Iconic South Mumbai cafe bids adieu to Mumbaikars after 45 years

Most Mumbai kids from the Nineties have a New Yorker memory It was one of the first outings as a collegian who drooled over their first taste of Nachos with Creamy Cheese Sauce and Enchiladas For youngsters with big appetites and less pocket money the highlight of that meal was the shareable Sizzling Brownie with a dollop of vanilla ice cream garnished with toasted cashew nuts The server had poured a fudgy chocolate sauce all over itSeptember 11 saw the last service at New Yorker the 45yearold establishment that is often credited for giving Mumbaikars vegetarian TexMex While palates evolved and paved the way for better representation of the cuisine the sizzling brownie with vanilla ice cream and fudge sauce flourished across menus and continues to be a favouriteNew Yorker owner Ranbir Batra reveals ldquoMy family was inspired while on an overseas trip when they tasted the hotandcold dessert served dramatically on a sizzling plate They were told it was a dessert that didnrsquot move too well They returned and tweaked the recipe We created a fudgy sauce it picked up ever since it appeared on the menu They borrowed the idea of hot plates from restaurants that served sizzlersrdquo The sizzling brownie became a favourite across age groupsThe Vanilla Brownie Ice Cream at Fountain Sizzlers PicShadab KhanBy the late rsquo90s Fountain Sizzlers at Fort also began serving it on their menu Ayush Arora secondgeneration owner says ldquoIt retains its position as a favoured chocolate dessert due to nostalgia and reminds you of childhood Everyone from the rsquo90s grew up eating it We prepare an inhouse vanilla brownie ice cream to top it When the brownie and ice cream mix together you get a hotcold sizzle on the palate Once the chocolate sauce solidifies on the sizzling plate it adds a gooey texturerdquo he addsCake and cookieIt also led to a brownie revolution in the city In 1997 chef Manish Khanna started Brownie Point in Bandra and at Alfredorsquos in Juhu two years later ldquoJust like our city patrons prefer their food to have some chataka and drama mdash so the sizzling brownie with ice cream was a hit That it was a sharing experience made it affordable for youngsters toordquo explains KhannaBrownies by Manish KhannaHe recalls the difficulty of promoting the brownie ldquoWhen I told clients it was a combination of a cake and a cookie they were confused I would urge them to try it Thatrsquos how it picked uprdquo says Khanna who runs the dessert brand Noir along with Brownie Point outlets across the country and Dubai ldquoThe shelf life made it easy to stock and store A brownie can be stored at room temperature for up to a week The generous amount of butter and sugar acts as preservatives allowing this option It became the perfect gifting option toordquoBrownie blissA decade later in 2007 Prachi Agarwal Goel started the first Brownie Cottage kiosk in Bandra baking out of her home on a Sunflame cooking range ldquoNew Yorker was the first place I ate a sizzling brownie with ice cream I doubt anyone else was doing it It was unique and was available only at restaurantsrdquo recalls GoelManish Khanna Prachi Goel File pic and Sucheta ThakurldquoMy husband has a massive sweet tooth and always told me the brownies were unique Itrsquos how I began making chocolate brownies It has stood its ground because it is chocolate mdash it is gooey it is easy to make easy to gift and store due to its shelf life No icing no decoration and yet itrsquos tempting to bite into An authentic brownie has its flaky cracks on the top and a gooey centre Back then you had to explain to patrons about the idea of a brownierdquo she addsThe authentic brownie is made with less than five per cent flour while the rest is 45 per cent dark chocolate and butterSucheta Thakur a loyal patron who lined up outside New Yorker for one last indulgence ldquoBack in the day when fancy desserts meant ice cream sundaes sizzling brownies were VIP desserts You had to travel all the way from Andheri to Chowpatty to taste it As kids we would fight to have the bigger bites burning out tongue in the processrdquo she reminiscesAll we wish for the city is may the sizzle never fizzle