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| Strawberry ice cream at Taj Ice Cream Bandra |
Something really surreal happened today and I thought that I must blog about it. Even if it is a short post. I am trying to consciously write a bit more on the blog now instead of just leaving it for Instagram. Plus, what happened made me very happy. So here goes.
I was a bit peckish in the evening and had gone to Pali Naka in Bandra to buy a chhota sukha bhel from the Maharashtra Channa Bhandar shop. I took my bhel and then stood in front of Toto’s Garage to have it.
I was engrossed in my snack when a young lady came up and said hi. She introduced herself and then said that she had come to one of my Bohri Mohalla walks.
“Gosh, that was ages ago.” I replied with a smile. We exchanged pleasantries and then she walked on. I finished my bhel and walked down the Regal Plus and Toto’s lane. Suddenly I saw a signboard to my left which made me stop in my tracks. It said ‘Taj Ice Cream.’
“Could it really be so,” I asked myself and then decided to walk in and see for myself.
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| Taj Ice Cream, Bandra. Customers walked in asking, “is this the one from Bohri Mohalla?” |
It was indeed them! The Bohri family run 130 year old ice cream shop from Bohri Mohalla. The one which Kurush Dalal had introduced me to and which I had fallen in love with since then. As had my friends, whom I had taken there later. And those who came to my food walks at Bohri Mohalla. Many would even buy packs of these hand churned, fresh fruit and milk ice creams to take home. This genre of ice creams are called sancha ice creams. I think that they are the best ice creams that you can get in Mumbai.
The staff members at the shop told me that it is indeed a branch of the Bohri Mohalla folks. That they now have another too at Bandra east near Chetna College. This branch had opened yesterday.
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| The family tree |
I knew that the family had split the ownership of the shop a year or so back. This business is run by Hatim uncle’s side of the family I guess. His nephew, Mustafa Icecreamwala, has his own line of ice creams now. I remember them all as being very kind folk. People who are as sweet as the ice creams that they make. It was great to see that they were expanding and contemporarising their business, More people could enjoy the magic of the Mumbai heirloom this way. A cup full of living history one could say.
The flavours were the usual fresh fruit ones. I tasted a dark chocolate and sea salt one which was news and very well made. I knew that K would like it.
I tried a bit of the strawberry ice cream that I love. It tasted the same as always. Magical. Cost Rs 80 a cup here and used to be Rs 60 3 years back at a much humbler shop at Bohri Mohalla.
I bought a cup. Took a photograph. The got the staff to take a picture of me too.
Then, since I was full from the bhel, packed it and took it home to have after dinner.
Which I will do now. Bye!
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| SO happy!!!! |
You can read about Taj Ice Cream in my book, The Travelling Belly. Here’s the link where you can order it from.
A video that I had shot there years back. I was wearing the same tee shirt today but filled it out less I think!
