Bygone 'Bombay' survives in Irani cafes of Mumbai

Mumbai (PTI): With street-food like 'vada pav', sandwich and pani-puri coming to dominate the culinary landscape of the city, Irani cafes, which lent a charm to Mumbai in the old days, are fast fading out. There was a time when there were about 400 Irani cafes in Mumbai. Now only about 30 survive, some of them more than a hundred years old, offering a glimpse into Mumbai, or 'Bombay' as it was earlier known as. Owners say the reason behind the decline of Irani cafes is due to various factors, including shortage of workforce, inflation, high taxes and reluctance of the young generation to continue in the business. Most Irani cafes are, or were, situated around Dhobi Talao in south Mumbai, like `Bastani', `Burban', `Merwan', `Light of Asia'. It was a place where people could sit for hours and chat or read newspapers while music played in the background. "The place was Barrista of those times," says Rafiq Bagdadi, an expert on Mumbai heritage. Kyani & Co, opposite Metro cinema in south Mumbai, is one of the most popular Irani cafes and a heritage landmark. But the third generation is not too keen to take over, says Farooq Shokri, owner. "Majority of them have migrated abroad," he said. Some cafes have switched over to permit rooms and beer bars. "The government is also insensitive to problems faced by the Irani cafes. We have been a part of Mumbai's heritage for over a century," Shokri said. Though the Udipi hotels became ubiquitous post-Independence, Irani cafes have their own niche and style, he said. But changes were inevitable: "We cannot survive on bun-maska and chai alone, so had to add new items on our menu," he said. As the name suggests, the Irani community of Mumbai came from Iran, but unlike Parsis, who came to India hundreds of years ago, Iranis arrived in the 19th century. They started out with bread shops, and then expanded to provide tea and other fare. One 75-year-old Behram K Khosravi, owner of Cafe Military near Bombay High Court, said once it served only `broon' bread, bun-maska, omelet and chicken/mutton pattice. But to attract customers, he introduced Parsi and Moglai dishes such as Pulao dal, Sali boti and Kheema Ghotala (kheema with scrambled eggs). Boman Kohinoor, the 91-year-old owner of Britania & Co, a widely popular Irani joint at Ballard Pier, says despite the hardships, Irani cafes have maintained the quality of food. "Before independence, we served continental dishes as Britishers did not like spicy food. For the last 30 years, Parsi and Moghlai delicacies have been in the menu," he said. He proudly displayed a letter from Queen Elizabeth of Britain in reply to his invitation for lunch at the restaurant during her visit to the country in 2010. "She cancelled her visit so I was sad and wrote to her. She replied through her 'lady in waiting'," he said, and showed a card-board portrait of Prince William and his wife and a portrait of the Queen, sent from Britain. Actor Abhishek Bachchan is also one of the frequent visitors of Britania.