Streetside Gourmet

Timings: 7 am to 11 pm.
Address: 19/20, Vikrant, Vikrant Circle, Tilak Road, Ghatkopar (East)

Spring Blossom
Ever spotted a shiny dishwasher at a street-side food stall? If you are a Ghatkopar resident, you probably already know about Spring Blossom at Vikrant Circle. Started by Manish Bilakhia 11 years ago, Blossom’s — as it is fondly called — is a landmark in the suburb. “We have a policy, if our customers are not 100 per cent satisfied with the meal, we ask them to pay whatever they wish or even return the dish after taking a bite,” says Bilakhia, who sold sandwiches, pizzas, juices and shakes before introducing items such as sizzlers, pasta and khow suey — a Burmese speciality — a few years ago as the culinary scene evolved.
With more than 150 varieties of juices and milkshakes on offer, Bilakhia’s creativity isn’t limited to the palate — he also has quirky names for his dishes. For instance, Oops is a mix of kiwi, pear, litchi, orange and grapes while Chashme Baddur has strawberry, kiwi, pomegranate, orange and vanilla. Next up is aakhree pasta (Rs 180), a play of words on Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Aakhree Raasta. Among desserts, the kulfi milkshake is highly recommended. This super sweet and creamy shake is the perfect end to your meal. If you plan to visit this joint on a weekend, be prepared to wait.

Timings: 3 pm to 12 am
Address: Spring Blossom, Vikrant Circle, Tilak Road, Ghatkopar (East)

Reddy’s Dosa
Walk 500 meters towards Ghatkopar station from Vikrant Circle and a whole new world of street delights await you. This is Ghatkopar’s famous Khau Galli and also home to Reddy’s Dosa. One can always spot an ever-smiling Vijay Reddy, dressed in all-white, amidst a sea of people as he dishes out coconut chutney for the customers. Placed in front of him will be nine large stoves, a skillet atop each. “We started with three skillets 20 years ago and gradually moved to nine,” says Rehan Ahmed Baig, an employee at the stall. The 15 staff members manning the counters follow Reddy’s instructions to a T. He has the flair of a music conductor, which makes them appear like performers in a show. Reddy’s serves over 35 varieties of dosas but the crowd favourites are jinni dosa and the cheese maggi dosa. Wash these down with a glug of the masala Thums Up.

Timing: 4.30 pm to 12.30 am
Address: Vallabh Bhag Lane, Ghatkopar (East)

Pooja Gola
Located a few meters ahead of Reddy’s Dosa is Pooja Gola, an establishment that has been around for more than 20 years. Several bottles of flavoured syrup in a variety of colours line the shop’s shelves, even as the humble wrought iron ice-shaver works its magic. While it serves the regular ice gola to the purists, it is the fusion golas that sell like hot cakes. For instance, traffic Jam (Rs 60) is a mix of more than two flavours, whereas dry fruit gola (Rs 90) is served with chopped cashews, almonds, raisins and pistas. However, its deluxe special gola with icecream (Rs 120) is what most seek. Not one for the faint-hearted, it comes with a dollop of vanilla ice cream enveloped in ice shavings and topped with myriad syrups. This chilled ball of all-things-nice is further topped with fresh malai,
grated mawa and a handful of dry fruits.

Timing: 10 am to 12 am.
Address: Pooja Malai Gola, near Hotel Pavilion, Vallabh Baug Lane, Ghatkopar (East)

meenakshi.iyer@expressindia.com