Will Mumbai’s new-age Irani cafes be able to revive the fading tradition?

Amidst the modernity and fastpaced lifestyle of Mumbai and its neighbours one often comes across a quaint Irani cafe that has a distinct charm and culinary delight Irani cafes serve as more than just places to grab a quick bitendashthey are living relics of a bygone eraMost cafes were established during the late 19th and early 20th Centuries when Zoroastrian immigrants from Iran settled in India particularly Mumbai and eventually became an integral part of the cityrsquos societal fabricIn the report titled Are Mumbairsquos Irani cafes fading out midday explored why the numbers of Irani cafes had gone down in number with many respondents saying that these quaint cafes were dying down due to various reasons but the overlapping reasons stated by all were the desire to explore new arenas and not desiring to sit behind a lsquogallarsquo by the newer generationsPreservation of Irani cafesHowever the Irani cafesndashoffering a unique blend of Persian and Indian cuisine and a welcoming atmosphere that transcends social boundariesndashneed to be preserved primarily because it is a cultural heritage siteThese cafeacutes are more than simply cuisine they are a snapshot of history reflecting the varied influences that have defined Mumbais identity Every part of an Irani cafeacute from the unique design of marble tabletops bentwood seats and ceiling fans to the menu items of bun maska chai and keema pav tells a tale about the citys historyEntrance of Irani Canteen at Thane InstagramMoreover Irani cafes serve as invaluable community spaces where people from all walks of life come together to share conversations laughter and moments of respite from the chaos of urban life Whether its businessmen discussing deals over a cup of tea college students catching up after classes or families enjoying a leisurely breakfast on weekends these cafes foster a sense of belonging and camaraderie that is increasingly rare in todays digital ageResurgence of Irani cafesIn the last decade even as other classic cafes are pulling the curtains new Irani eateries have come up In 2015 Mumbai got its first Irani cafe after a fivedecadelong breakndashCafe Irani Chaii at Mahim In a way it was the first to open the doors for the resurgence of the Irani cafesWhen asked what was the reason behind doing so Mansoor Showghi Yezdi the owner of Cafe Irani Chaii said he wanted to revive the legacy ldquoIranians immigrated to India with a belief that the people here will accept us with open arms and they did more Irani cafes I believe are also a way to show our gratitude I desired to preserve the legacy Irani cafes have and thus began the caferdquoMansoor Showghi Yezdi opened Mumbais first Irani cafe after 5 decades Sourced PhotoMansoor Showghi Yezdi who has also made an awardwinning documentary titled Cafe Irani Chai said the inception began from news reports about ageold Irani cafes shutting down in MumbaildquoI was editing a documentary when I read a report about one Irani cafe shutting down and I successively saw more of such news reports Cafe Irani Chai was conceptualised then and following the documentary I opened Cafe Irani Chaii in 2015rdquo Mansoor saidThe double lsquoirsquo in the cafersquos name denotes the ties between Iran and India he quippedYezdirsquos voice cracked for a split second during the conversation when he recalled the conversation between him and his father Late Habibullah Showghi Yezdi wherein he informed the latter of his choice to become a filmmakerldquoWhen I was around a 1012 year old child I would accompany my father to the canteen at Plaza cinema I would sneak into the auditorium and watch the film screening I was enamoured by Dr V Shantaram and eventually decided to become a filmmaker My father was heartbroken when I informed him of my decisionrdquo Mansoor now approaching 70s recountedThe documentary filmmakerrestauranteur said his father had sold their business set up by his grandfather who immigrated from Iran to India in the 1800s after the 1993 blast at Plaza CinemaHowever after reading those reports I made a firm decision to revive this culture he said ldquoI keep unwell these days but I know I am not dying before I open more branches of Cafe Irani Chaiirdquo he remarkedLate Habibullah Showghi Yezdi Sourced PhotoSince he began Cafe Irani Chaii many more Irani eateries have come up Yezdi says many establishments even used the same name as his and some even falsely claimed to be linked to his establishment ldquoDespite having a trademark I have never filed a case or taken legal action since I want more people to come and experience what Irani cafe is likerdquo he saidApart from Cafe Irani Chaii Olive Bar and Kitchen started SodaBottleOpenerWala which is their ode to the Irani cafes SBOW as it is also called blends the elements from a rustic Irani cafe with a modernday bistro Similarly R Irani Chai in Mumbairsquos Sakinaka area is another quaint Irani cafe that has carved its own space in peoplersquos heartsldquoGastronomically speaking there are many cloud kitchens run by Zoroastrian community members who are attempting to preserve the IranianZoroastrian