Seductive Simplicities
Britania Co. Ltd., located at Ballard Estate, Mumbai will ring a ‘nostalgic’ bell for many a Mumbaikar, but for yours truly – still not fully initiated into Mumbai’s very best & very basic – it was the very first encounter. I’d not heard of its existence till this day (April 6)
Clearly a day which was more meticulously planned out than many others, we managed to pack in quite a bit, actually a lot – slept in, aggressive cardio at the gym, light breakfast to be compensated later at lunch and departure by the stipulated time.
South Mumbai on holidays continues to be a breeze, though on this ‘Good Friday’ we had to navigate through a bit of traffic en route. Britania is nestled in the heart of the statuesque Ballard Estate, still one of the most influential business districts in the country’s commercial capital. The buildings, said to be designed by George Wittet - the architect for Gateway and the Museum- bear the familiar similarity of high ceilings and big windows, the architectural left- over from the British Raj. And lanes beautifully lined with the green and balminess of tress rooted there for 100 years or more.
Britania, now in its 90s & one of Mumbai’s oldest Irani (Persian) restaurants, is simply puritanical – no nonsense, no frills, perhaps one of the last of a dying breed of Irani establishments once teeming in many a nook and corner of South Mumbai.
‘There is no Love greater than the Love of Eating’ written bold in highlighted font welcomed our attention as we entered and settled into a corner seating of four.
The romance of the place does not hit you at first sight, but slowly softens all your five senses as you absorb it. The names of the partners written boldly in white on a black board, the specialty of the day announced in big bold on another board, the matured efficiency of waiters commanding silent respect from every table because of their meticulous professional waiting upon tables, and so on. And what struck me the most were the 2 old bespectacled Parsee gentlemen (looked like the owners themselves) personally taking orders at tables. Can get anyone guilt-struck about being waited upon by such age & pedigree.
And one of the old gentlemen did exactly that! Hunched with age, thick rimmed glasses on, holding a small pad (made of loose pieces of paper) to take down our order, monotonous expression. I spied his shaky fingers taking down the order in convenient code - 2 Berry Pulaos as BP 2, 2 Chicken Salli Boti as C SB 2, and so on- and I silently wished for the food connoisseurs at our table to be quick & decisive and not make him wait.
Britania Co. Ltd., located at Ballard Estate, Mumbai will ring a ‘nostalgic’ bell for many a Mumbaikar, but for yours truly – still not fully initiated into Mumbai’s very best & very basic – it was the very first encounter. I’d not heard of its existence till this day (April 6)
Clearly a day which was more meticulously planned out than many others, we managed to pack in quite a bit, actually a lot – slept in, aggressive cardio at the gym, light breakfast to be compensated later at lunch and departure by the stipulated time.
South Mumbai on holidays continues to be a breeze, though on this ‘Good Friday’ we had to navigate through a bit of traffic en route. Britania is nestled in the heart of the statuesque Ballard Estate, still one of the most influential business districts in the country’s commercial capital. The buildings, said to be designed by George Wittet - the architect for Gateway and the Museum- bear the familiar similarity of high ceilings and big windows, the architectural left- over from the British Raj. And lanes beautifully lined with the green and balminess of tress rooted there for 100 years or more.
Britania, now in its 90s & one of Mumbai’s oldest Irani (Persian) restaurants, is simply puritanical – no nonsense, no frills, perhaps one of the last of a dying breed of Irani establishments once teeming in many a nook and corner of South Mumbai.
‘There is no Love greater than the Love of Eating’ written bold in highlighted font welcomed our attention as we entered and settled into a corner seating of four.
The romance of the place does not hit you at first sight, but slowly softens all your five senses as you absorb it. The names of the partners written boldly in white on a black board, the specialty of the day announced in big bold on another board, the matured efficiency of waiters commanding silent respect from every table because of their meticulous professional waiting upon tables, and so on. And what struck me the most were the 2 old bespectacled Parsee gentlemen (looked like the owners themselves) personally taking orders at tables. Can get anyone guilt-struck about being waited upon by such age & pedigree.
And one of the old gentlemen did exactly that! Hunched with age, thick rimmed glasses on, holding a small pad (made of loose pieces of paper) to take down our order, monotonous expression. I spied his shaky fingers taking down the order in convenient code - 2 Berry Pulaos as BP 2, 2 Chicken Salli Boti as C SB 2, and so on- and I silently wished for the food connoisseurs at our table to be quick & decisive and not make him wait.
Gladly our ordering was swift, considering some parts of the menu had been frozen (and perhaps dreamt about the previous night) right when the plot was hatched. ‘Patraani Machchi’, ‘Salli Boti’ and the famed Berry-pulao were the highlights complimented by magnanimously buttered toasts, fish fries and topped off by caramel custard, chocolate mousse and the famous colored raspberry drinks. Of course the protagonist was the Berry pulao (a version of the Iranian zereshk polow) , an outstanding signature dish, made with succulent spiced boneless mutton (or chicken), fragrant long-grain basmati rice, and tart barberries imported from Iran.
Enchantingly flavored, peppered with succulent pieces of chicken, colorfully spread out in layers it is like a feast for kings.
Do you remember those familiar heart-beats when the exam invigilator stopped at your desk peering from above at your hurried writing, and your fingers froze and the pen slowed down, conscious of time running by but rooted because the teacher might spot some wrongly written answer, earnestly wishing he would take his walking vigil to another desk. I experienced ditto when the Parsee old man stopped at our table & singled me out for having stopped eating. Amply chastised, poor me. Thereafter, I would have food in my plate and my spoon actively servicing my mouth, every time he came near our table. And I must add, the superlative food even made the shamming delectable.
Immensely gratifying and I can anytime shut my eyes and feel the wispy taste of the berries in my mouth. I’d read somewhere about ‘mindful eating’ (as opposed to devouring) that is akin to savoring every morsel that you intake and this place truly revived this experience of eating with all senses on alert, for me. I’m raring for a second visit very soon, the Love of Eating having indeed become my greatest Love, for the moment!
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