I tried asking a few friends who were well-versed with Mumbai’s street food culture but even they didn’t know an answer.

We were clueless until I struck up a conversation with a Dabeli wala at Versova in Andheri recently. The guy told me that the Dish originated in Gujarat. And he and many others like him migrated to Mumbai and, obviously, started selling it with its original name – Dabeli.

Also read: 5 types of Chai available on Mumbai's streets

This guy further said that he came to Mumbai around 16-17 years ago and has been selling Dabeli ever since. In other words, he has been doing this business in Mumbai since the early-2000s. This explains how the name changed from Double Roti to Dabeli from that period.

Curiously, I did a Google search to know the history of Dabeli. I came across a newspaper cutting in Quora. The article claims that the variety was invented by the late Mohanbhai Nathbava in Mandvi village in Kutch, Gujarat in 1964. It says that he started off by selling mashed potato Bhaaji in Pav and slowly transformed it into Dabeli, which translates into English as ‘pressed.’

So, we can assume that some fellow from Mumbai got inspired and started selling it as Double Roti.

But call it what you want, it won’t change the fact that Dabeli is delicious!

By: Keyur Seta

Also read:

Bombay 1960s: When this govt card was mandatory to buy milk

How Bal Thackeray's 'Marmik' magazine looks today

Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray started a magazine to publish his cartoons called 'Marmik,' which translates to 'from the heart.' As most of us from Mumbai would know, he started off as a cartoonist with the Free Press Journal.

But he later felt the need to start his own weekly for which he got his father Prabodhankar Thackeray's support. This is how Marmik was born on 13 August 1960. It was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister Yashwantrao Chavan at Dadar's Balmohan Vidya Mandir.

The main aim of Marmik was to publish Thackeray's Vyang Chitra or Satirical Cartoons on the current socio-political scenario in Maharashtra. Along with that, he also used 'Marmik' to propagate his political views and to trigger protests on issues close to him.

'Marmik' turned into a full fledged political weapon, naturally, after he formed his political party Shiv Sena in 1966. Now, the magazine became all the more fiery with political cartoons and views. What started as a satirical cartoon magazine now became a mouthpiece to publish Thackeray's views for and against anyone or anything related to Maharashtra.

Old Marmik dated 1970 when Shiv Sena called for Mumbai Bandh

Much later in 1988 Thackeray started Shiv Sena's Marathi daily newspaper called 'Samana.' But he continued 'Marmik' simultaneously. From here onwards, Thackeray's views and editorials started appearing in 'Samana' more than 'Marmik' as the former was a more ideal place for such write-ups.

Despite 'Samana's popularity, the editions of 'Marmik' were continued non-stop. But somewhere down the line, the popularity of the magazine decreased. This didn't have anything to do with its quality or content but with 'Samana' becoming a stronger mouthpiece for the party.

This one was published when the textile mills in Lalbaug and Parel area were shutting down. 

In the last decade or so, we have witnessed the decline in the sale of magazines which is multiplying with every passing year. Some of them are shut down, naturally. Hence, I thought the same whould have happened with 'Marmik' too.

Also see: Photo tour of Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2020

However, last month when I was just walking past a newspaper vendor, I just stopped and was pleasantly surprised to see the latest edition of 'Marmik.' I bought it instantly. It costs only Rs 5.

I then realized that a lot of my near and dear ones were also unaware that 'Marmik' is still coming up with newer editions and is very much active. Hence, this blog post.

Here's how 'Marmik' looks today, 60 years after it was launched:

In the edition I got, I could not find too much of political stuff except a dig at India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the state of the economy and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Chandrakant Patil for his comments on Maharashtra's Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Here's an interesting article on how the names of various places in Mumbai were derived from.

'Marmik' is not devoid of cartoons. Apart from the two political pieces, I could find few political sketches and a section on political one-liners which, obviously, in Shiv Sena's favour.

This is a coverage of the annual fruits and flowers exhibition in the famous Ranibaug of Mumbai.

Apart from these items, 'Marmik' has sections on recipes, devotion, astrology, short stories, experience articles, jokes, etc.

By: Keyur Seta

Additonal reading:

Play Review: Manshaa Ki Shaadi 

Bombay 1960s: When this govt card was mandatory to buy milk

Manshaa Ki Shaadi: Hindi Play Review

As per the title, Manshaa Ki Shaadi is about Manshaa's wedding. The stage is set for her to marry the guy chosen by her parents. Like every mother, Dulaari (Aarti Tiwari) is hell-bent in ensuring that everything goes as per plan.

