The Nawab - Toasted like never before….

When was the last time you went to Bhendi Bazaar in Mumbai’s crowded southern end, at 7am just for a juicy piece of toasted bread? Don’t worry that’s the same shock that came to my head until my friend coaxed me to bite away the nights sleepy grip on me to go on an adventurous trail in the most unsuspecting locations of Mumbai!

Tucked away in the by lanes of a busy market hub, Nawab Restaurant has seen many a generation pass through its doors bringing in their grandchildren to taste the famous toast which, though simple in recipe, has won the hearts of many a passerby. Housed in an antiquated building that flirted with the British Rule, this family styled quaint café has the ambience of welcome and a will to make you a part of its heritage and not just another customer. If you are curious, go ahead and strike up a conversation with the cheerful and wise owner who is delighted to engage in the life of the yester years.

So what is this famed toast you say? Well its simply freshly baked soft bread fried on a hot plate doused in butter. Now though you may assume the recipe to be the ordinary, its simplicity and cost of INR 10/- only is what draws many a wanderer to its den.  A plate or two of this toast coupled with hot tea perfect start to a winters day immersed in shopping for clothes, antiques and hardware items. Don’t forget to catch the action outside the café where early morning salesmen will flaunt their apparels to a bustling crowd of takers that will redefine your concept of morning calm!

Just walking distance from the Sandhurst Road Railway Station, this café is in close proximity to the shoppers paradise of Null Bazaar, Chor Bazaar and even Crawford Market being a stone’s throw away. Interestingly, Bhendi Bazaar got its name from the locals phonetic  understanding of “Behind the Market” that the British would call it due to its location behind Crawford Martket.