Ramzan, for most foodies, is gorging on food at Mohammed Ali Road – devoid of religion. After a hectic day at work, we visit the place, after two years, to sample the various Ramzan special delicacies. It was Iftari time! The road was full of devotees who had just finished their prayers and were ready to break their fast. We managed to squeeze ourselves into the brightly-lit Ibrahim Merchant Road near Minara Masjid with immense difficulty. The ambience and energies reminded me of my neighbourhood in Girgaum, which dons a similar look during Ganeshotsav.
Rows of counters, tables, and temporary stalls with eye-pleasing delicacies lured us to the foodland within minutes. We took a walk through the street first to shortlist the places we might want to try food from. After completing our recce of the place, our first stop was near Laraib Fast Food Centre.
The stall outside the place was selling lips-smacking Gurda Masala and Baida Roti. Next on our radar was the stall on the right to this. We opted for Chicken Tikkas and a platter consisting of Cream Tikka, Crispy Chicken, Chicken Cutlet, Shami Kebab and two sticks of Red Chicken (which was more of Chinese preparation). The platter was priced at Rs 260 and one plate of Tikka (five small pieces) was Rs 160. Expensive, no doubt, but it was tasty.
Another place that caught our eye was a small table selling Rice Cake. Despite probing for the real name of the dish, the seller kept insisting it has no other name — though it tasted a little like Firni. We wondered if it was a marketing strategy to attract more customers using a fancy name.
Moving on, we stopped for our fix of Tandoori Chicken (half priced at Rs 260 had one small breast piece and a leg piece). The place should be on your list if you like Tandoori Chicken. The counter was outside the Islahi Dawakhana, which is on the left at the entrance of the road.
The Shawarma place, two counters on the left to the Tandoori Chicken counter, looked appealing. However, the experience was quite disappointing as it was neither value for money at Rs 100 and the taste left a lot to desire. This was the only item we didn't enjoy in our epicurean sojourn so far.
There were quite a few places selling fruit plates and Faloodas, but we were more interested in visiting Suleman Usman Mithaiwala. The tables here were laden with matkas of Firnis, multi-coloured Khaja, Gulab Jamun, and Bengali sweets like Rosgulla, Rasmalai and Malai Sandwich. We were spoilt for choice as everything looked so delectable. We ended up taking Firni home and opted for the colourful Khaja to end our foodie journey. Before leaving the place, drop inside the shop for their famous Nankhatais and Kalakand (milk cake). Zam Zam Sweets & Bakery, which sells a delicious Black Current Barfi, should also be on your must-visit list if you have a sweet tooth.
Before bidding adieu to a wonderful evening, we glanced back at the lively street with the promise of returning next year for another foodie adventure.
Average cost for two: Rs 1000
Best time to visit: 9 PM if you want to avoid crowds