cuisine with all its intricate flavoursrdquo pointed out Pritish Dharurkar one of the founders of Irani Canteen in ThaneIrani Canteen which opened for the people on November 19 2022 was started by five friendsndashDharurkar Rajas Sabde Amey Dhadve Devang Gole and Vedant PatilldquoAll of us have been foodies and we would get up early in the morning and go to Irani cafes in south Mumbai We always wanted to open our eatery and then we thought why not give Thane its first Irani caferdquo Pritish explained the reason behind starting Irani CanteenOther motive was to give people the feeling that they have been transported back to the good old days he addedHarking on nostalgiaThe common theme across the newage Irani cafes is nostalgia Be it through their food or the decor the restauranteurs have retained the grace of vintage decor and traditional flavours of foodldquoAt both branches of Cafe Irani Chaii I have ensured that all the decor resembles those from the past including bentwood chairs checkered tiles and marbles for table tops The patrons are gravitated towards the oldschool charmrdquo said Mansoor Showghi YezdiDharurkar too echoed a similar sentiment and added ldquoWe wanted people in Thane to experience the oldschool charm of these Irani cafes that we have relished in We wanted the older generations to relive those memories We extensively trained under a Parsi chef to present the food with as much accuracy as we canrdquoChai tea served at Irani Canteen in Thane InstagramWhile the professionals at Cafe Irani Chaii cook up a storm in their kitchen using family recipes of Yezdi those at Irani Canteen rely on the training they underwent with the chefResponding to a query about how they curated the menu Sabde and Dharurkar said that they gradually introduced the traditional Zoroastrian Irani cuisine to the city ldquoWe have revised our menu at least a couple of times since we started in 2022 As peoplersquos palette was familiarised with the basic Irani food we started including more traditional items like Akhourirdquo they notedThey added ldquoWe plan to expand the menu and explore those dishes that are not cooked as often or are forgotten and present it to the patrons We will conduct research and work in tandem with the community to do so We are toying with the idea and will execute it when the time is rightrdquoRelevance with youthWhen asked how they balance the oldschool charm and staying relevant with young patrons Dharurkar noted that they have outdoor seating as well since the youngsters do like having an open seating area ldquoApart from outdoor seating we have some fast food options like Maggi and fries on our menu We also serve oldschool shakes our milk shakesrsquo range is limited to the classic flavoursrdquo Dharurkar notedHe added that the team at Irani Canteen did not have to chart specific plans to attract the youngsters since most of the youth are excited to visit such oldschool establishmentsldquoMany patrons come with their kids they tell me they brought their children to show a slice of the world they grew up in This piques their interest while the elders enjoy a part of their childhoodrdquo Yezdi addedMohammed Hussain Showghi Mansoor Showghi Yezdis son helps in managing the cafe Sourced PhotoHe also said that they too have included food items like burgers in addition to their menu since the younger generations prefer to consume themldquoA little modernisation is necessary We canrsquot live in a bygone era but can move forward with the oldschool charm with the good from modernisationrdquo he elaboratedUnderstanding the new boom in Irani CafesWhen asked about the resurgence of the Irani cafes culinary anthropologist and archaeologist Dr Kurush F Dalal told midday ldquoThe newage Irani cafes are playing on nostalgia which is why their look and feel resembles the traditional Irani cafe Because of the nostalgia again and because it was such a huge part of the past of the city and a lot of people have talked about them a lot of people reminisced about them and they are the part of people growing up So because of this what is very obvious is that there is a space for themrdquoDalal further explained ldquoThere was a time and a place where they filled a specific niche Now that niche might be gone but part of that niche will come back to a certain extent It in the case of Irani cafes has come backrdquoThe culinary anthropologist stated that some Irani cafes are brand new places or some like Jimmy Boy have revamped themselves and some of them are the same old old placesldquoThere are small places like Cafe Dela Paix etc which have got a very loyal clientele And they have been going for a very long time by themselves Then there are some new places So this cafe Irani Chaii thats come up in Mahim is a brand new place experience the ambience They added a few new dishes and they made it a little more friendly and you know they are doing very well for themselves and others are picking up on thisrdquo he saidWhen asked about why is it so crucial to get the food right Kurush F Dalal said since the cafes hark on nostalgia missing out on the nittygritty of the cuisine will only make the business cashstrapped