Shapur Meherbani opened his new restaurant on the first day of Ramzan in Dongri. He barely slept for the next 15 days. People were lining around the block till 4 a.m. every morning for plates of delicious kheema. “I sold 250 plates in two hours on the first day. The orders never stopped. I lost 12 kilos in 30 days,” he says with a smile. “It was a hectic but I couldn’t have asked for a better opening.”
Roshan Bakery and Restaurant opened in a small place near Dongri Police Station, close to the Ferry Wharf, and streets away from the Meherbani family’s 100-year-old Roshan Bakery. It is deserving of attention because, in a city where old family-run establishments are dying a slow death, Roshan is seeking to change the trend. It’s only the second Irani place to open in the last decade. When Café Irani Chaii opened in a small lane in Mahim, we welcomed it with open arms and ready wallets. It had cats, the black chairs and tables synonymous with these cafés, mirrors all around and we kept returning for the kheema pao and black chai. There’s a similar vibe to Roshan — the décor is old school with high ceilings, low hanging lamps, and specials written on black boards. There’s a counter selling baked items that are replenished in an instant. The entrance though, belongs to the stray, Rani.
Old-fashioned hospitality
Dongri is not a location you would visit often, unless you’re a crime reporter looking to meet an informant on the sly near the police station. “They would stand outside here and talk, drinking cups of chai right,” says Shapur pointing to the entrance. Back then, the place was a derelict restaurant known for its chai. Today, these covert meetings happen in the far corner of Roshan, shielded from passers-by. There’s also a mezzanine floor but that has proven surprisingly popular for kitty parties.
Roshan is completely family-run; father Farookh Meherbani looks after the baked goods, and Shapur, the food. Why the need for an Irani restaurant and they’re quick to reply, ‘Why ever not?’ “There isn’t any good Irani café around. I’ve grown up watching them slowly shut down, mostly because they refused to adapt with the times,” says Shapur.
Roshan intends to do just that. The food is not just Parsi, there is Indian and Chinese fare too because they believe you can’t just stick to one cuisine to survive. If a customer seeks Parsi food, akuri won’t be the first thing offered. “You get it everywhere today so, why not try a Tamota Par Eedu (tomato on eggs) or chicken pattice?” says Shapur.
Authentic offerings
We take note. Our first order is the Chicken White Sauce Pattice (₹25), suitably crumbly and stuffed with chicken but best eaten piping hot. By the side we ask for Masala Tea (₹20) — heavy on the ginger, and Lemongrass tea (₹30) with a strong citrusy flavour. The Tamota Par Eedu (₹60) covers the whole plate, well-fried egg on a mixture of onions, and tomatoes. It’s the perfect brunch dish, scooped up with fresh pao.
Roshan’s neighbours also inspire the menu. Their Saturday special is the Nalli Burra Lazeez Kebab — a leg of mutton cooked till tender in spicy, yoghurt gravy. The Ramzan favourite Kheema (₹100) is thick with masala and the mince is chunky (they make their own); and the Chicken Dhansak (₹230) has the familiar comforting flavours of dal cooked with aromatic spices.
There’s much attention given to ensure the food is authentic, from sourcing the correct ingredients to following every step of a recipe, says Farrokh. The star of our meal is Patra Ni Machi (cost as per size) — pomfret wrapped in green chutney and steamed till the skin is translucent. It’s quite the best we’ve had in the city. The freshness of the fish is enhanced by the sweet and tangy chutney. The trick here, we are told, is ensuring the chutney is made only when the order comes in — this ensures it retains its vibrant green colour through the cooking process and doesn’t wilt and turn dark. We have to stop ourselves short from licking the leaf.
Sweet endings
Our dessert is tiny bites of mawa cake, doughy but not too sweet. As we leave, we stop by the counter to pick up some biscuits. We go with Shapur’s recommendations picking up crumbly til cookies, ‘must try’ banana and walnut cake, healthy oat cookies and coconut macaroons. None of it, we are told is sickly sweet so we stuff our pockets with abandon. Rani, who is sniffing about our legs, nose a-twitch, wags her tail in approval.
Roshan is just two months old but is doing well enough without advertisement. We do miss the charm of an old Irani café, this one feels too polished, but the food more than makes up for it.
Roshan Bakery & Restaurant, next to Dongri Police Station, Dr Maheshwari Road, Dongri; Timings: 7 a.m. to 1 a.m.; phone: 23781144/ 22378115