Bombay Bakery and Restaurant

‘A part of the flavor comes from the food…rest from a 55 year old living legend’ is what is written on a narrow, long board on a wall inside Bombay Bakery and Restaurant at Gunfoundry. What it says must be true since the hotel is busy almost all day buzzing with customers. This is where I drop in to have my daily dose of Irani Chai. I have been dropping in to have chai at this hotel a little more than a year ago after I moved to my new office. I had visited this hotel earlier too but now I am a regular face there. It isn’t the ambience that brings me here but the chai.

There’s a faded yellow blow up of a news item about former Azharuddin extolling the virtues of bun maska and chai at BBR. The newstem is dated September 22, 2001 and the Times of India carried it. He apparently was a regular at this hotel coming in after cricket practice to fortify himself with stuff and chai. Anyway, not only Azhar but anyone who tastes the fare here is unlikely to forget it. I had lunch here only once and not only was the stuff tasty but also inexpensive.

Bombay Bakery and Restaurant is one of those Irani hotels where you not only get tea and snacks but also the regular items like biryani and every thing in between. There’s a separate food section which is always full. The other section where you are served tea and snacks has, like the old time Irani restaurants, a large mirror covering almost an entire wall. Another feature is that one pays the waiters not at the counter. Nobody takes notice of you as they are all busy wolfing down the snacks and gulping the chai. Officer or ordinary guy, every one comes here for a most bracing cup of Irani chai that leaves you charged for hours.

Bombay Bakery and Restaurant is one of the few remaining Irani restaurants in Hyderabad running successfully. I remember there was some kind of an attempt to demolish the place sometime back but I am glad it is still around.