Irani Chaai, Mahim

By the time I started appreciating the Irani restaurants there were only a handful of them left in the city. Sadly, over the years, their numbers have only dwindled. Naturally, I was delighted to read about this new eatery that has come up in Mahim. People have given favorable reviews on Zomato so this weekend we decided to visit. My only worry was whether we will be able to get a place to sit because by all accounts it is a small place.

When we landed there the place looked small but still capable of seating about 18 people - going by the fact that there were about 18 people in there presently and no tables were unoccupied. In a matter of seconds a gentleman came out to inquire about how many of us were there and then informed us that we would be able to sit down in about 5 minutes. Sure enough we were perusing the menu in a couple of minutes.

I had done my homework on Zomato so without much ado we ordered Cheese Masala Omelette, Berry Pulao and ice-cream soda. The waiter looked totally crestfallen as he informed us that they had run out of ice-cream soda. Funnily enough, I don't remember the last time anyone told me that they have run out of any beverage or food in a restaurant. We laughed and ordered lemonade instead.

Soon the waiter deposited a plate containing a huge Omelette with 4 breads (the kind served with Pao-Bhaji in Mumbai). The omelette could have been hotter but I couldn't find fault with its taste. There were chunks of cheese in it and I tried to work out for how long I will have to walk to work off all those calories. :-) Didn't stop me from gobbling it up though. "I will worry about the calories later" I told myself. The lemonade was a mild version of Limca, but without its burp-inducing fizz.

Cheese Masala Omelette

Apparently, the berry pulao is prepared only on Wednesdays and Sundays. Compared to the other items on the menu, it is a bit on the pricier side. It is basically a rice preparation, cooked in mild spices, its taste a happy mix of sourness (because of the pomegranate seeds) and sweetness. A huge piece of chicken (not boneless though, to my total chagrin!) sat right in the middle of it. I tore off a piece of it with some trepidation but it was tender and well-seasoned to my great relief. The pulao is a bit on the drier side but if you are a rice-lover and like your rice mildly spiced, this one is worth a try.

Berry Pulao

On our way out the owner asked us how we liked the food. We said we liked it very much and he smiled, folding his hands. I also don't remember the last time any restaurant owner has asked me about my experience. That's one thing about these mom-and-pop eateries and the reason why I feel that more of them should come up in this city. Looking back at the restaurant I found that every table was occupied with happy diners.

Looks like this one will survive and thrive. That's great news because I plan to go again to try their chicken cutlets, mawa cakes and that ice-cream soda :-)