Bom Bahai Diaries 3- Vasco ka Nama

Sir, in the last travelogue you made me a philosopher and a lot of people seemed to have enjoyed the blog. I have a burning desire since childhood of being a king and living a regal life. During my school days, I would always take part in plays but never got to play the role of a king that I desperately longed for. How about you making me a feel like a king, even if it is for a day?

Let me think Vicky… king…ruler…emperor..mmmm… I think I can do it. Stand still as I cast my magic spell…. Abracadabra…gilli gilli choo… here I lay on thy head the crown and anoint you King Manuel the Great and I shall be your court jester, Vasco, the man who discovered the sea route for you in the Far East.

Sir, what you have put on my head is not a crown but a colourful cap.

Please understand my noble king…this is no ordinary cap… this is the cap of the royalty of Portugal something which only the special ones like CR7 are entitled to wear. For you this may appear to be a cap but to the people outside, it will be seen as a magnificent jewelled crown befitting your stature. It shall bring forth to you, honour, love and fame that comes with it.

I believe you Vasco, but hope it is not a repeat of Emperor’s New Clothes in modern times.

Never my King…Never! Now let me take you to your impregnable fortress at Bandra.

Castella de Aguada or "Fort of the Waterpoint", was originally called by the Portuguese builders Forte de Bandorá (or Bandra Fort). It was built by the Portuguese in 1640 as a watchtower overlooking Mahim Bay, the Arabian Sea and the southern island of Mahim. The fort guarded the northern sea route into Mumbai Harbour. This sea route, a large estuary, was later reclaimed from the sea in the nineteenth century. During the Portuguese rule, it was armed with seven cannons and other smaller guns as defence. A freshwater spring in the vicinity supplied potable water to passing ships, thus lending the fort its name. Today, very little remains of the fort but it is a great place to spend the evenings, watching the sun set and the cultural functions that happen at the amphitheatre.

Picture courtesy: Internet

As we were coming out of the Bandra Fort, there was a big crowd outside one particular house. His Highness asked me, “Vasco, what is happening there? Why are so many people standing there and not looking at the sea on the other side but facing a house? Are they waiting for some divine appearance?”

My lord, that’s no ordinary house. a lot of the royals of today have built their palaces near your fort, in the hope that some of your name and fame will rub onto them. The one that you are talking about see is called Mannat and belongs to King Khan. This kingdom is spread far and wide and people overseas revere him as well. He always speaks from the epiglottis and also stammers. Once he was asked to loudly proclaim that he is a King and he ended up saying….”I am ka ka ka ka…Kiran”. He eventually ended up simply saying,” My name is Khan, and I am not a King.” His palace is aptly named Mannat or Wish. Earlier it was his Wish to build an empire and now it is the Wish of his subjects to wait day after day for a glimpse of the King.

There are many kings and queens around this place. See the huge palace over there… it is called Basera or the residence. Here lives an Empress who can only be seen in the priciest Kanjeevaram sarees and she has conquered age. When she comes out in the open, she looks more like Queen Nefertiti. Your highness, I must tell you a PJ if you permit me. You see, a couple of years ago, the whole world was in the midst of a pandemic. People were asked to stay indoors to avoid contact and prevent the disease from spreading. The ultimate Emperor of India, the Shahenshah, got infected and hospitalized. No one in his family had been infected, so an investigation was initiated to find out the circumstances of his infection. The enquiry committee could not come to any definite conclusion but in one corner of their report there was an observation by one of the investigators that the only person who the Emperor could have possibly come in contact with was the guard outside the Empress’ palace. The investigator lost his head and the file was lost forever…..He he he..

Vasco, that’s a silly and a sick joke and understand the insinuation contained in it. S I must respect your role as a court jester, shall laugh a little now in public and keep the best for later!

Sir, there are many such palaces of kings and queens in this area. And that one there is the house of the Khan Bahadur of India…Salman Bhai. He lives in Galaxy Apartments.

What, the Super Khan Bahadur lives in a flat? No wonder he will find people shooting at him to scare him away from this pigeon hole and drive him into a palace that matches his true stature.

Now my good lord, let me take you to your place of worship… the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount.  This is one of the most revered places built by Jesuit missionaries from our part of the world. While to the outside world the church is undergoing renovation, thou shalt have access to it as in times when the place is completely adorned and illuminated, just as it should be when the king himself makes a pilgrimage to the place.

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount is colloquially known as Mount Bandra and Mount St Mary Church. The basilica stands on a hillock, about 80 metres above sea level overlooking the Arabian Sea. Every year a big festival of the nativity of St Mary, also known as Holy Marymas or the Bandra Fest, is celebrated here on the 8th day of September: the auspicious occasion of the birth of the virgin-mother of Jesus Christ. Pope Pius XII granted a decree of canonical coronation to the shrine's revered Marian icon on 21 October 1954. The shrine attracts people from all faiths who plead for favours while others come back to express their gratitude.

