Pune Inc: Bunny chow misal or pizza misal for lunch? This restaurant fought pandemic and trolls to innovate with Maharashtra’s much-loved dish

This dish, made of scooped-out loaves stuffed with curry, has made its own journey up the culinary ladder to become a must-try in South African cities, especially Durban. One can eat it in Pune as well—in yet another innovative form called bunny chow misal at Bappa’s Misal on Tilak Road.

Vivek Kulkarni, the founder of the 36-seater Bappa’s Misal, is a serial restauranteur with a penchant for quirky ideas. One of his previous spaces was called Cafe Gossip in Vadgaon. Bappa’s Misal started in Dattawadi and had a branch in Karve Nagar before the Covid lockdown forced Kulkarni to down shutters. In low spirits and suffering from Covid, he decided to fight on with the support of his family.

“I was experimenting with misal, a traditional food in Pune, Kolhapur, Solapur and other parts of this region. South Africa’s bunny chow turned out to be so delicious with sprouts that I made it the mainstay of my restaurant when I relaunched after the first lockdown. The misal made the dish healthier,” says Kulkarni.

‘Many said I was ruining Maharashtra’s food culture’

Bappa’s Misal is known for its unique experiments, offering items like pizza misal, which has become a favourite among children and women. Then, there is a pahalwan vada, Kulkarni’s answer to the traditional vada for health buffs. Pahalwan vada is not made of besan but different types of dal and has a crispy coating.

“After suffering from Covid, I became very health conscious,” Kulkarni says.

As a business model, Bappa’s Misal was a bold step. As a struggling founder, Kulkarni could have stayed with the tried and tested instead of taking the risk of playing with familiar tastes. He says that everybody was opposed to his continuing in the restaurant business, especially since there were rumours of a second wave.

“In the initial days, we did not know the market’s response as there were a lot of restrictions on movement. I could barely afford to pay the cook. I survived because there was support from home,” he says. People who were coming to the new restaurant enjoyed the dishes.

“I felt that this idea would work out. I fought out the pandemic,” he says.

Kulkarni says that foreign dishes like burgers and pizzas are hot sellers at restaurants, while the traditional vada pav and misal do not seem cool enough.

“When I innovated, many said that I was ruining Maharashtra’s food culture by messing with tradition. I believe that food has never been static at any time in history. Food keeps changing in taste and cooking methods. Pizza is not even Indian but is very popular in the food business. On the other hand, South Indian restaurants have opened in other countries as well. I am trying to spread misal to other shores,” he says.

Today, the restaurant caters to 5,000 to 7,000 customer every month. Kulkarni is getting offers for franchises and planning to expand Bappa’s Misal’s capacity. “My vision is to become India’s leading misal brand, with a presence in every city, large or small,” he says.