One Saturday morning I kicked my day in search for Jhunka Bhakar. I had my masi and her family visiting me for a weekend and they wanted to have the much heard of Jhunka Bhakar. It was 8 in the morning and was up early for a Saturday.
I knew there are Jhunka Bhakar Kendras all across Mumbai city and knew about one of them in my neighbourhood. So I picked up my helmet, took the keys of my two-wheeler and went to out buy some Jhunka Bhakar, with just few question in my mind. Do they open this early? What time would they be serving Jhunka Bhakar? Will Jhunka Bhakar will be in their breakfast menu. I accelerated my way to the place that I had seen many times when passing by. I read the name on fasad as “Jhunka Bhakar Kendra”. Wow! I said I am in luck, Its open atleast. I park my ride and walk inside.
Couldn’t see anyone inside, only the metal tables and the typical plastic chairs packed end to end between two walls. “What a place!” I tell myself. Then from behind a counter emerges a man still busy working on the batter for vada. I did not waste time and quickly get on to work. “I would want 6 portions, take away” I said to him in Hindi. He asks “Do you want to eat it here?” I know I had told him that I would want to take them away and have it but he wanted to confirm I guess. So I said yes with a nod. Before he could again ask me with something I have already told him I reached for my Wallet and asked him how much will that cost?
After waiting for few seconds and not getting an answer I looked out of my Wallet to see his clue less face. “What do you want to buy? He asked. I realized my mistake that I haven’t told him what I wanted to buy. I hastily replied that I want 6 portions of Jhunka Bhakar and I would like to take a “parcel” of it. (The local term for take away) “How much will it cost?” I asked and started digging my Wallet and waiting for a number as an answer.
“No” he said. I was taken aback for the second time. What kind of an answer was that suppose to be? Was he yet to prepare it? Was that available only at lunch time and not for breakfast? Will he not sell it to me? WHAT NO?
Keeping the same momentum on my thoughts I asked him “What NO?” and got the most expected answer that I could possibly think of.
“We don’t sell Jhunka Bhakar” he replied.
I was taken aback for the third time and surely not the final time for the morning. I had so many questions in my mind that I wanted to ask him. But it took me time to come out of it and when I was fully conscious again I saw myself on my ride with the helmet and searching for another “Jhunka Bhakar Kendra”
After a thought I pulled over and took out my BlackBerry to search for Jhunka Bhakar on Google Maps. Wished it had an advance search option that “A Jhunka Bhakar Kendra that actually sells Jhunka Bhakar”. Sadly there were none even with the term “jhunka bhakar”. I know I was a bit over ambitious when I wished to find a jhunka bhakar Kendra on the internet, but I just expected the jhunka bhakar lovers to be that advanced. I had no time to curse them, continued the search, manually and physically.
Finally I saw another similar looking structure in an adjacent neighbourhood. This too was called “Jhunka Bhakar Kendra” this one was written in Hindi or Marathi perhaps as they both have the same script. I stopped, got off, went in and ordered my take away. I was just trying to be optimistic that this Jhunka Bhakar Kendra surely sells Jhunka Bhakar. Sadly it did not.
I left from there in confusion. Was I more disappointed compared to the first time or less? Keeping aside me being optimistic was I actually expecting it? Expecting it or not I was surely not ready for it. I continued the search. Ya, manually and physically.
Finally after going in circles and asking the few people that I could find on a Saturday morning I saw another place. You can say I was far enough from my place to take back the food warm. Even if I did find it I will have to reheat it after I reach home.
This time I did not bother to get off my ride. I stopped at the road side and asked if they sell Jhunka Bhakar. The old man answered me with a calm voice “NO”. I parked my ride, got down from it and went to the old man. No I did not want to hit him, although doing that would make me feel better. I went to him and asked him “why do all the Jhunka Bhakar Kendras not sell jhunka bhakar?”
To set me aback for the final two times for the morning he said, no, he actually asked “Who eats jhunka bhakar?” I was yet to be taken aback for one more time so I waited and asked him another stupid question. Stupid according to him I am sure.
I asked “Then why do you call this restaurant as Jhunka Bhakar Kendra?”
To that he replied “Jhunka Bhakar Kendras are only a way to get restaurant licence from the BMC”. BMC is the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Council. What it’s called Brihan Mumbai is a different story altogether so won’t explain that here. But I had found my answer to what you don’t get jhunka bhakar in Jhunka Bhakar Kendras. Without asking or tell him anything I got on my ride and drove back home. On the way back I picked up some good old Jelebi and Fafda. Trust me those Jalebi could not taste sweeter.
But I kept thinking, aren’t there any Jhunka Bhakar Kendra left that actually sells Jhunka Bhakar? Or is this attempt of popularizing the local food called jhunka bhakar by the Government only being used to acquire restaurant licences? If you know any of it makes sure to leave the address in the comments with their GPS coordinates if you can. So that I don’t have to search it next time, ya ya manually and physically.
