Chef-entrepreneur Barkha Cardoz reveals her favourite Mumbai eateries

Last month when New Jerseybased chefentrepreneur Barkha Cardoz visited Mumbai before heading to her hometown in Bhopal for her biannual visit we met her briefly at her childhood favourite restaurant Kailash Parbat in Colaba Over plates of pani puri and chhole tikki she walks down memory lane remembering her father Radhakrishin Dudani who grew up in an oldschool Sindhi family with his eating habits entrenched in Larkana Sindh ldquoHe loved what his family cooked and always had stories to share of how he would get an lsquoaanarsquo from his father and would love eating tikki chhola pakwan dal and mithais at the shops in Karachi Pakistanrdquo says Cardoz digging into her chhole tikki with childlike delightKoki and Pani PurildquoMy children donrsquot understand the fuss all about the food here but then food is always flavoured with memories My fatherrsquos family moved to Mumbai following Partition and after marrying my mother settled down in Mahim Because he missed the food he ate growing up in Karachi he frequented places like Kailash Parbat Tharursquos in Khar restaurants in Sion and Jhama Sweets in Chembur as they reminded him of lsquohisrsquo places in Pakistan Having left their homes and all that was familiar in Sindh and coming to India as refugees most Sindhis bonded over family which helped them cope with being displaced Not only did they have to leave their established lives and jobs overnight but also their sense of belonging so each one of them looked for a familiar taste that reminded them of the home that they had lostrdquo she addsAloo TikkiKailash Parbatrsquos journey is heartwarming What began in the 1940s as a humble chaat stall on Bans Road in Karachi quickly became a neighbourhood favourite After Partition the Mulchandani brothers brought their passion to Bombay founding Kailash Parbat in 1952 and decades later it continues to uphold its legacy of flavours and tradition Growing up in a modern yet traditional Sindhi home in erstwhile Bombay in the 1970s Cardoz fondly remembers her mother Gudi Dudani the quintessential hostess who loved having friends and family over for dinners and family celebrations It gave her and her three siblings exposure to trying everything Mithai for the Dudanis was almost always from Tharu at Khar a place that too has roots across the borderIt was begun in 1920 in Shikarpur Sindh now in Pakistan by Seth Mukhi Tharu operating under the name Nanu Tharu After Partition in 1947 the family resettled in Bombay as refugees Refusing government aid Seth Mukhi Tharu relied on his skills as a halwai starting with the sale of gulab jamuns at a refugee camp it was an instant success By 1948 the family established a small stall in the Mumbadevi temple compound and in 1964 they opened a shop in Zaveri Bazaar Four years later the business relocated to Khar where it thrives now managed by the fourth generation carrying forward its rich legacy You can trust it for traditional festival sweets and Sunday specialities like Sindhi curry and dal pakwanSavouries at Candies Bandra right Vada Pav at Ashok DadarFor birthdays it was always Mac Ronells on Hill Road Bandramdashthe It place known for creating cakes into any shape your heart desired Run by Cajetan Periera the father of Candiesrsquo owner Allan Periera Mac Ronells was where Bollywood stars and locals alike went for cakes flaky chicken patties generously filled sandwiches and zesty lemon tarts At 12 Cardozrsquos mom would send Barkha with the driver to pick up mayonnaise to make her famous Russian salad for guests Sadly Mac Ronells closed its doors years ago the reasons shrouded in mysteryAt Canossa Convent in Mahim where Cardoz studied picnics were mostly to Aarey Milk Colony where they enjoyed cold masala milk with friends Her happy memory of these picnics were the evening before when she would go with her father in his ambassador car to Blue Circle on Hill Road the small shop beside New Talkies to pick up freshly made potato chips that melted in the mouth and mawa cupcakes from a bakery in Mahim across from the railway station ldquoEven now my eyes wander in that street to look for these longforgotten stores where a little girl had her eyes wide open at the sight of food that touched the soulrdquo she reminiscesFor Indian Chinese the Dudani family favourite was always at Gazebo in Bandra with sweet corn chicken soup and American chop suey being her absolute favourite On sultry summer nights the kulfi thelas near Dadar stationmdashwhere they weigh the kulfi and sell it to you on plates made of sal leavesmdashwere a favourite especially when they had house guestsCardoz moved to the US in 1988 where she reconnected with Floyd Cardoz her catering college friend They fell in love got married and bonded deeply over their shared passion for food and travel Their sons Peter and Justin grew up immersed in this love for cooking and hospitality becoming adventurous eaters and talented cooks themselvesStudying at Dadar Catering College in the 1980s and staying in the hostel with limited means meant heading to Sujata in Dadar for dosas and misal pav and vada pav at a stall near Shivaji Park was when they were really broke and hungry ldquoIt just hit the spot and tided us over until dinner was served at the hostel Over the years I have replaced this with Ashok vada pav and I have other fond memories of the place Those were the best years of my student lifehellip not only did I learn about food but I also gained a lot of independence navigating my life away from my family at 17rdquo she addsIn the 1980s Tibbsrsquo mutton frankies became a special treat especially with the chilli vinegar ldquoWatching the frankie being made the smell of the filling and those spices that finished it was just so thrilling and made you drool There was an ice cream place at Linking Road that used to be our treat spot on the weekends after a drive to Juhu Beach Now that it is gone I make a trip to Naturals to get a fix of tender coconut and custard apple flavoursrdquoFaloodaIn the US Barkha worked in hospitality while cooking for her family and later partnered with Floyd at The Bombay Bread Bar in NYC Together they dreamed of showcasing Indian spices which led to their collaboration with Burlap and Barrel in 2019 to create a line of masalas In 2020 Barkha launched three blendsmdashGoan Kashmiri and Garammdasheventually expanding to include vindaloo green tikka and chaat masalas This journey inspired her cookbook With Love and Masalas as well as collaborations like masala chai with Art of Tea and a masala crunch chocolate bar with Elements TrufflesWhen we met her in February last year digging into omlettes kheema pav mawa cake bun maska and chai at Kayanirsquos at Dhobi Talao Cardoz told us about her aunt Vindri Hiranandani bringing Shrewsbury biscuits from Kayani Bakery Pune Cafe Andora introduced her to meat puffs pan rolls and chicken mayo rolls while Candies is a goto for breakfast treats Her trips to Mumbai comes with packed itineraries that include visits to Jhamarsquos gulab jamuns Jai Hindrsquos seafood Kobersquos sizzlers and Copper Chimneyrsquos tandoori delights K Rustomrsquos ice cream Britanniarsquos berry pulao and caramel custard with visits to Elco and Soam completing her culinary nostalgia ldquoWhen we return to our favourite eateries itrsquos rarely just for the foodmdashitrsquos to savour the echoes of laughter the warmth of shared meals and the moments that linger long after the last biterdquo she signs offSeasonal menu at Soam BabulnathBarkharsquos takeawaygtgt thinspSandwich masala from Sandwizzaa in Santacruzgtgt thinspBanana chips and butter chaklis Mahima Mangalore store Bandragtgt thinspPraveen mango picklegtgt thinspParsi Dairyrsquos the great Indian toffeegtgt thinspTharursquos green pista and sev mithaigtgt thinspButterscotch barks and Indian cookies from Bombay Sweet Shop