'There is no love greater than the love of eating.' This is the sign which greets you when you enter the hallowed portals of Britannia, the nearly century old Parsi food restaurant in Mumbai. I've been a regular at Britannia for as long as I can remember but unfortunately, most of the time it has been take-away for me. The place is so crowded on weekdays (it opens only for lunch) that dining in was not really an option in the years I visited and stayed in Mumbai.
After a gap of 3 years, I revisited Britannia last month. Located in the once busy business district of Ballard Estate, the restaurant is one of a handful of Irani cafes left in Mumbai today. If you want to have a fix of Parsi food now, there is little to choose from except Ideal, Paradise and Britannia. I deliberately omit Jimmy Boy Cafe as the food is too nouveau and the final result on your table is anything but authentic Parsi cuisine. Cafe Mondegar, Cafe Leopold and Cafe Churchill in Colaba, whilst being owned by Parsis, serve continental and Chinese cuisine and down the road, another Parsi owned landmark Cafe Royal is famed for its steaks.
The son of the original owner and current owner of Britannia - 90 years young and charming Boman Kohinoor still tends to tables, occasionally taking orders and making small talk with customers. Boman's younger son Romin is the main chef at Britannia whilst the elder one Afshin looks after the till. The Kohinoor family is very friendly and you can't miss them on a trip here. Knowing the menu by heart I rattled off my order and sat waiting for the food to arrive. To beat the Mumbai heat, first came the Pallonji's drink in raspberry flavour. Other flavours available are ginger and ice cream soda. Even if you don't like raspberries, you have to try this ultra-sweet fizzy drink. Apart from Parsi weddings, this drink is unavailable anywhere and in the era of Coke-Pepsi, the limited production from the Pallonji stable is just enough to cater to Parsi wedding demand and retail at a few Irani cafes.
One look around me and I noticed the interiors haven't changed one bit. The simple furniture is set in the classic Parsi style - glass table top placed over wooden tables covered with checked tablecloths. Plenty of signboards hang all over the place and vary from the functional 'debit and credit cards not accepted' to the hilarious ' Please don't argue with management.' The main wall of the restaurant is adorned with images of Zarathustra, Mahatma Gandhi and Queen Elizabeth II. The restaurant still has a hangover of the colonial era when Parsis were the favoured Indian lot with the ruling British for their fair complexion, refined manners and pro-British stand. In fact, it is not surprising to see a few old Parsis still refer to Queen Elizabeth II as 'Apri Rani' (Our Queen)! All these thoughts ran through my head when I saw the portrait on the wall and could not help smiling to myself at how you can choose to live in a time warp if you so wish.
The Patra Ni Macchi arrived promptly. The fish seasoned with coconut paste and steamed in banana leaves has been a winner for many years and thankfully still retains its melt-in-the-mouth taste. The fish is served in a way that the adept waiters can easily scoop the meat portion off the main bone without you having to worry about it in your mouthful. Next was the Sali Boti. These are succulent pieces of mutton marinated in ginger-garlic paste topped with cinnamon gravy and generously sprinkled with crispy matchstick potatoes. Absolutely heavenly and I polished them off to the last morsel. What followed next was Britannia's signature dish - Mutton Berry Pulav. Enough has been written about this dish : from Boman's wife introducing this item on the menu to the berries being imported from Iran to this day for the authentic taste. This is essentially a rice dish served with mutton balls and garnished with cashewnuts, fried onions and red berries. The distinctive flavour of well cooked mutton, steaming rice coupled with the crispy taste of onions and sweet taste of berries brings alive your taste buds like nothing else. I was in half a mind to order the dhansak as well but desisted in favour of dessert. Dhansak is a lentil preparation with chicken / mutton dunked in it and has gained a cult following not withstanding the fact it is widely a funeral dish in Parsi culture. As such, it is rarely cooked at homes and is mostly consumed outside. I couldn't have left Britannia without indulging in that most Parsi of sweets : Caramel Custard. This is one item that always emerges a winner at Britannia with its smooth consistency, light sweetness and delectable syrup.
Has Britannia changed in all these years? To quote Jean Paul Sartre, nothing has changed and yet everything is different. Whilst the ownership, decor and menu is the same, portion sizes and their prices are showing strains of inflation. The berry pulav till not so long ago used to be generously loaded with mutton kebabs for less than INR 100. Today a less meatier version costs INR 350. The prices though are still very reasonable for a dying cuisine. Britannia has its loyal set of international patrons and you should not be surprised to see large take-away orders being packed for patrons to be carried as precious cargo to cities all over the world and enjoyed on special occasions.
On your way out, don't forget to say hello to another of Britannia's beloved fixtures : a trio of friendly canines and couple of cats who have been domesticated by the Kohinoors. They respond well to hugs and pats and seem to sense customers who enjoyed a Britannia meal ! I would be back to Britannia in a heartbeat. Mostly for the food but largely also for the fact this restaurant and its ilk may not be around in the next few years. Enjoy it while you can. On your next trip to Mumbai, make time for the Black Cock if you haven't already been here. Take in the charm of a carefully preserved era whilst enjoying a delectable feast of a centuries old cuisine. Priceless.
