Girgaum's Secret Revealed

The secret lies tucked away in a bylane in crowded Girgaum. Is it really a secret?
I don't quite know. Every Girgaumkar knows it. If the Girgaumkar is a carnivore, he adores it. And for every Goan in Mumbai, it's akin to a pilgrimage spot! Even Rashmi Uday Singh praises it in her 'Times Good Food Guide'. And yet, it remains relatively unknown to a majority of Mumbai's foodies.

Lets cut to the chase. I'm talking about a small grade III eatery that goes by the name 'Anantashram Upahar Griha'. It serves(mostly non-vegetarian) Goan Hindu meals and is located in the picturesque lane of Khotachiwadi at a walking distance from Charni Road station. I had last visited the place as an 8 year-old with my mother who worked at the bank next door. Back then I was too young to really appreciate what these guys were doing. Many years and several passionate recommendations later I decided to pay the place a visit.

So, there I was on a summer Saturday at 12:30 pm(I know it's a little early but the owners are known to shut shop at 2:30 for their siesta in true blue Goan style!). Let's be frank. If you're hung-up on ambience, decor n stuff, this is not the place for you. The place is small with barely eight tables, there is no paint on the walls and the owners double-up as waiters. Anyway, I seated myself at one of those tiny tables and glanced the menu written on a board hung up on the wall(Yup, no menu cards here). After some thought, I decided to go for the Mutton curry with Chapatis and rice. I also ordered a plate of fried fish(Pomfret). The meal arrived in good time and I promptly tucked in. After having eaten my fill, I washed it all down with a cup of Solkadi. The verdict was simple. It was the best Goan meal I had eaten in a long, long time. Goa Portuguesa, Viva Paschim and Konkan Cafe can eat their hearts out!

How do these guys do it? I know that it's a bold statement to make but the place even manages to beat some of the best home-cooked Goan meals. I held on to that thought as I went into the kitchen to wash my hands(Yes, the only wash basin here, is the one in the kitchen!). And then it struck me. The kitchen had no modern equipment at all. Pestle and mortar, grindstone, wood-fired stove. Food is made here like it was in old-time Goa. It's Anantashram's resistance to change that has retained it's charm, distinct appeal and most importantly, the quality of it's food.

As I walked back(stuffed) to the station after the meal, I realised how Girgaum is one place in Mumbai that has stayed the same while the world around it has changed completely. The same Chawl system, the same old-fashioned people and fesivals celebrated with the same-old pomp. Stiff resistance to change of any kind. I think Anantashram, more than any other place, symbolises the stubborn, unchanged spirit of Girgaum. Hope it stays the same, always.