Around Town: Inside Trishna, the seafood institution whose fans include Anil Ambani, Kapoor family, Ravi Shastri, Kapil Dev, and even chefs

“There was somebody from his village who ran Matrubhoomi Lunch Home — a rice-plate joint serving Mangalorean-style mutton sukka, chicken or fish with unlimited rice and gravy,” recalled his son, Ravi Anchan. The lunch home operated like an affordable canteen for office-goers in Fort and dock workers at Lion’s Gate.

Anchan found a job there and worked tirelessly, rising through the ranks and saving every rupee. When the owner decided to wind up and return home, he offered the business to Anchan. Sensing an opportunity, Anchan partnered with a co-worker and bought him out in the 1940s. When the partner later wished to leave, Anchan purchased his share and became the sole owner.

“In the 1990s, when the building had to undergo repairs and we had to shut for about a year, I decided to revamp it,” said Ravi. The menu received a major upgrade, including modern takes on Mangalorean seafood – think butter pepper garlic crab and lobster chilly garlic. Even back then, the menu listed 10 sauces. Today, there are 21, alongside Chinese and Mughlai dishes.

The food was far more expensive than the old rice plates, which meant Trishna needed a new clientele. “Initially, my father cribbed. He would complain to my mother, but what could she do? Every new space needs time,” Ravi said. The turning point arrived after six months, when the late journalist and humourist Behram Contractor chanced upon Trishna and wrote about it. Soon after, a leading cricketer visited, loved the food, especially the butter pepper garlic crab, a mildly spiced dish with an orange-red mud crab served in a generous pool of butter. And the word spread.

Ruchit Anchan along with the manager Michel Fernandes goes through the album featuring photos of celebrities who have dined at Trishna over the years. (Express Photo By Ganesh Shirsekar)

A star-studded clientele

Over the years, Trishna has hosted the who’s who of the city, from Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle to Mumtaz, Jeetendra, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sushmita Sen, Kajol, Preity Zinta, Boney Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt, as well as politicians Farooq Abdullah, Rahul Gandhi, and Arvind Kejriwal (who ordered vegetarian).

But nothing compares to its following among cricketers — Kapil Dev, Brett Lee, Steve Waugh, Yuvraj Singh, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Kieron Pollard and many others have dined here. Every visit is documented in a thick photo album. “Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar were regulars and kept bringing cricketers,” Ravi said.

On our weekday visit, the restaurant was packed with foreigners, part of a loyal clientele that includes expats and NRIs. A senior member of the Japanese Consulate recently shared his fondness for Trishna with a journalist from The Indian Express. “We even hosted a 70-member delegation that included the President of Greece, and another similar group with the Prime Minister of Greece around 2010–12,” Ravi recalled. “The police had initially rejected the venue, saying it did not meet safety protocols, but they insisted on dining here anyway,” he laughed.

The secret sauce

What explains Trishna’s enduring appeal? “Quality and consistency,” said Ravi, who uses only packaged Amul butter, about 100 kilos a month. When diners occasionally ask for their food to be less buttery, the kitchen complies.

Ruchit Anchan, Ravi’s 25-year-old son and a hospitality graduate who took over two years ago, said the restaurant ensures it always gets the freshest catch. “Every day, a team member is at Sassoon Dock early to procure the best. If a fish isn’t up to the mark, we don’t serve it.”

They never pre-cook. “Even in the 1990s, when guests ordered crab, we would show them live crabs, ask them to choose one, and then cook it. We were among the first to do that. In fact, we were also the first to serve squid,” Ravi said. “Unlike other restaurants that half-cook dishes to save time, we cook only after the order is placed. It takes time, and guests need patience, but it shows in the taste.”

Ravi Anchan transformed Matrubhoomi Lunch Home into Trishna, a sea-food destination, in 1991. (Express Photo)

Despite an extensive menu, about 70 per cent of the sales come from seafood. The demand is so strong that many in the city simply refer to Trishna as a seafood restaurant.

How do they manage during the monsoon? “We only buy what we get fresh,” said Ruchit. His father added that over the years, they have learned to predict and plan better: “We know crab fishing is difficult on full moon days, so we procure our supply a day in advance.”

For vegetarians, the menu offers comforting gravies like Dal Hyderabadi and Lehsuni Palak, both tempered generously with garlic.

While business is strong, Ravi is slightly concerned about the new pedestrian-friendly policy. “It may affect us because many clients prefer privacy. They drive right up and walk in. We have been told there will be buggies for the elderly, but let’s see.”

Next up for Trishna is a new outpost “somewhere in the suburbs”, aimed at customers who don’t want to travel all the way to South Bombay. All Ravi revealed, with a pursed smile, is that it will be “around the old Mumbai airport.”