Although the current structure and edifice of the shrine is just 100 years old and was rebuilt in British Bombay, the history behind the current statue of the Blessed Mary goes back to the 16th century, when Jesuit priests brought the statue and constructed a chapel in what was then the Portuguese East Indies. In 1700, Sunni Arab pirates raiding the area were interested in the gilt-lined object held in the hand and damaged the statue. In 1760, the church was rebuilt after the Maratha invasion of Goa and Bombay, and the statue was substituted with a statue of Our Lady of Navigators from the St Andrew's Church nearby. Legend has it that a Koli Christian fisherman dreamt of the statue floating in the sea, and as prophesied in the dream the statue was, indeed, found there the next day. The Koli fishermen call the statue as Mot Mauli, literally meaning the "Pearl Mother or the Mother of the Mount". The statue was reinstated and is enshrined in its place of honour in the basilica.

Are you feeling hungry My Lord? I know of a wonderful place with Portuguese décor and food that makes you hungry and crave for more.

Yes, Vasco, let’s go and see another of my subjects and how they serve food to royalty.

Your Highness, please do not expect any special treatment here. This is Candies and a food place in a villa with multiple floors. There are many areas which are airconditioned and then there are also cool spaces under an open sky. The food here is marvellous , both modern and traditional.

As we entered Candies, King Manuel was happy to listen to some peppy old music with lovely, young faces all around We ended up eating the specialties of chicken roast and steak with some fresh lemonade. The king took some time off from relishing the food to admire the pictures and memorabilia of Beatles and the décor which appeared very much akin to his kingdom. With a fully packed tummy and happiness in mind, we came out of the Villa at Bandra where, if you go after 8pm, you can get a good discount…happy hours for food!

Vasco, can we shed this charade of royalty and jester and get into our normal world where you are the real master and me thy friend?

Yes…sure…stand still as I do the backward spell… Abracadabraa..gilli gillicho oo… now give me back the colourful crown and welcome back Vicky, my friend. Now what?

Sir, enough of Portugal… I am also giving away the ownership of these Bombay islands to the British even though the weddings of my two Catherines of Bryganza at home are a long way off. Vasco…no Sir, I mean, my throat is getting parched. Let us go to some nice place for a drink to celebrate the success of our third day out. I know a great place called Toto's. It is among the tiniest drinking holes you would have been to but the pub with a Volkswagon Beetle hung from the ceiling beneath which stands the bar, great music of the 70s playing and a full house whenever you go.

Vicky was right and it seems all the people serving there were well known to him. They found a place for us to stand comfortably and hold our mugs, enjoy the music and soak in the happiness of the people and place. I must admit, Vicky is the asli King when it comes to knowing about the little bylanes and hidden, yet wonderful, places to eat and drink in the city of Bom Bahai and admire the cutest heritage railway station called Vandre.

SS & Vicky

The Hobbit Goes South: Itadakimasu

 “I’m moving to Chennai.”

“What will you eat there?” “Ooooh, you better get used to idli dosa.” 

I was quite surprised to hear these standard statements. On a more general note, I quite like idli, dosa, vada, and uttapam. Not only are they overall healthy but different places have distinct preparation styles and flavours. Having lived in Hyderabad for close to three years, Chutney’s holds a special place in my heart. 

Back to the topic of this blog. After one month here, I love the food scene in Chennai and have decided to cover places of my interest for your interest (and also to dispel a looming myth)! I read a quote by J.R.R.Tolkien:

“I am in fact a Hobbit in all but size. I like gardens, trees, and unmechanized farmlands; I smoke a pipe, and like good plain food (unrefrigerated), but detest French cooking; I like, and even dare to wear in these dull days, ornamental waistcoats. I am fond of mushrooms (out of a field); have a very simple sense of humor (which even my appreciative critics find tiresome); I go to bed late and get up late (when possible). I do not travel much.”

I realised that if I modified it a little, I fit the criteria of a hobbit perfectly-

“I am in fact a Hobbit in all but including in size. I like gardens, trees, and unmechanized farmlands; I smoke a pipe, andlike good plain food, but detest French cooking; I would like, and even dare to wear in these dull days, ornamental waistcoats. I am fond of mushrooms (out of a field); have a very simple sense of humor (which even my appreciative critics find tiresome); I go to bed late and get up late (when possible). I like to travel much.”

And so begins the journey of a Hobbit down South…

In the first of this series, I want to talk about an unassuming, yet absolutely delightful Japanese restaurant called Dahlia. People in Chennai need no introduction to it, but for people new to Chennai this may not show up on your ‘must eat places in Chennai’ list that often. 

