Mumbai’s After Party Scenes!
Best business to get into these days is mid-night snack stalls after your party scenes get over in Mumbai. This statement will be seconded by you, after reading below…
Majority “Anda-Pav/Pav Bhaaji” stalls that are run by the Muslim community on the streets of Mumbai are good, but one is not sure of the quality. The oil and the raw- material they are using are substandard for sure or there is some gimmick in the preparation. It tastes good because of the oil they use, I think. Try making the same Bhurji or the Pav Bhaji at home and believe me it will never taste the same. Hence the only material they would play is the OIL. Also, many “I eat only eggs” Gujju’s/Marwari’s are seen crowding these places, as those are the only ones I guess left with money now to splurge 😜 . They are in huge numbers & gangs always.
Apart from One or two 90% of them are running illegally and some of them making a lakh of rupees galla per night on the weekends. Nothing wrong in it. But if the FDA & the BMC can take a due note (as everyone knows about its functioning) we can have health licenses issued to them and it can be made legal & eatable as there will be quality checks.
Also observed once you have this Anda-Pav or Bhurji or Tava Pulav or Pav Bhaji after you drinking binge, the next day acidity takes over everything. The cops who are doing the rounds of the city are always & always seen picking up bags & bags of Anda-Pav for FREE. I think this may be the only “tax” these guys may be burdened with. Now since I was in NM college some 15 years ago One stall named “Khurshid” previously located opposite the Cooper Hospital has since last 3 years shifted to Juhu Galli. I have friends staying there and they say it is a nightmare for residents to sleep on the weekends. Majority of us who end up there for eating are pissed drunk and episodes of fights, shouting and laughter is a common sight.
Then there is one guy on cycle offering you bournvita or coffee and cigarettes. These guys are surely illegal. One cigarette which costs you Rs. 15 you are being charged Rs. 18 or Rs. 20 in black. But that’s for the service they offer. Then some of them carry Idli’s..Mind you friends, you just dont know where the raw material or the dough of these IDLI’s are made. If you really want to know and if I show it to you, from tonite onwards you will stop eating at these stalls. They are made at Dharavi inside one of the zhopdi’s which is nothing but unhygienic, perhaps some places unimaginable and unmentionable here . And I can’t even mention the place from where the PAV comes and how it is made. So those who brag of eating the cleanest foods during the day and hog like a dog at these stalls, here is the reality check for us.
There are licensed stalls which are not open till very late, but are much cleaner than these stalls. That is at our Juhu Chowpathy & Girgaum Chowpathy. Then there are expensive Coffee Shops at Mumbai’s 5 stars but the taste of clean food after drinks is just alright.
So my appeal for all of you is to eat outside. No one can stop that. But be careful of your health…With all the diseases around, cleanliness & quality of food in a city like Mumbai must be the top priority. I being a suburban Mumbai guy and a regular party goer, I have stopped taking my Mid-night snacks & believe me my Sunday’s are peaceful and not a single Anti-acid is going in that stomach of mine. Authorities wake up…FDA & BMC get your acts together for once please….
Vikrant Hemant Joshi