Koki and Aloo Tikki

“My children don’t understand the fuss about the food here, but then food is always flavoured with memories. My father’s family moved to Mumbai following Partition, and after marrying, my mother settled down in Mahim. Because he missed the food he ate growing up in Karachi, he frequented places like Kailash Parbat, Tharu’s in Khar, restaurants in Sion, and Jhama Sweets in Chembur, as they reminded him of ‘his’ places in Pakistan. Having left their homes and all that was familiar in Sindh and coming to India as refugees, most Sindhis bonded over family, which helped them cope with being displaced. Not only did they have to leave their established lives and jobs overnight, but also their sense of belonging, so each one of them looked for a familiar taste that reminded them of the home that they had lost,” she says.

At Canossa Convent in Mahim where Cardoz studied, picnics were mostly to Aarey Milk Colony where they enjoyed cold masala milk with friends. Her happy memory of these picnics were the evening before when she would go with her father in his ambassador car to Blue Circle on Hill Road, the small shop beside New Talkies, to pick up freshly made potato chips that melted in the mouth, and mawa cupcakes from a bakery in Mahim across from the railway station.

Vada Pav at Ashok, Dadar

Studying at Dadar Catering College in the 1980s and staying in the hostel with limited means meant heading to Sujata in Dadar for dosas and misal pav and vada pav at a stall near Shivaji Park when they were really broke and hungry. “It just hit the spot and tided us over until dinner was served at the hostel. Over the years, I have replaced this with Ashok vada pav and I have other fond memories of the place. Those were the best years of my student life… not only did I learn about food, but I also gained a lot of independence navigating my life away from my family at 17,” she says.

Falooda

“There was an ice cream place at Linking Road that used to be our treat spot on the weekends after a drive to Juhu Beach. Now that it is gone, I make a trip to Naturals to get a fix of tender coconut and custard apple flavours,” she reveals.

Savouries at Candies, Bandra

Cafe Andora in Bandra introduced her to meat puffs, pan rolls and chicken mayo rolls, while Candies is a go-to for breakfast treats. Her trips to Mumbai comes with packed itineraries that include visits to Jhama’s gulab jamuns, Jai Hind’s seafood, Kobe’s sizzlers, and Copper Chimney’s tandoori delights, K Rustom’s ice cream, Britannia’s berry pulao and caramel custard, with visits to Elco and Soam completing her culinary nostalgia.

Read full story: Flavours of belonging: Chef-entrepreneur Barkha Cardoz reveals her favourite Mumbai eateries