EATING
OUT IN MUMBAI
BERRY
PULAO at BRITANNIA and COMPANY BALLARD ESTATE
By
VIKRAM
KARVE
Last
night my son told me that he was driving down from Pune to Mumbai for a day’s
work.
“Where
are you going?” I asked him.
“I’m
coming,” I said.
“Okay,”
he said, “but you’ll have to spend a few hours by yourself.”
So we
started from Pune in the morning, and after a few stops, we and reached Ballard
Estate around noon. My son went for his work and I headed to Britannia and
Company for my lunch – to relish a plate of my favorite Berry Pulao.
There’s
only one place in India where you get the inimitable unique matchless Berry
Pulao and that’s Britannia Restaurant in Ballard Estate Mumbai.
I read
somewhere (I think it was Busybee who long time ago wrote in his
foodie column in the Evening News of India – If it’s Berry Pulao, it
must be Britannia.
The
Evening News tabloid hasdisappeared long back but Britannia’s Berry Pulao is
still going strong.
Britannia
is a quaint restaurant. It is the same as it as so many years ago as if time stood
still– the table-cloths with gingham checks with a glass on top and the menu
card below the glass (one for each chair) with the restaurant’s motto written
on top: There is no greater love than the love of eating
Dear
fellow Foodie – if you’ve eaten and relished Berry Pulao at Britannia, my words
will not be adequate to describe the unique gastronomic experience you’ve
had.
If you
haven’t ever eaten Berry Pulao at Britannia, read on - I will try my best to
describe the delicious experience of eating Berry Pulao to you.
The
Mutton Berry Pulao looks good.
A base of
aromatic yellowish-orange basmati rice, topped with kebabs, crisp reddish-brown
strips of fried onions, fried cashew nuts, and, of course, the dark red berries.
I start off
with a tiny sweet and sour berry to stimulate my tongue and then pick out a kebab
from the top layer of the pulao, pop it on my tongue, close mouth and my eyes,
press the soft meat between my tongue and palate, roll it, let it disintegrate
and savor the heavenly flavor.
My
appetite whetted, I feel so ravenous, that I just can’t wait to devour the
delicacy in front of me.
But I am
not going to “devour” the pulao greedily. I am going to do full justice to my
favorite pulao by eating it mindfully, with full awareness.
“Mindful
eating” – that is the true art of eating, with all your senses fully focused
inwards to derive total epicurean pleasure.
The
mutton, the kebabs as well as the generous chunks of well marinated and
superbly cooked pieces of prime meat, is boneless.
The
mouthwatering succulent pieces of mutton, substantial in size, are soft and
tender, and taste delicious and satisfying.
The soft
spicy kebabs are nice and zesty. The basmati rice is fragrant and tasty. The
cashew nuts crisp. The ultimate delight is the sweetish taste of the fried
onions with a hint of umami taste from the sweet and sour tang of the berries.
The berry
pulao is indeed a heavenly medley of the choice ingredients, blending the
fusion and symbiosis of tastes, flavors and fragrances.
In its
entirety, relishing a Berry Pulao is a matchless epicurean experience.
Many a
greasy and spicy “Biryanis” and “Pulaos” leave you feeling heavy, acidic in the
stomach, hot and pungent in your throat and with a tartish feeling on your
tongue.
The proof
of the pudding is in the eating.
The proof
of a pulao or biryani is in its aftertaste.
It’s that
lovely wispy aftertaste that makes Berry Pulao my favorite.
Maybe
that’s the secret of the “berries”.
As
accompaniment I have a bottle of Roger’s inimitable Rasberry Soft Drink and I
end my meal with a Caramel Custard Dessert.
I
remember those glorius Mumbai days, when I have savored so many a “working”
lunches of Berry Pulao at Britannia since I worked nearby.
Now I
have to go all the way to Mumbai to enjoy a Berry Pulao. Yes, if you want to eat
Berry Pulao you'll have to go to Britannia and Company in Ballard Estate Mumbai
Till then the only thing you can do is to enjoy this delectable dish vicariously in your mind’s eye.
Till then the only thing you can do is to enjoy this delectable dish vicariously in your mind’s eye.
If you
ask me which is my favorite Biryani in Mumbai – well there are so many good
Biryanis in Mumbai – Olympia, Delhi Durbar, Shalimar, Baghdadi, Lucky, and so many
more. Yes, there is plenty to choose from as far as Biryani is concerned.
But if
you ask me which my favorite Pulao is – there is a clear winner – there is no
doubt about it – it is my all time favorite Britannia Berry Pulao.
By the
way, can someone tell me the difference between a Biryani and a Pulao?
Of
course, I know the answer. I am just trying to cross-check!
If you
don't know the answer, if you don’t know the difference between and Biryani and
Pulao, you just go down to your nearest “authentic” eatery, order one
plate of biryani and also order one plate of pulao, then taste and test, compare
and contrast, and find out the difference between a Biryani and Pulao for yourself.
Till
then, dear fellow foodie, Happy Eating.
(And if you live in Mumbai, what are you waiting for – just head for Britannia
and eat a Berry Pulao)
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.
Did you like this blog post?
I am sure you will like the 27 fiction short stories from my recently published anthology of Short Fiction COCKTAIL
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-81910
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-ka
COCKTAIL ebook
If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925
Foodie Book: Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9
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, IIT (BHU) 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
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@sify.com
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.
Did you like this blog post?
I am sure you will like the 27 fiction short stories from my recently published anthology of Short Fiction COCKTAIL
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-81910
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-ka
COCKTAIL ebook
If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925
Foodie Book: Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9
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, IIT (BHU) 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
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@sify.com
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
