SODABOTTLEOPENERWALA

SodaBottleOpenerWala — from the Olive Group — pays tribute to the legacy of an Irani cafe in a fun quirky ambience. Walking in, the premium all-day café with a bar, excellent Irani chai and sumptuous cuisine has always transported me to Mumbai's Irani cafes suspended in time. Cuckoo clocks, antique framed images of Irani cafes and Bombay street life, nankatais sold on the counter, antique black telephones and… a toy train chugging on tracks suspended from the walls!

So, when I heard the cafe had begun home delivery, I perused the menu packed with Parsi and Irani specialties, I ordered my favourites — 'Eggs Kejriwal', 'Chicken Berry Pulao' and 'Salli Boti'. The ordered was delivered piping hot in well-packed boxes and dinner began with the most anticipated 'Eggs Kejriwal'—toast slathered with melting cheese topped with fried eggs smoothly blended with green chilli and spring onions. Deelish!! I took time to savour this one! PS Do you know how this dish got its name? Its said that a gentleman, Devi Prasad Kejriwal, liked eggs but his family were strict vegetarians. Kejriwal was a popular in Willingdon club and since he couldn’t get eggs at home, he had it in the club, his way: a toast topped with a fried egg sprinkled with green chilies. Though simple, it became a cult dish and took his name!! Moving on to the entrees, 'Chicken Berry Pulao' with berries and nuts blended with chicken stock was simply sumptuous and demolished in no time. Salli Boti — chicken in spicy tomato gravy topped with crispy potato straws, was rich comfort food — is recommended for flavour and quality, one I would be ordering in many, many times.

Do visit SodaBottleOpenerWala when you have a yen for Parsi cuisine — or simply order in. The food is packed in sealed boxes ad absolutely safe and hygienic, in sync with what AD Singh recently told me, ''We will follow strict systems and processes with the delivery teams to manage the safety of our patrons.'' Bon Appetite!

— JASMEEN DUGAL