Craving for an Authentic Wada Pav !!!

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Mumbai's answer to America's burger, the quickest on-the-go food, the cheapest snack, the most easily available thing to eat in Mumbai and most importantly a bite that no mumbaikar would want to miss. Wada Pav today is no more a 'hawker at the corner of the street' issue. It has got into this huge chain of hygiene business the most hit chains being Jumbo, KunjVihar and Goli.

I remember Kunj Vihar's first shop in Thane, where they sold these huge- almost double the size of Wada Pavs with Lasun chutney, for a mere Rs.5/-. In the past 5-6 years it became a totally different idea with coupons, packed chutney sachets, glove-geared salesmen and what not. But now I miss the authentic Lasun and Batata flavor in these glamorized Wada Pavs. :(

Today when my North-bound relatives come and ask, "Arre ek badhiya Wada Pav khilaao", I am left over in a dilemma of finding a place that has been giving a good Wada Pav consistently. Because in the end I just hate to hear, "Itna accha nahi tha ye, pichhli baar zyada accha khilaya tha na".

Recently I explored two new Wada Pav varieties which I need to give a special mention about.

1. Batata Wada between bread slices- yes it is actually served like that and it tastes really good.
2. Masala Wada Pav- It is almost fried in a lasun/tomatoe/onion masala and you will never opt for a second for a few days after you eat it, as it fluxes in a stream of butter. But we all know that taste and calories always go hand in hand. So neva mind!!!

For the best Wada Pav in Mumbai, I have always heard a lot about Ashok Wada Pav from prabahadevi, Prashant Corner in Dadar, a few from Vile Parle, but my search for a Wada Pav which I can label 'Aamchi Mumbaicha Beshht Wada Pav' still continues.

Sszzzzz... Sssszzzzz.....Sizzlers

The hissing sound is the real essence of this sizzling dish which makes it interesting enough. I have no idea of who formulated this recipe, well actually there's no big of a recipe in a sizzler. I mean who couldn't manage to boil a few veggies, roast some piece of chicken or paneer, pile up a few french fries, add some flavored rice with herbs & sauces and there it is-

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Well, I'm wrong. It just sounds easy. And not many restaurants who serve sizzlers are able to cook it with that much of epicurism and tastefulness. So hey all such simulated restaurateurs, just stop misleading poor sizzler-lovers by even claiming in your menucard that you are a master of this art.

I remember the first time I'd eaten a sizzler, when my college-going brother had all those updates on what restaurant is the 'in thing' these days. He took us to 'The Grill', Thane, a nice elegant place with colorful cartoons of a live party all over the wall. The menu showed tremendous variety of sizzlers in Veg and Non veg. And undoubtedly everything was just sooo good, atleast the ones which we have tried there (actually we've tried everything in the veg). The fun element is that everybody on the next tables get to know that 'OK, they're dinner has arrived' with the loud sizzling sound the dinner makes while it enters.

I recently came to know that this amazing place has shut down, and i have no clue where these guys have opened up now. But now the Sizzler King throne is being taken away by 'Kobe' and 'Yokos', the latter one liked by most of them. Try out the 'Paneer Shasleek' and 'Veg Satellite' which is the best choice for vegetarians, and the non-vegetarians are free to go and discover their own favorites. All I can suggest for them is- Have an Ice Tea along. ;)

The Fun of Hogging at a Farsaan Store

Oh I just love it! My mouth couldn't stop watering as I used to stand in the Farsan store, after my mom asked me to get some hot hot Jalebis on sunday mornings. Huge trays filled with heaps of tempting snacks like

1. Batata Wada
   
2. Bhajia
3. Punjabi Samosa (the regular one)
   
4. Other Samosa
   
5. Jalebi (Orange & Yellow)
   
6. Gathiya
   
7. Patra (green colored aalowadi)
   
8. Khandvi
9. Different types of Dhokla (White being my favorite)
   
10. Khasta Kachori
    
11. Farali Kachori (fried potato balls with sweet coconut filling)
    
12. Pani Puri

I added the ones that came on to my mind. Help me increase the list to its max and make far-famed the farsan walas of Mumbai.