Cutting Chai Culture

but a hip London neighbourhood. Dishoom,in Central London’s Covent Garden,offers a dose of nostalgia to the many Indians living in the city.

Modelled on Mumbai’s Irani restaurants,Dishoom,says owner Shamil Thakrar,is a way of paying homage to Bombay’s cafe culture of the ’30s and ’40s. Though he grew up in the UK,Thakrar’s visits to India have been frequent. “I spent a lot of my childhood days in Koolar Cafe at King’s Circle with my grandmother,who used to live in the neighbourhood,” recounts Thakrar,who co-owns the cafe with his cousin Kavi Thakrar.

Armed with a background in business,Thakrar wanted to satiate London’s healthy appetite for Indian food. At the same time,moved by the dying tradition of Irani cafes in Mumbai — once part of the city’s social fabric — he wanted to bring the food and the culture of these cafes to London. “So I let my childhood memories shape Dishoom,” he says,adding that Britannia & Co in Ballard Estate and Yazdani in Fort are among his favourite Mumbai eateries.

Irani cafes in India are owned by members of the Zoroastrian community,however,Thakrar is a Gujarati. Therefore,before setting up Dishoom three years ago,the 42-year-old made it a point to visit several of the surviving Irani cafes in Mumbai. The duo has retained the humour and quirkiness of the Irani cafes at Dishoom. So the bar section of the cafe has been named “Permit Room” and a picture of the notorious Mumbai cop Vasant Dhoble,with a hockey stick in his hand,hangs on the wall. They have even named a drink after him,using the title as an indication of its potency. Such references instantly turn into a joke from back home,especially for recent immigrants and travellers.

In keeping with the theme,Dishoom’s menu is dominated by popular Parsi dishes,such as Akuri,Patra ni machi,salli boti,kheema pav and a version of Britannia’s famous Berry Pulav. Thakrar believes that no Irani cafe is complete without a serving of Irani cutting chai and packs in a bun-maska to make the combo even more authentic. Since the idea is to evoke nostalgia (the restaurant’s name borrows from the sound of a punch in Bollywood movies),the restaurant also serves select popular dishes,such as kebabs inspired by Colaba’s Bademiya,maa ki daal with rumali roti and raan. “Lamb raan is an expensive dish and not easily available in London,” says Thakrar,adding that they slow cook it overnight and serve it stuffed inside a bun.

With close to 8,000 visitors every week at the two branches,the cousins have clearly struck upon a concept to set their restaurant apart from other eateries serving Indian food in London. But the effort the Thakrars put in reflects their genuine passion for the dying cafe culture. For instance,six months ago,they started a social media campaign,

asking people from across the world to share their memories of Irani cafes. The stories were later printed on ceramic plates that are now being used to serve food on at the Shoreditch outpost. “It’s the spirit of Irani cafes we wish to keep alive. At Dishoom,you can sit for as long as you wish even if you order just a bun-maska and chai,” says Thakrar.

meenakshi.iyer@expressindia.com