How Delhi is getting Mumbai's pav right and where you can enjoy popular dishes

When Kainaz Contractor opened Rustomrsquos in 2015 Delhi she didnrsquot dare put keema pav on the homestyle Parsi menu ldquoDelhirsquos version of pav was a sweetish bunrdquo she confesses She took the time to identify a baker and work closely with him to develop a recipe After much trial and error she finally had what she calls a nearperfect pavKainaz ContractorFrom having limited options for finding good vada pav at Maharashtra Sadan the official state bhavan of Maharashtra and Maharashtra food stall at Dilli Haat the food plaza and craft market by Delhi Tourism the Capital has caught up Many food brands serving lsquoBombay style street foodrsquo have opened in recent times and they have paid attention to the main elementmdashthe pavBatata Vada at Yeh Hai Bombay Meri JaanHistorian and storyteller Mohammad Anas known for his walks through Delhirsquos old city explains that the Capital had never embraced a pav or soft bread culture ldquoDelhi was always about rusks twists rolls small nankhatais and biscuits Pav was never a Dilli thingrdquo he shares However with the rising demand for Mumbairsquos street foods in Delhi commercial bakeries are now perfecting the laadi pav recipe to cater to this trend One such brand Kaze Living which specialises in gourmet offerings sourced from local farmers and homegrown labels sent a team to Mumbai to master the art of baking laadi pav Now they bake in a commercial Gurugram facility and offer a pack of six pavs for Rs 60Nishit DalalContractor admits ldquoThe pav quality has improved in the past three to four years Delhi loves anything from Mumbai and wersquove done weeklong special menus where we served tamda rassa and kombdi vade Kolhapuri and mutton curry and it was a big hitrdquo Today at Bhawan a regionalIndian restaurant in Gurugram championing reimagined versions of street eats one of her topselling items is the ragda pattice and the vada paoIn 2022 Nishit Dalal launched Bombay Boy out of nostalgia for Mumbairsquos iconic flavours Starting with hosting friends for misal pav bhaji and vada pav he turned his passion into a catering and orderin service opening his first QSR in Malviya Nagar three months ago PicNishad AlamMumbairsquos staple diet went viral last year when Vada Pav Girl Chandrika Gera Dixit took social media by storm with her feisty reels Gera quit her job at Haldiramrsquos and opened a vada pav stall in Sainik Vihar She had it allmdasha personal story for sentimental branding a tall claim of naming her stall Mumbai Ka Famous Vada Pav and a dramatic arrest by Delhi Police for setting up a religious gathering bhandara on the road We know however our delicious Mumbai hero has been making mouths water way before Dixitrsquos entryAmanda BhandariLast month at the Worldrsquos Largest Urdu Festival JashneRekhta Bombay Boy participated in the AiwaneZaiqa food court for the second consecutive year Visitors indulged in vada pav dabeli and keema pav between sessions ldquoThe popularity of Mumbai street food has grown steadily appealing to both nostalgic Mumbaikars and locals in Delhi seeking authentic flavours The snackrsquos affordability ease of eating and authentic Mumbaistyle laadi pav and chutneys have made it a hitrdquo says founder Nishit Dalal who makes inhouse thecha masala and sources speciality masalas from MumbaiPav bhajiBut he knows that the pav has to be bang on to truly savour these Mumbai delicacies I think I drove the baker up the wall but wersquove cracked itrdquo he quips adding ldquoI grew up in Mumbai so if it doesnrsquot convince my palate I wonrsquot serve itrdquo he says Dalal started the brand out of nostalgia for craving Mumbai food in Delhi He began hosting friends to share his love for misal pav bhaji and vada pav and recognised the potential to turn it into a catering and orderin service in 2022 Three months ago he opened his first QSR in Malviya Nagar ldquoI knew that Delhi locals often enjoy it during trips to Mumbai but authentic options were rare in the city I saw an opportunity to bring the true essence of Mumbai street food to Delhirdquo says Dalal who introduced black pav bhaji to the regionVada Pao at bhawanAnother popular pick is Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan that has been on the block since 2019 Founder Om Nayak is a hospitality consultant and chef who runs seven outlets in Delhi NCR He plans to expand to 200 outlets across the country in the next four years ldquoBombay street food is extremely popular in Delhi and we started with the intent to deliver an authentic version of it in a clean hygienic formatrdquo says Nayak who sources masalas from Matunga His menu includes vada pav pav bhaji sandwich dabeli poha and kanda bhaji ldquoUntil 2020 I was airlifting the pav but now we make it inhouserdquo he saysDabeliWhat finally seems to be working is that the founders have studied the taste of the OG in Mumbai and are passionate about serving it in its best form in Delhi For Amanda Bhandari founder of the Bombay Club in Dhan Mill Chhatarpur living in Mumbai as a student helped her explore the city and its culture ldquoWhen you are on a shoestring budget you take the local bus train and kaali peeli to venture out From Parsi cafes in Colaba to vada pav at Ashok at Dadar and the one our canteen Anna made at Xavierrsquos I was in love with the foodrdquo says Bhandari who opened the restaurant three years agoYeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan serves Mumbai street food including kanda bhaji pav bhaji and dabeli shown hereIndian diners are easily attracted to Western and Southeast Asian cuisines but regional cuisine made with seasonal produce is fast earning loyalty ldquoIrsquoll go to the extent and say vada pavs have taken over momosrdquo she says adding ldquoPeople come to Dhan Mill for their wedding shopping and spend a lot of money But when they take a break they like comfort food that brings out nostalgiamdashcutting chai and vada pav being our top sellersOm NayakIn the early days the spice levels and the overgenerous slather of maska shied Delhi diners To counter this Bhandari introduced mini vada pavs ldquoIt was a small commitment to make and could be sharedrdquo she says When they opened for delivery customers suggested it was time for an upgrade ldquoThe taste buds have unfurledrdquo she signs offWith inputs from Nasrin Modak SiddiqiEnjoy Mumbai style vada pav at these locations thinsp Bole Toh Vada Pav multiple outlets including Dwarka Rohini Karol Baug Maharashtra Sadan Kasturba Gandhi Marg thinsp Jhakkas Bombay Pav Bhaji Lajpat Nagar thinsp Dilli Haat INA thinsp Bombay Boy Malviya Nagar and Gurugram Bhawan Gurugram Bombay Club Dhan Mill thinsp Bombay Meri Jaan seven outlets including Saket