Fort-based Ideal Corner is barely 500-metres away from Bombay House, the headquarters of the Tata Group. But the first meeting between the restaurant’s backbone Parvez Patel and the late industrialist Ratan Tata happened 1,700 kilometres away, in Jamshedpur.
“Tata Steel hosts its annual function in Jamshedpur, and we’ve catered for them twice over the years,” shared Patel, adding that he first met Ratan Tata about a quarter of a century ago.
“He had come for the function and we were handling the catering. When I saw him, I greeted him with ‘Sahebji,’ as we Parsis do. He responded, and I followed up with ‘Jamva Aavo Ji’ (a common Parsi/Gujarati invitation to eat). He smiled.” Did he compliment the food? “He didn’t complain,” replied Patel and laughed.
Though the internet has dubbed him Ratan Tata’s favorite chef, Patel clarified that while he has met the industrialist on a few social occasions and was always struck by his humility, they are far from being buddies or having any kind of personal relationship.
Parvez Patel was drawn to the hotel industry after seeing his friends lead glamorous lives in it. Inspired, he took a two-month course at The Oberoi hotel in early 1980s. (Express Photo)
“Though he never visited the restaurant himself, Ratan Tata regularly sent his driver to pick up dishes like khatta-meetha masoor dal or berry pulao, along with lagan-nu custard. The driver would come once in about every three months to get it packed for him, and this went on for a solid 10 years,” Patel shared.
Ideal Corner’s popular khatta-meetha masoor dal (uses a special sugarcane vinegar that’s sourced from Navsari, Gujarat. “When we Zoroastrians fled Persia and came to Gujarat, our cuisine evolved, and this dal is a reflection of that,” he explained, adding that spices like turmeric and cumin weren’t originally part of their cuisine but were adopted over time.
Returning to Tata, Patel mentioned that he stopped ordering about a decade ago. “Our food is a bit spicy, as Parsi food should be, and perhaps he couldn’t continue with that diet,” he added.
Inside Ideal Corner, a 39-year-old establishment in Fort
Patel, who celebrated his 70th birthday earlier this week, is a well-built man with a passion for both food and motorcycles. At his 550-sqft Ideal Corner, including the mezzanine floor, he’s parked his Yezdi bike between the tables — a bike that’s ridden some of the highest motorable roads in India, starting with Khardung La Pass (at an elevation of 17,582 ft) in Leh in 2002. “At the time, it was considered the highest motorable road. Then, with GPS, we realised Marsimik La (18,314 ft) was higher, so we went there. Recently, Umling La (19,024 ft) took the title, so two friends and I rode there last October,” he told The Indian Express.
When it comes to his entry in the hotel industry, Patel shared that it happened after he saw a few friends in the industry living a glamorous life. Inspired by them, he pursued a two-month course at The Oberoi hotel, following which he was hired by them.
Parvez Patel, who celebrated his 70th birthday earlier this week, is a well-built man with a passion for both food and motorcycles. (Express Photo)
The journey of the restaurant at Hornby View, an Art Deco building in Fort, began as Ideal Motors—a garage for Yezdi motorcycles. In 1985, the garage closed after the company stopped production of Yezdi motorcycles, and proprietor Boman Irani’s wife, Mrs Gulcher B. Irani decided to transform the space into a snack bar.
“She would make one dish a day—like Prawn Curry or Dhansak—and serve it with rice. It did very well,” shared Parvez Patel, a family friend of the owners. “A year or two later, she decided to turn it into a full-fledged restaurant and asked me to come on board.” Patel, who saw this as a golden opportunity to be his own boss, has been managing Ideal Corner ever since. He is now one of its three partners, along with Mr and Mrs Irani.
“We started as an authentic Parsi restaurant. The recipes came from my mother, aunts and grandmother,” he shared, adding that the business was thriving, so much so that they decided to expand the menu and add Chinese cuisine sometime in early 1990s, snacks like burgers and pizza came a year later. “This was before the stock market in India transitioned to online trading, so everyone would flock to this part of town. We were flying,” he reminisced.
Inside 550-sq ft Ideal Corner, including the mezzanine floor, Parvez Patel has parked his Yezdi bike between the tables, which has been to some of the highest motorable roads in India, starting with Khardung L (1)(Express photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)
In stark contrast to those days, the reality today is quite different—when we visited the restaurant on Friday evening, not a single customer walked through the doors between 5 pm and 6 pm. Several factors have contributed to this decline. While footfall decreased after the shift to online trading, the biggest blow came when offices started relocating to new complexes across the city and suburbs.
“Demonetisation, Covid-19, and the construction of Mumbai Metro Line 3 were the final nails in the coffin,” he explained. The Metro construction has barricaded the entry from Dadabhai Naoroji Road. “Of the regulars we had, only 10 percent still come. We brought down our menu to 50 per cent, offering only Parsi cuisine and sandwiches. However, we do see a new crowd, especially college students who view us as a pocket-friendly hangout,” he added, expressing hope that business will revive once the Aqua Line construction is completed. “We hope to reintroduce Chinese, along with pizza and burgers, once the Metro is up and running.”
What’s next for Ideal Corner? “I don’t know. Our children aren’t interested; they see it as gadha majduri (hard labour) and would rather work comfortably in their air-conditioned offices,” he laughed.
He added that they recently hired someone to handle their social media, though they have yet to see any significant impact. “We’re just taking things as they come,” he concluded.
Where: Hornby View Building, near Fort fire brigade, Ballard Estate, Fort, Mumbai
When: 9 am – 6 pm, Tuesday to Sunday
Meal for two: Rs 700
The journey of the restaurant at Hornby View, an Art Deco building in Fort, began as Ideal Motors—a garage for Yezdi motorcycles. (Express photo by Ganesh Shirsekar) 
Parvez Patel was drawn to the hotel industry after seeing his friends lead glamorous lives in it. Inspired, he took a two-month course at The Oberoi hotel in early 1980s. (Express Photo)
Parvez Patel, who celebrated his 70th birthday earlier this week, is a well-built man with a passion for both food and motorcycles. (Express Photo)
Inside 550-sq ft Ideal Corner, including the mezzanine floor, Parvez Patel has parked his Yezdi bike between the tables, which has been to some of the highest motorable roads in India, starting with Khardung L (1)(Express photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)
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