I knew there are Jhunka Bhakar Kendras all across Mumbai city and knew about one of them in my neighbourhood. So I picked up my helmet, took the keys of my two-wheeler and went to out buy some Jhunka Bhakar, with just few question in my mind. Do they open this early? What time would they be serving Jhunka Bhakar? Will Jhunka Bhakar will be in their breakfast menu. I accelerated my way to the place that I had seen many times when passing by. I read the name on fasad as “Jhunka Bhakar Kendra”. Wow! I said I am in luck, Its open atleast. I park my ride and walk inside.
Couldn’t see anyone inside, only the metal tables and the typical plastic chairs packed end to end between two walls. “What a place!” I tell myself. Then from behind a counter emerges a man still busy working on the batter for vada. I did not waste time and quickly get on to work. “I would want 6 portions, take away” I said to him in Hindi. He asks “Do you want to eat it here?” I know I had told him that I would want to take them away and have it but he wanted to confirm I guess. So I said yes with a nod. Before he could again ask me with something I have already told him I reached for my Wallet and asked him how much will that cost?
After waiting for few seconds and not getting an answer I looked out of my Wallet to see his clue less face. “What do you want to buy? He asked. I realized my mistake that I haven’t told him what I wanted to buy. I hastily replied that I want 6 portions of Jhunka Bhakar and I would like to take a “parcel” of it. (The local term for take away) “How much will it cost?” I asked and started digging my Wallet and waiting for a number as an answer.
“No” he said. I was taken aback for the second time. What kind of an answer was that suppose to be? Was he yet to prepare it? Was that available only at lunch time and not for breakfast? Will he not sell it to me? WHAT NO?
Keeping the same momentum on my thoughts I asked him “What NO?” and got the most expected answer that I could possibly think of.
“We don’t sell Jhunka Bhakar” he replied.
I was taken aback for the third time and surely not the final time for the morning. I had so many questions in my mind that I wanted to ask him. But it took me time to come out of it and when I was fully conscious again I saw myself on my ride with the helmet and searching for another “Jhunka Bhakar Kendra”
After a thought I pulled over and took out my BlackBerry to search for Jhunka Bhakar on Google Maps. Wished it had an advance search option that “A Jhunka Bhakar Kendra that actually sells Jhunka Bhakar”. Sadly there were none even with the term “jhunka bhakar”. I know I was a bit over ambitious when I wished to find a jhunka bhakar Kendra on the internet, but I just expected the jhunka bhakar lovers to be that advanced. I had no time to curse them, continued the search, manually and physically.
Finally I saw another similar looking structure in an adjacent neighbourhood. This too was called “Jhunka Bhakar Kendra” this one was written in Hindi or Marathi perhaps as they both have the same script. I stopped, got off, went in and ordered my take away. I was just trying to be optimistic that this Jhunka Bhakar Kendra surely sells Jhunka Bhakar. Sadly it did not.
I left from there in confusion. Was I more disappointed compared to the first time or less? Keeping aside me being optimistic was I actually expecting it? Expecting it or not I was surely not ready for it. I continued the search. Ya, manually and physically.
Finally after going in circles and asking the few people that I could find on a Saturday morning I saw another place. You can say I was far enough from my place to take back the food warm. Even if I did find it I will have to reheat it after I reach home.
This time I did not bother to get off my ride. I stopped at the road side and asked if they sell Jhunka Bhakar. The old man answered me with a calm voice “NO”. I parked my ride, got down from it and went to the old man. No I did not want to hit him, although doing that would make me feel better. I went to him and asked him “why do all the Jhunka Bhakar Kendras not sell jhunka bhakar?”
To set me aback for the final two times for the morning he said, no, he actually asked “Who eats jhunka bhakar?” I was yet to be taken aback for one more time so I waited and asked him another stupid question. Stupid according to him I am sure.
I asked “Then why do you call this restaurant as Jhunka Bhakar Kendra?”
To that he replied “Jhunka Bhakar Kendras are only a way to get restaurant licence from the BMC”. BMC is the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Council. What it’s called Brihan Mumbai is a different story altogether so won’t explain that here. But I had found my answer to what you don’t get jhunka bhakar in Jhunka Bhakar Kendras. Without asking or tell him anything I got on my ride and drove back home. On the way back I picked up some good old Jelebi and Fafda. Trust me those Jalebi could not taste sweeter.
But I kept thinking, aren’t there any Jhunka Bhakar Kendra left that actually sells Jhunka Bhakar? Or is this attempt of popularizing the local food called jhunka bhakar by the Government only being used to acquire restaurant licences? If you know any of it makes sure to leave the address in the comments with their GPS coordinates if you can. So that I don’t have to search it next time, ya ya manually and physically.
Nice funny read...
ReplyDeleteWill be waiting to read more "Saturday morning" experiences...
This is surprising.. rather shocking. Does BMC not bother to check what is being sold at these centres? On what basis do they renew the licences? The so called native delicasies Jhunka Bhakar long back replced by Triple schezwan and American Chopsuey.
ReplyDelete