Gypsy Corner

Four years of residing near Girgaum was an advantage in terms of having maharashtrian food mainly during festival time and also at other times. With ‘Kolhapuri Chivda’, ‘B. Tambe’, ‘Govindashram’, ‘Panshikar’ etc amongst many others, having ‘puran-poli’, ‘modak’ ani ‘ukadiche modak’, ‘chirote’, ‘kadbu’, ‘karanji’ etc was a bit simple but definitely nothing could beat the home-made mom-made delicacies. Sometimes even a simple poli-bhaji would complete a happy meal. But now, putting up in Lower Parel is not the same case. Marathi food in Lower Parel is all about fish, fish and more fish! This is because of maximum fishetarians living all around. Though, yes I do agree that Mumbai being a coast, sea food is a value addition to the regular daily cuisine. When you have north Indian vegetarian friends coming over to smell the taste and taste the smell of the marathi-Mumbai then may be Lower Parel is not the right place…

…and yes Dadar is!! Dadar is the best place to experience the Marathi culture/tradition/food and people in every other way. “No offence to any other part of Mumbai!” With my friend, I visited one such place in Dadar that celebrates vegetarian-Marathi-food and that is the ‘Gypsy Corner’. Well, the name is not even close to being ‘marathi’ is what I feel, but yes, what Shakespeare says falls true in this place: “What is there in a name?” or to be said as “Naavat kay thevlai?”

So…the ‘Gypsy corner’ (sister concern of Gypsy Chinese- the name here suits best) as the name suggests is a small restaurant cornered at the Shivaji Park in Dadar where you will get amazing Marathi food with amazing variety and amazing prices! Thalipeth with a dash of white butter served with dahi (not to forget that the dahi was served in the smallest possible bowl) is simply mouthwatering! I still wonder why was the thalipeth served with a spoon and fork?!! But then, also, I do not want to overlook the fact that my friend used the fork for the purpose it was given! Well…let me not start on this now! The ghavane also had the company of a fork!! Well well with it, the matki chi usal is also equally yummy!

This is just a part of the menu available. Pardon me for not having given the most awaited menu of the sweets!

Please go through the menu card carefully. What I like here is the emphasis of 'toop' (ghee) with varan-bhat (dal-rice). For many of the maharashrians, toop with varan-bhat is a part of everyday meal but for many others it is not. Therefore the toop here has a lot of significance!