Being a Mumbaikar vada-pav, dabeli, chaat come naturally to me. But every time i interact with people outside Mumbai I realize I am a part of Mumbai’s legacy for its street food. The best part is I didn’t have to take any pains or efforts to make myself a part of it, its hereditary I suppose.
Had I not interacted with people from other states who always display aaw and envy of the readily available street food in Mumbai, I wouldn’t even realise how blessed I am to be a Mumbaikar. Street food or fast food is a part of our lives but in our daily routines we dont realise that it’s actually a bliss. An interaction with an NRI and they would speak of vada-pav and pav bhaji like stars and moons and one can clearly notice the sparkle in the eyes and their mouths watering. As they say ‘one realises the value of things after losing them’.
Most of the streets in Mumbai sell vada pav, it’s more like a staple diet for most Mumbaikars. While hopping from one train to another or in the bus one would come across someone who would be relishing the vada pav. Come rains and the urge to have a hot vada pav increases. Samosas and bhajji are the other common dishes.
Bhaiyaji ka sandwich is another common road side stall, across the station or opposite colleges one will commonly see a bhaiyaji making sandwich serving them with green chutney or tomato sauce. You can make the sandwich at home but it wont taste anything close to the one he makes on the street.
Chaat is Mumbai is very famous. It’s the khatta meetha combination which attracts most of the people. Pani puri, sev puri, bhel, ragda pattice are some of the favourite dishes. I dont think theres any Mumbaikar who would say that we dont like or eat chaat. It’s a hot favourite among all age groups. It’s famously seen at the chowpathy’s in Mumbai.
A few years back. The ‘frankie’ has also very successfully entered the Mumbai street food market and was a instant hit with college going student who got varieties in it like the cheese, mayonnaise, noodle, Manchurian etc Frankie.
Mumbai fast food chain is dominated by many chains but the hot favourites remain the same over the years. Any udupi joint theses items continue to rule. The veg pizza, pav bhaji, tawa pulav, medu vada, dosa(various types), batata vada, etc. are items which are relished day after day. The best part about Mumbai however just doesn’t lie in the variety, quality and taste of food.
The secret ingredient which Mumbai has is its unmatched service. Any stall or fast food chain serves promptly and with a smile. It’s the service which bowls the person over. The love with which the service is given makes the dish tasty. Whether it’s the bhaiyaji or the waiter the consistent service makes the dish worth every penny.
– Anjani Nautiyal.
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