Satisfaction Guranteed Trupti Sweets

It's a crowded little shop just off the busy street of Bhuleshwar in Mumbai, full of high quality sweets and delicious farsans

Trupti's presence certainly stood out amidst the hustle-bustle of Prathana Samaj, right near the famous Ganpati Temple. We were greeted graciously by the owner Ripul Bhimjyani and his father Hasmukh Bhimjyani. The split level store was filled with the aromas of Gujarati spices and the freshness of ghee with a hint of saffron. Laid out beautifully before the eager customers was an array of farsans (snacks) and mishtans (sweetmeats). Trupti has an extensive clientele; mainly Marwaris and Jains. And they have been customers for generations, ever since the early days when in 1964 the humble family began from scratch. 'My grandfather started out as a milkman in these very premises,' says Ripul.

Trupti Sweets
123 V.P. Road, Next to Police Stn,
Mumbai 400 004.
Tel: 2388 3288, 2387 3066. 

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(Archives: April - June 2008)

Simply Saria!

Saria Stove Depot sells a lot more than your traditional pots and pans. And it is packed with every concievable kitchen hardware!

The next time you walk down Lohar Chawl, forget about the electrical shops. Step into Saria Stove Depot for the finest range of kitchen utensils, light kitchen equipment and tableware. It's an old establishment, started 65 years ago by Mr Fida Ali. And as the name of the store suggests, Mr Ali used to sell Swedish petromax stoves.

But that was a long time ago. Now his son Shabbir Saria and grandson Ali manage the place. Ask any restaurateur, hotelier or caterer and they will tell you that the products at Saria are undoubtedly the best.

'I have dealt with all the greats in the hotel industry. We try to cater to everyone's needs. And if something is not available off the shelf, then we have it specially made for the customer. We don't have a factory, we merely outsource all our requirements.'

Saria Stove Depot
26, Lohar Chawl,
Mumbai 400 002.
Tel: 2208 2314
sariastove@hotmail.com

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(Archives: April - June 2003)

Farm Products In Downtown Bombay

The 112-year-old establishment at Colaba is the coolest charcuterie, loaded with salami and sausages, poultry and the finest meats in town

It's a cold storage all right, but it sells a lot more than the usual fare of sausages and bacon. This is Farm Products, a one-stop shop for cold cuts and meat, the oldest of its kind in the city. Take a look at the sumptuous display: smoked ham, oxford sausages, chicken ham, Goan toddy vinegar, prawn pickle, prawn balchao and ox tongue.

The very effervescent Luiza Rocha has been managing Farm Products for the past twenty years. But it wasn't Luiza who started the business. It was, in fact her in-laws, the very British Dunhill Rocha and his Indian wife Olga, who sold the best and finest meats in those days.

'I don't know much of the business during the early days, but the customers were mainly English. The products sold then were sourced from abroad and from all over the country...,' said Luiza.

Located just behind the Taj Mahal Hotel, there is nothing ostentatious or grand about Farm Products. Simple, neat and clean.

Farm Products
Ormiston Road,
Mumbai 400 039.
Tel No: 2284 0335.

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(Archives: July - Sept 2002)

Mirchi Galli The Spice Souk of the City

Tucked away in a bylane at the noisy hub of Crawford Market is a lane that is stocked with some of the best spices you'll ever find

The piquancy of raw red chilli powder wafts towards you. There's no mistaking Mirchi Galli. It's the place where food lovers and restaurant owners make a beeline to, for their regular purchases of whole spices, herbs and dry fruit. Ratansi Korji and Co. is the first shop that greets you right at the entrance to the lane. It is the oldest shop here. Next is Vadilal Champaklal and Co., family-owned enterprise, now in its fourth generation. But then, that is not a novelty here, most of the shops are more than 40 to 50 years old, marking a foot-note in the bazaar. Apart from all the common spices, they have Hirabol, a pungent smelling golden spice that is specially imported from South Africa. This is specially sought after by expectant mothers. 'It is so strong, you can't eat it just like that or it will erode the enamel of your teeth,' informs Rakesh of Vadilal Champaklal & Co.

Vadilal Champaklal & Co
Mirchi Galli,
Near Zaveri Bazaar,
Mumbai 400 002.

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(Archives: April - June 2007)

Dit’s The Word For Linen

UpperCrust discovers a tiny old shop in Mumbai’s busy shopping district that sells the most exquisite hand-made linen. Table sets, napkins, kettle holders, mats...

Tucked away among the flashy designer stores at Colaba Causeway is a small, quaint shop selling the most exquisite and elegant linen. There is no fancy signboard here, just a simple hoarding that reads ‘Dit’. You will also not find any fanciful shelves or display racks either. Except for select items that are pinned onto panels behind the counters, the rest are merely stacked under them. The shop was started in 1942 by Mrs Josephine Mendes whose pet name is Dit, thus the name of the shop. The 88-year-old lady who began her career as a seamstress at the store still manages the place. The products range from old fashioned runners, tablecloths, dressing table sets, kettle holders, pelmet covers, cocktail napkins, luncheon sets and bed covers to trendy drip mats, sandwich covers, tray cloths, handkerchiefs, hand towels, doilies, coasters and teapoy covers.

Dit
1 A, Glamour House, Opp. Standard Auto, S. Bhagat Singh Road, Colaba,
Mumbai 400 005. Tel: 2283 2523.

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(Archives: April - June 2002)