LPG Crisis: Shree Thaker Bhojanalay, an 81-year-old thali institution beloved by actors and Michelin-starred chefs, shuts temporarily

Legend has it that even Dhirubhai and Kokilaben Ambani once savoured a thali here. Other notable visitors include politicians like Raj Thackeray, celebrities such as Sachin Tendulkar, Vidya Balan, Saira Banu, Dia Mirza and Ronit Roy, and Michelin-starred chefs like Vineet Bhatia and Suvir Saran.

When The Indian Express visited the thali joint last year, it was a bustling affair. Queues began forming even before the doors opened, including a regular who had returned from London. Inside, the walls displayed photographs of Purohit with celebrities who had dined there, alongside the many awards and accolades the restaurant has received over the years.

The restaurant opened its doors at 7.15 pm sharp for dinner. Each table was set with empty thalis — 10 katoris and two spoons neatly placed. Within minutes, the restaurant filled up with diners of all ages digging into hearty meals. Staff wove through the aisles carrying sabjis, dals, a colourful assortment of rotis, condiments and sweets.

The weekday thali, priced at Rs 700, features nearly 35 items, including four sabjis, two dals, two types of kadhis, and seven variants of rotis, alongside pulao, khichdi, curd, chaas, six chutneys and condiments, three types of farsan, and multiple sweets. On weekends, when the thali costs Rs 1,000, a paneer sabji, pulao, extra sweets and additional farsan items are added. During mango season, guests are treated to soul-satisfying Alphonso aamras and a subtly sweet mango kadhi.

It is hard to imagine the abundance that Shree Thaker Bhojanalay offers, to have vanished, even if only temporarily.

“We need six cylinders a day. We had a few with us and arranged a few more, but we couldn’t continue beyond Sunday,” Purohit said.

Purohit has a staff of 35 who live on the premises. “We have arranged electric induction cooktops and utensils compatible with them for their food. I go to the restaurant every day. I sit with them, chat with them, and eat with them. I don’t want to lose them,” he said, adding that for now, “there is no income, only expenses.”

Asked if he plans to switch to alternatives such as induction cooktops for the restaurant, Purohit said he is considering it. “But we need commercial ones, which are in such high demand that vendors have no stock. I have ordered about seven or eight of them, but they will take eight days to arrive,” he said.

He added that he has asked the vendor to provide one induction cooktop earlier so that the team can conduct trials. “What if my cooks say they won’t work? They are already struggling to make staff meals.”

Asked if he expects to reopen soon, Purohit said there is no clarity yet. “It all depends. If we get gas, we will open. If the induction arrives and the staff is comfortable using it, we could open in another week. But as of now, there is no clarity.”

Thali restaurants, which do bulk cooking, are among the worst affected by the ongoing commercial LPG shortage.

Nanumal Bhojraj, the 75-year-old thali restaurant chain, has also shut at least three outlets in Mumbai and is facing an acute LPG shortage across all its restaurants in Pune and Mumbai.

Sagar Daryani, president of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), which represents around five lakh restaurants across the country, said that the situation across the country is finally starting to look better where states have issued notifications issuing allocation of commercial LPG cylinders between 10-42 per cent to restaurants. “Delhi has allocated 42 per cent, the highest.

Uttarakhand has allocated 32 per cent. Bengaluru has 14 per cent,” said Daryani, adding, “Barring Mumbai and Rajasthan, rest of the states have allocated between 15-20 per cent to restaurants.”

“NRAI,” he said, “has written to the Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies in both the states as well as to the Chief Secretary.

We are hoping that there will be some respite but as of now, no official announcement on allocation has been made.”

Meanwhile, the restaurants he said are “fighting today for survival tomorrow” and have rationalised either menu or service or both to survive till commercial LPG supply resumes.