So Chapel road via Veronica road connects the Gen Arunkumar Vaidya road (Lilavati hospital) to Hill road in Bandra. This happens to also contain several worthy establishments like J.Bob tailors (Waroda road), a cold cuts place, a place where you can get your car done up for weddings and receptions, and last but most importantly the legendary malbari restaurant which called itself Dukes.
Dukes had 9 tables each could seat 4 people in a tight fit, 2 people comfortably, and was run by malbaris, malyali muslims who served malbari parottas with all kinds of beef fry, chicken fry, mix veg gravy with half rice plates. This esteemed establishment is where Oscar and I would go for lunch every afternoon, often ending our meal with a one by two masala thums up to aid the digestion.
The strange and esoteric ecosystem that exists in the inner lanes and streets of Bandra are charming, bustling and great fun. The characters you will meet there even more. on the way back from dukes towards Mt Carmel church, there was an old bihari gentleman who would have a matka on the doorstep of a house with a danda which he manipulated with two ropes to mix the sweet lassi he would sell you for 5 bucks. A dessert worth the meal consumed at Dukes for sure!
The owner at Dukes was a mustachioed mallu gent who had nothing but smiles for his regulars and nothing but rebukes and curses for his two waiters with the sounds of a "kapda maar chaar number pe" and a "paani de teen number ko" and usually a "half rice de rassa maarke lambu saab ko" making their way towards all his patrons. At the end the waiter would bring a scribbled piece of paper with your itemized bill and a very modest sum at the bottom which would invariably leave a few coins for his tip so the customers never needed to bother to make change for that purpose.
Dukes had a freezer with ice creams and larger cold drink bottles, but it was seldom put into service by the wait staff as the working men who frequented this decidedly working mans establishment for lunch or chai never indulged themselves, being frugal to a fault.
I miss Dukes since moving away from Bandra more than a decade ago. I miss not just the parottas and half rice plates, but also the conversation with the guys there, their smiles and optimism, the walk to and from chapel road with the sights of expensive vehicles getting adorned with flowers and ribbons for the wedding, or crosses and wreaths for the funeral service. The old lassi wallah churning away with the everpresent beedi on his lips, the vegetable vendor on his haath gaadi serenading the residents with promises of fresh aloo, tamatar, bhindi, kobi.
The world has moved onto swiggy instamart home deliveries of groceries and essentials with food delivered in 20 minutes from the nearest joint, but the joy of going in person to a Dukes and picking up some kelas from the street vendor on your return remain simple pleasures that are priceless!
