EATING OUT IN MUMBAI
MOUTHWATERING MUMBAI MEMORIES
CTO VADA PAV
By
VIKRAM KARVE
Vada Pav (or Wada Paw, if you want to spell it that way) is my favourite Fast Food. It is affordable and fulfilling. In fact Vada Pav is the ultimate Indian Fast Food - what a Burger is to America the Vada Pav is to India.
I have a Vada Pav almost every day and have relished Vada Pav at countless places, and though it’s been a long time, I still have fond mouthwatering memories of my all time favourite Vada Pav – the inimitable CTO Vada Pav at Ashok Satam’s stall on the Hutatma Chowk (Flora Fountain) side of the Central Telegraph Office (CTO) in Mumbai which I enjoyed every afternoon on my way back home from office or during my evening stroll.
The Vada is served freshly fried piping hot and is crisp and crunchy on the outside. Thats how a good Vada should be from the outside – nice and crisp, not soft and soggy like most of the fare dished out elsewhere.
The moment you bite the sharp zesty effect of the spices and greens hits you there is an abundance of tangy greens in the tasty fusion inside: green chillies, coriander, curry patta, ginger-garlic.
Don’t chew, just roll your tongue and press the hot stuff against your palate and let it dissolve. You will feel stimulated for sure!
The Vada is not only mouth watering, it may be nose-watering too if you have a delicate tongue. So might as well put the vada in a pav and savour the CTO Vada Pav gazing at the Hutatma Memorial, the Fountain and nice pretty faces in the crowd rushing by, to and from Churchgate, CSTM and the bus stops.
I wonder whether the CTO Vada Pav Stall still exists and if the Vada still as zesty and delicious as it was. Will some Foodie Vada Pav aficionado Mumbaikar let us know.
Meanwhile, can anyone tell me where I can enjoy a good Vada Pav in Pune? I have tasted a few so far, even the famed Joshi, Diwadkar, Rohit et al, also during ontervals while watching plays at Balgandharva etc, not to forget the ones at Karjat Railway Station too, and found them quite soggy and insipid compared to the Ashok Satam’s crisp, zesty and stimulating Vada near CTO in Mumbai.
VIKRAM KARVE
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
VIKRAM KARVE educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale, and Bishop's School Pune, is an Electronics and Communications Engineer by profession, a Human Resource Manager and Trainer by occupation, a Teacher by vocation, a Creative Writer by inclination and a Foodie by passion. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles in magazines and journals for many years before the advent of blogging. His delicious foodie blogs have been compiled in a book APPETITE FOR A STROLL and his book of Short Fiction is being published soon. Vikram lives in Pune with his family and pet Doberman girl Sherry, with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile of Vikram Karve:
Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile of Vikram Karve:
vikramkarve@sify.com
Foodie Book:
Foodie Book:
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
The Vada Pav at Hutatma chowk is still there and accompanied by the Lasunchi Chatni and fried mirchi..In Mumbai you get variety of Vada pav with Imli/Khajur & Pudina (Mint) Chatni..but only authentic places serve with sukha lasunchi chatni..the vada pav at Hutatma chowk should be accompanied by Sugar Cane juice a deadly combination you wont ask 4 more...
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