Hence, she personally checks every development, right from the decorations to the food arrangements to the stay of the large number of guests. In other words, it is impossible for Dulaari to stay at one place, although her husband and Manshaa's father is taking things likely.

But just moments before the wedding, a shocking twist takes place which freezes Dulaari. How will she solve the problem? The bigger question is, will she be able to?

Written by Ketki Pandit and directed by Zameer Kamble, Manshaa Ki Shaadi, which is a solo act, starts off with the wedding festivities. Despite the stage being almost empty, the scene of a wedding house is brought alive in front of you. You feel the presence of a very Rajshri Production-like scenario in front of you.

But of course, it all changes after the major twist. If by the title and the promotional material you felt this is going to be a wedding play, you will be mistaken pretty quickly.

The shift in tale and its consequences are handled with finesse as Dulaari struggles to improve the situation but doesn't give up.

Much to your surprise, Manshaa Ki Shaadi ends with a progressive message. It tries to bridge the gap between the older and newer generations. But more importantly, the play encourages one to come out of the 'log kya kahenge' syndrome.

Although this is a story of a mother and daughter, it will be relatable even to the duo of father and son simply because Indian parents are obsessed with the wedding of their child or children.

In a solo play of around one hour, it is of utmost importance for the script to not only be watertight but also gripping. This is exactly what writer Ketki Pandit has brought to the table here. As mentioned before, the wedding scenario is brought in front of you despite it not being there. The icing on the cake is the continuous humour.

No matter how great the content is, a solo act depends wholly on the actor to do the final justice to it. Aarti Tiwari has done that stupendously. She has literally lived the character and the different emotions that come with it. Her way of interacting with the audience deserves special mention.

As far as the minuses are concerned, Dulaari should have shown a degree of shock when the twist occurs. Although the idea is to keep the play light-hearted, a little moment of shock could have been gelled in.

This is not a major issue though. Overall, Manshaa Ki Shaadi is entertaining and thought-provoking, especially for parents.

Writer: Ketki Pandit
Director: Zameer Kamble
Cast: Aarti Tiwari

Review by: Keyur Seta

Chembur Festival 2020: Photos

It has barely been days since Mumbai's Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (KGAF) wound up and another part of the city is already been celebrated. The 9th edition of the Chembur Festival 2020 is currently on in Mumbai and will remain so till Monday 17 February.

It is an arts festival, very much on the lines of KGAF where an entire street comes alive with art works and stalls. The one artwork that caught everyone's eyes this time was the selfie point where some pretty-looking post boxes are installed. This makes you realize that we hardly use post these days.

You will also find stalls selling a wide variety of items. But what makes the Chembur Festival stand apart is that it has a much larger space. So much so that they have a separate lane for food and beverages. They serve Chaat, Dabeli, Pani Puri, cakes, soda, ice gola and some heavy food items too, both veg and non-veg.

Also see: Photos: Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2020

Today the Chembur Festival also saw a musical concert by singer Amit Kumar, son of the legendary singer and actor Kishore Kumar, at the Chembur Gymkhana ground. Along with singing songs, he also kept the audience in splits with his funny acts.

There was also an display of dance with weapons by people from a Sikh group.

Here are some more pictures from the Chembur Festival 2020:

Also see: Bombay 1960s: When this govt card was mandatory to buy milk

Amit Kumar performing

Dance with weapons by a Sikh youth

The same post boxes at night 

By: Keyur Seta

Bombay 1960s: When this govt card was mandatory to buy milk

Over the years we have gotten used to using cards to buy a wide range of items, especially since we understood the importance of going cashless. But once upon a time in the state of Maharashtra way back in the 1960s people used to buy milk through a card.

No, this wasn’t a cashless transaction as the term itself was unheard then. Actually it was mandatory for people back then to get a ‘milk card’ in order to buy milk, as per the rule imposed by the then Maharashtra Government. In other words, you wouldn’t get access to milk if you didn’t have a permit in the form of this card even if you had money to buy it.

Yes, you read it right.

Somehow, my family in Mumbai has preserved this card over all these decades. I can’t thank them enough since I haven’t found anyone in the city who still has this card. Even after Googling about the same, I am unable to find anyone to have mentioned this anywhere on the internet.

As you can see in the picture, this is a simple card made of aluminium. It mainly only consists the words ‘Govt of Maharashtra Milk Scheme, Bombay.’ The name of my grandfather ‘M V Seta’ indicates that it belongs to us.

