EATING OUT IN MUMBAI - INDIAN BURGER - VADA PAV

This evening I took a walk in Wakad Pune down the main road towards Aundh, and just a short distance away from Wakad Chowk, near the Water Tank, I discovered a new place called THE BEST and ate a Vada Pav. 

To my delightful surprise, the Batata Vada was superb, arguably the best in Pune. 

The lip smacking Batata Vada evoked, in my mind, mouthwatering memories of my favourite CTO Vada Pav which I used to relish during my glorious Mumbai days.

I will tell you more about this new Wakad Eatery (THE BEST) later. 

Meanwhile, here is a piece I wrote on my favorite Mumbai Vada Pav.

VADA PAV

वडा पाव 

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, Vada Pav is to India. Yes, the VADA PAV is truly a value-for-money Indian Burger.

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

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2012

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. 

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

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About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories, creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional research papers in journals and edited in-house journals for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
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Email: vikramkarve@sify.com      

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