In this serial, I am just putting together my rambling thoughts. I have not decided any planned sequence for the episodes contained in it. It is devoid of any preconceived pattern. This is because I just want to sit back and muse over the memories of the bygone era. Today I am going to touch upon the food culture of Pune and its stunning evolution over past five decades.
Well before!940, the famous Marathi writer, Mr. N.C.Kelkar, who was given the title of “ Emperor of Literature” ( Sahitya Samrat), visited a famous hill station in Himalayas. He went to have a close look at the magnificent peak, gloriously visible from the near by view point. He was amazed to see the real awesome display of the mighty Himalayas. Can you imagine how he expressed this unique experience? He wrote that the divine Himalayas with snow clad peaks reminded him of ‘the spiced rice ( masale bhaat) with shredded fresh coconut spread on it.’ I think that this quote has immortalized itself as an early proof of the mindset of food loving Puneites. This culture still continues to thrive. Pune has innumerable eateries, food stalls, food carts and street vendors, right from Five Star to third class status, and their number continues to grow like a wild fire, further revealing the mind boggling truth that each one of them is just thriving, in its own category. Like a confirmed drunkard instinctively making a bee line for a pub, the Puneites get mesmerized when they see and smell a food joint and unfailingly come back homes with bulging tummies and empty wallets.
During World War II days, the Irani restaurants made their entry into the food crazy town of Pune. Very quickly, they established their roaring practice, with their inimitable tea, maska pao and keema. These joints started appearing in popular novels and detective thrillers as meeting places of hero-heroine, investigating sleuths and dreaded criminals, all sitting in different cabins, of course, called ‘family rooms’. Local Marathi restaurants were quick to pick up this concept of ‘family rooms’, which gave total privacy to the occupants, except exposing their feet, through a slot below the door, yet offering important clues to an indulgent and careful observer, through the partial glimpse of clothes and the body language of the movements. I will control my further temptation of dwelling further on this matter as it may offend my age group, who were the ‘heroes’ of those yester years and no one likes revelations of such sensitive secrets and never ever before the grand kids.
Badshahi Boarding Lodge near the SP College and Poona Guest House on Laxmi Road are the old stalwarts who have braved many a storms and even today continue as land marks in food and hospitality industry. In Fifties of the last century, there used to be queues of hungry customers, during meal times, in front of these eateries. Services were available both on monthly and daily payment terms. There used to be special menus on weekend days, when the customers used to literally hog the unlimited food, offered at normal low rates. I remember to have accompanied my friends at such treats, then coming out with discomforting overdose of lunch or dinner and proceeding to a cold drink bar to have an antidote of a fuzzy drink.
The Poona Coffee House on Deccan Gymkhana JM Road and Café Good Luck on FC Road were two restaurants, where today’s top politicians and ever green (but unfortunately old) matinee idols of yester years’ Hindi screen used to spend their endless idle hours. Both have lost their shine and luster, yet make me nostalgic, whenever I enter their worn out doors.
Shetty’s ‘Vaishali’ and ‘Roopali’(RV) were later trend setters and a whole generation of Pune foodies grew old under their roofs and trees on the backyard. Many overweight husbands, put on strict regime of low calories’ diet by their loving wives, survived the ordeal and cam out unscathed only because of their implicit faith in RV. I am sure those affected husbands have not leaked out the secret, in their ‘weaker mowas indeed ments’ and now promptly have passed them on to their sons, ‘the presently affected generation’.
Without a reference to the ‘Bhel’ hand carts in Sambhaji Garden and out side Bind Garden, this food chapter will remain incomplete. ‘Pushkarni Bhel’ near Vishram Baug Wada was indeed five star amongst its ilk. My mental taste buds water even today when I remember that spicy, sweet ‘n sour and heavenly Pushkarni concoction today.
Now just the last word! One Nagpurkar, who started a saree shop in Sadashiva peth, closed it down and started a non-vegetarian shop in the die hard area of Puneri Brahmins. He was the pioneer and now the area is teeming with chicken and mutton biryani shops. The whole new generation prowl and raid these eateries but the follow the mantra of ‘wait until dark’! I call it as a cultural pushover through gastronomic revolution!
Sharad Pitre.
11 Oct 2009
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ReplyDeleteAtleast the fondness for eating out still remains in Pune's culture! This is evident from the fact that one rarely sees a restaurant closing down, infact one can see one sprouting every other day.
ReplyDeletethe ones that the Times review of the eating joints misses out are the ones which give out the bhel puri snacks with atleast 25% names as Ganesh Bhel centre etc.