World Vada Pav Day Blog Post – Mouthwatering Mumbai Memories – CTO Vada Pav

WORLD VADA PAV DAY BLOG POST

MY FAVORITE VADA PAV– CTO VADA PAV

Mouthwatering Mumbai Memories
By
VIKRAM KARVE

Today – August 23 – is World Vada Pav Day 

On this occasion – let me share mouthwatering memories of the inimitable CTO Vada Pav which I used to relish during my glorious Mumbai days – around 20 years ago.

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VADA PAV

वडा पाव 

MOUTHWATERING MUMBAI MEMORIES

CTO VADA PAV

By

VIKRAM KARVE

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Vada Pav (or Wada Pao – 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 – 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 outside the Central Telegraph Office (CTO) Mumbai – on the Flora Fountain (Hutatma Chowk) side of the Central Telegraph Office (CTO) on the way from Churchgate to VT (CSMT) via Veer Nariman Road – Mahatma Gandhi Road  – Dadabhai Naoroji Road.

During my Mumbai days – around 20 years ago – when I lived in Empress Court – near Churchgate – I enjoyed a Vada Pav at CTO Vada Pav Stall every afternoon on my way back home from my office – or during my evening stroll.

The Vada is served freshly fried piping hot and is crisp and crunchy on the outside. 

That is how a good Vada should be from the outside – nice and crisp – not soft and soggy like most of the Vada 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 leaves, ginger-garlic, and seasoning.

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 mouthwatering – it may be “nose-watering” too – if you have a delicate tongue. 

So – you might as well put the Vada in a Pav – and relish the CTO Vada Pav – gazing at the Hutatma Memorial – the Flora Fountain – and nice pretty faces in the crowd rushing by – to and from Churchgate, VT (CSMT) and the bus stops.

I wonder whether the CTO Vada Pav Stall still exists.

I also wonder if the Vada is still as zesty and delicious as it was long ago. 

Will some Foodie Vada Pav aficionado Mumbaikar let us know.

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(Well – Dear Mumbaikar Foodies – I just searched on the internet – and it seems CTO Vada Pav is still going strong – and the location seems to be the same – outside the CTO (Central Telegraph Office) towards the Hutatma Chowk side on Mahatma Gandhi Road.

Do visit and let us know if you liked the CTO Vada Pav...)

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Meanwhile – can Foodie Punekars tell me where I can enjoy a good Vada Pav in Pune...?  

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VIKRAM KARVE

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All Stories in this Blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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This food blog was first written 18 years ago in 2003. 

This article is a revised re-post of my blogs posted online many times earlier including at urls: http://karvediat.blogspot.com/2012/12/eating-out-in-wakad-pune-indias.html  and http://karvediat.blogspot.com/2011/09/vada-pav.html and https://vwkarve.wordpress.com/2007/05/29/vada-pav/ etc