Back then, one could buy milk only from government milk stalls that are still called ‘Doodh Kendra.’ They used to provide milk in glass bottles.

My father tells me that the mandatory rule of getting milk only through this card was done away with somewhere in the 1970s. From then onwards, anybody was able to buy milk without any card. However, it was mandatory to provide empty bottles in exchange of bottles filled with milk.

I clearly remember in the early and mid-1990s going to buy milk in exchange of empty bottles. Today, people might find it difficult to believe that there used to be a long queue as early as 5:30 or 6 am back then to buy milk in our area in Dadar west.

We have come a long way now when anyone can order home delivery of milk literally by just a few clicks or swipes.

By: Keyur Seta 

Photos: Kala Ghoda Festival 2020

It's that time of the year again when the arts enthusiasts and aficionados of Mumbai gather at an iconic place in the southern part of Mumbai for the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. This is another reason why this period is loved by a section of the Mumbaikars. The other being the winter; a respite from the terrible heat.

So, like every year, the pretty Kala Ghoda street is made prettier with a number of artistic works not limited to sculptures, paintings, sketches, photographs, etc.

Kala Ghoda Festival also offers opportunity to plenty of businesses to put up stalls to sell a large range of items from clothes to art items to food.

The festival is an ideal place to click photos. We did the same.

Here are some colorful glimpses from Kala Ghoda Festival 2020:

Also see: 5 types of chai available on Mumbai’s streets

5 types of chai available on Mumbai’s streets

Mumbai is known for its rich culture of street food with Vada Pav being its more famous offering. But not much is spoken about the different types of teas available on the roads of this city. One might feel all roadside teas might taste the same but that is far from the truth.

Mumbai’s streets offer wide varieties of teas and they all vary in terms of the taste, ingredients, ambience and experience. If there is something like tea versatility, it’s in Mumbai.

Here are 5 different types of teas you can find in the city:

Cutting chai

People who have been living in Mumbai need no introduction to the city’s special cutting chai. But for the uninitiated, ‘Cutting chai’ is the measurement for tea which is not too much or too less. You will find countless tea stalls or tapris, as they are locally called, in every nook and corner of the city serving tea in such quantities in small or medium-sized glasses.

Their tea is strong with ginger or elaichi or both. You may find stalls putting only ginger but you will seldom find a stall that puts only elaichi. On days you are tired with too much running around in the city, one or two quantities of cutting chai can work wonders. If you don’t like your tea to be strong, there are other options below.

Price: Rs 6 or 7

Nagori tea

Around 6-7 years ago, Nagori brand of tea stalls slowly started cropping up in the city. An expert told me that they are mostly Muslims from Hyderabad who have settled here to sell tea. Slowly, they have broadened their reach in the city.

Their tea is for those who prefer tea with more milk [paani kum, as it is called here]. What makes their tea special is the generous amounts of elaichi they put. Nagori is also for those who can’t have ginger tea at normal tapris because of acidity issues.

Price: Rs 8

Sophisticated tea stalls 

Over the last few years, unique tea stalls like Saiba Amrutalay have emerged not only in Mumbai but also in other places in Maharashtra. Another recent name is Premacha Chaha. They all have specific hygienic interiors and they serve teas in those white cups [it’s difficult to fit your finger in their handles but that’s okay].

Their tea is delicious to say the least. They only add elaichi. But they are different from Nagori as they don’t make their tea too milky. Unlike other stalls, one is required to take coupons here.

Price: Rs 10

Copper tea

This entry will be a surprise even for most Mumbaikars. A tea stall in Dadar (west) serves tea made in copper vessels. You might feel, what’s so special in this? Well, making the tea in copper gives it a different taste altogether. This is exactly the reason why they don’t add any masala, elaichi, ginger or anything because there is just no need. Plus, having any food cooked in copper also has health benefits.

The stall is called Ambaji Tea Stall and it’s on Gokhale Road (north).

Price: Rs 10 for cutting and Rs20 for full

Irani cafés

The Irani Hotels, as they are called, don’t exactly fall in the roadside category. But we have included them since their quality of tea and their target audience is the same. These cafes are simple with their retro-styled interiors and sitting arrangements that bring back memories of the old, uncomplicated Bombay.

The tea served here is not strong but impressive enough to satisfy a tea lover. And if you are not calorie-conscious, you should try the combination of their tea with Bun Muska [big bread with loads of butter]. They also serve ‘Paani kum chai,’ which translates to tea with very little water and more milk.

Price: Rs 20

By: Keyur Seta