Parsi Food on the Bong P(a)late

Over Dinner with fellow bongs at my place, I casually commented that I want to have Parsi food. The bug had been planted in my mind since April last ,when we had been to Bordi and made a failed attempt to pamper our taste buds with Parsi delectables.The fellow bongs jumped at this mention...seems that one of them had been had been harbouring this idea but wasn't getting any eager food enthusiast for company. So, it was a done deal....our next dine together would be at one of the great Parsi food joints of SoBo.
Would it be Ideal Corner which Sir Knife prefers, or Britannia & Co. of 'berry pulao" fame or Jimmy Boy which another friend suggested?

I wanted to go to Ideal Corner,but they decided on Britannia....2 and a half men and 3 girls set out on their maiden  journey to down some Parsi food. The quest began from a corner in Borivali West, as 2.5 bongs revved up their cute red mean machine and moved down the fairly free WE Highway, picked up the 3 at Andheri and moved on towards the hallowed destination....Britannia it would be today...our tummies empty, our hearts full of hope of a sumptuous lunch, Berry Pulao , Dhansak, Sali Chicken dancing In our minds as we were inching through Mahim....jam and much slow traffic and very very hungry ,we reached the very famous Britannia & Co.

The place was full when we reached and waiting time would be 20 minutes we were told.Agonising.But we waited because every person seated inside seemed to be engrossed in their meals. A sign that the food was worth waiting for...There was an air of informality about the place and people emerged with smiling faces. Finally we were ushered in, the quaint old place reminded me of some legendary restaurants in Calcutta whose names end in "cabin" but which no longer serve the great food they stood for. As we surveyed the menu and were deciding on the food and sodas, a very old man in his nineties came over and asked "Are you ready to place your order?"We were and quickly we placed our order of Chapattis, Sali Chicken, Berry Pulao (1 mutton and 1 Chicken ),Dhansak along with sodas of our choice.As we waited,Mr.Boman Kohinoor also showed us the newspaper clippings about the place and the man himself and postcards from fans of Parsi food  who had dined here .He even complained how Abhishek always came with his other co stars but never with Ash and that he had asked the Bacchan Jr.to bring his famous wife along.

The food arrived very fast and we began with Sali Chicken , a gravy dish with boneless chicken with deep fried fine potato crisps on top. The soft chapatti wrapped around a piece of succulent chicken with a bit of gravy entered the mouth and it was love at first bite...mmm...The subtle flavours and the silken sauce...a taste to remember. The bong palate was overjoyed....finally a cuisine very close to our heart where the masala does not overwhelm the taste and cause that belly burning feeling.

The Dhansak must have been good but I didn't find in it anything to rave about. The queen of the table was the Berry Pulao dish of long grained rice with chicken/mutton mince kebabs, atop tender boneless pieces of chicken/mutton with the flavor of piquant berries(resembling pomegranate pearls sans  the seed)and caramelized onions....Heavenly!!! As we were gorging (maybe putting Mr. Kohinoor to doubt the words he had uttered a few minutes ago:"Bengalis are the most civilized and cultured people") on these delicacies, my little one was enjoying the potato sticks and melt in the mouth chapattis. Rosy Raspberries, Fresh Lime Soda and ice cream Sodas were also downed soon. The amazing fact was that we 5.5 very hungry bongs ate in absolute silence and only after we polished off our plates did"daarun","Khub bhalo" escape our tongues. Dessert was called for, 5 Caramel custards and 1 chocolate mousse and all of us were grinning like the cat that had the cream.

There truly is no greater love than the love of food!!!

The lunch at Brittania & Co.was a superlative experience. Thanks to Mrs. and Mr.Sen and Mr.Mitra, big little Tinni and "sweet boy" Tintin for making my Day!

PS: The highpoint of the day was the 3 gals getting out of the car on Marine Drive to enjoy the sight of a very choppy sea with waves crashing down and the feel the salty spray on their face ,all the while getting drenched in a heavy downpour.The food sure was heady!!!