After a gap of 3 years, I revisited Britannia last month. Located in the once busy business district of Ballard Estate, the restaurant is one of a handful of Irani cafes left in Mumbai today. If you want to have a fix of Parsi food now, there is little to choose from except Ideal, Paradise and Britannia. I deliberately omit Jimmy Boy Cafe as the food is too nouveau and the final result on your table is anything but authentic Parsi cuisine. Cafe Mondegar, Cafe Leopold and Cafe Churchill in Colaba, whilst being owned by Parsis, serve continental and Chinese cuisine and down the road, another Parsi owned landmark Cafe Royal is famed for its steaks.
The son of the original owner and current owner of Britannia - 90 years young and charming Boman Kohinoor still tends to tables, occasionally taking orders and making small talk with customers. Boman's younger son Romin is the main chef at Britannia whilst the elder one Afshin looks after the till. The Kohinoor family is very friendly and you can't miss them on a trip here. Knowing the menu by heart I rattled off my order and sat waiting for the food to arrive. To beat the Mumbai heat, first came the Pallonji's drink in raspberry flavour. Other flavours available are ginger and ice cream soda. Even if you don't like raspberries, you have to try this ultra-sweet fizzy drink. Apart from Parsi weddings, this drink is unavailable anywhere and in the era of Coke-Pepsi, the limited production from the Pallonji stable is just enough to cater to Parsi wedding demand and retail at a few Irani cafes.
One look around me and I noticed the interiors haven't changed one bit. The simple furniture is set in the classic Parsi style - glass table top placed over wooden tables covered with checked tablecloths. Plenty of signboards hang all over the place and vary from the functional 'debit and credit cards not accepted' to the hilarious ' Please don't argue with management.' The main wall of the restaurant is adorned with images of Zarathustra, Mahatma Gandhi and Queen Elizabeth II. The restaurant still has a hangover of the colonial era when Parsis were the favoured Indian lot with the ruling British for their fair complexion, refined manners and pro-British stand. In fact, it is not surprising to see a few old Parsis still refer to Queen Elizabeth II as 'Apri Rani' (Our Queen)! All these thoughts ran through my head when I saw the portrait on the wall and could not help smiling to myself at how you can choose to live in a time warp if you so wish.
The Patra Ni Macchi arrived promptly. The fish seasoned with coconut paste and steamed in banana leaves has been a winner for many years and thankfully still retains its melt-in-the-mouth taste. The fish is served in a way that the adept waiters can easily scoop the meat portion off the main bone without you having to worry about it in your mouthful. Next was the Sali Boti. These are succulent pieces of mutton marinated in ginger-garlic paste topped with cinnamon gravy and generously sprinkled with crispy matchstick potatoes. Absolutely heavenly and I polished them off to the last morsel. What followed next was Britannia's signature dish - Mutton Berry Pulav. Enough has been written about this dish : from Boman's wife introducing this item on the menu to the berries being imported from Iran to this day for the authentic taste. This is essentially a rice dish served with mutton balls and garnished with cashewnuts, fried onions and red berries. The distinctive flavour of well cooked mutton, steaming rice coupled with the crispy taste of onions and sweet taste of berries brings alive your taste buds like nothing else. I was in half a mind to order the dhansak as well but desisted in favour of dessert. Dhansak is a lentil preparation with chicken / mutton dunked in it and has gained a cult following not withstanding the fact it is widely a funeral dish in Parsi culture. As such, it is rarely cooked at homes and is mostly consumed outside. I couldn't have left Britannia without indulging in that most Parsi of sweets : Caramel Custard. This is one item that always emerges a winner at Britannia with its smooth consistency, light sweetness and delectable syrup.
Has Britannia changed in all these years? To quote Jean Paul Sartre, nothing has changed and yet everything is different. Whilst the ownership, decor and menu is the same, portion sizes and their prices are showing strains of inflation. The berry pulav till not so long ago used to be generously loaded with mutton kebabs for less than INR 100. Today a less meatier version costs INR 350. The prices though are still very reasonable for a dying cuisine. Britannia has its loyal set of international patrons and you should not be surprised to see large take-away orders being packed for patrons to be carried as precious cargo to cities all over the world and enjoyed on special occasions.
On your way out, don't forget to say hello to another of Britannia's beloved fixtures : a trio of friendly canines and couple of cats who have been domesticated by the Kohinoors. They respond well to hugs and pats and seem to sense customers who enjoyed a Britannia meal ! I would be back to Britannia in a heartbeat. Mostly for the food but largely also for the fact this restaurant and its ilk may not be around in the next few years. Enjoy it while you can. On your next trip to Mumbai, make time for the Black Cock if you haven't already been here. Take in the charm of a carefully preserved era whilst enjoying a delectable feast of a centuries old cuisine. Priceless.
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