A colleague of my father told me about this restaurant before I came to Chennai. I was instantly curious and so I read about it. Naoki Yamauchi, one of the owners of Dahlia, was a 10-year-old boy living in Osaka during the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He worked in Kochi as an exporter of tuna and cuttlefish from India to Japan and had to travel to Japan via Chennai because there was no direct flight. Revathy Nagaswami, the co-owner, was a sociology student, Japanese interpreter and a vegetarian to this day. She had been trained in Tokyo and met Naoki at work as an interpreter. Naoki liked to cook and wanted to open a diner in Chennai recognizing the need with several Japanese engineers coming to Tamil Nadu for ancillary parts following the opening of the Maruti Suzuki plant. He became friends with Revathy’s father over common interest of cigarettes and coffee. It was Revathy’s father who suggested that they become partners and establish Dahlia and together started this establishment in 1993. When he passed away, Revathy took up the position as the partner in running the restaurant. When Naoki’s wife passed away in a car accident, he found peace in Buddha’s teachings. He lost his only son to the Tsunami in 2011. Naoki’s daughter lives in Japan. In 2023, Dahlia completed 30 years of serving true Japanese cuisine in Chennai, making it an iconic restaurant and part of the city’s heritage. 

Reaching Dahlia using Google maps and actually entering it are two different things, almost like reaching the Mines of Moria but not being able to enter it without the password. Don’t get me wrong, it is centrally located in Nungambakkam High Road but only ‘a friend may speak to enter.’ I have been there thrice and found the gate shown on the maps to be always closed. So, you need to walk past the Lord of the Drinks (I did not realise the pun here until I started writing) and reach a rather shady gate which leads you into what is possibly a complex of sorts. Once you enter you will see a glow sign with the red letters DAHLIA in both English and Japanese. You cross that to reach a turning and then go up a short flight of stairs to finally come to the restaurant. 

The working hours are from 12-2:30 pm and the 6:30-9:30 pm with the last order being taken at 9:00 pm. If you plan to go on a weekend, it may be best to reserve in advance. Of my three visits to this place, I could only eat twice because the first time I had no reservation! Ironically, there is a Korean food store just in front of it. Having been turned away by the Japanese, I shamelessly entered the Korean store and bought the ramen packets, happily satiating my K-hunger. 

Dahlia is a quaint restaurant. On entering, you find an old lady in sari at the billing counter. Above her station is a wall-mounted TV playing only Japanese channels. The seating is both at dining tables and also the more traditional arrangement where you sit cross-legged on cushions with low tables. We chose the latter but found that you can also hang down your legs and sit there if you choose to. What caught our attention was the décor- origami everywhere, traditional Japanese paintings and scrolls on the wall, shelves with Japanese books and two wall clocks- one running by India time and the other showing Japan’s time. The colourful origami balls and cranes that hang down from the ceiling were made by the staff for Naoki a few years ago when he fell ill. Each scroll tells a story and is changed by Revathy and Naoki with every season. You can still spot Revathy, flitting in and out of the kitchen and Naoki quietly sitting at one of the tables. You can appreciate the ambience till the food is served, then that will be the only thing holding your attention!

The lady, who attended to our table on both occasions, is sweet, caring, and willing to teach the best way to eat the food including using chopsticks for the uninitiated. Her suggestions have been impeccable and, personally, I would go by that even in future. The experience starts with her bringing you a wet tissue roll to refresh yourself. This is followed by a complementary and unlimited wheat tea, a cool and refreshing drink that has a subtle smokey flavour that is said to help with the digestion. 

The California Maki and the Tenjiku Maki were simply one of the best that I have had. The menu has a wide collection of sushi, maki and sashimi. The wasabi paste is freshly prepared here, and you can make out the marked difference in the taste and texture from the insta-worthy, fancy Asian places coming up in every city since the onslaught of K-dramas. I confess that I fall in that category too and have been to some of these places but that also makes me certain of the superiority of Dahlia over any of these other restaurants. Good, tasty, authentic food, and nothing else. 

For main course I had the pork Tonkatsu ramen bowl both the times because it is simply and mouth-wateringly good (pardon my choice of words but that is the only way to describe). The portions are large and if you have had starters, it may be prudent to order a one by two portion. 

The lady at the billing counter writes the bill in a neat yet firm handwriting, almost never seen in today’s age of computerized bills. The price is very reasonable for the quality of food. I will go back to this place again and again. It is a place I would not mind going alone to have a meal and feel the warmth of the ramen and the people working there. It is the perfect example of cultural collaboration, another rarity today. If you are in Chennai, find a little time and visit Dahlia, for a taste of Japan, where the only fancy thing is the excellent food. 

Until part 2, Sayonara 

Yours,

Hungry Hobbit