With more and more people travelling far and wide and opening up their palates, regional cuisines are the latest ‘hot cakes’! And nowhere is this phenomenon more evident than in Mumbai, where people are lapping up regional meals, be it at plush hotels, restaurants, street joints or even people’s homes. Oh yes, people’s homes — for that exclusive food-cum-ambience experience. The newest entrant in this block of authentic food-exclusive ambience, is the Cutchi Memon Table.
The Cutchi Memon Table is Faiziya Soomar’s baby. Her third baby. An entrepreneurial one at that. The first two, biological ones, are grown-up birds now and on the verge of flying off the nest. Which is why Arshad Soomar, Faiziya’s husband, egged her to dream the entrepreneur’s dream, doing what she does best – cook! Faiziya, mind you, had already taken baby steps over the past couple of years, what with packing delectable spreads whenever her friends or neighbours requested. Confident of her success, Arshad convinced Faiziya to reach out to foodies outside her circle….And thus was born the Cutchi Memon Table. To bring to food-loving Mumbaikars the authentic taste, flavours, meals and mithai of the famed Cutchi Memon community in the Gulf of Cutch to which the Soomar trace their family tree…
Located in the upmarket Perry Cross Road in Bandra West, what strikes you foremost when you enter the Soomar living room is the Table — A round table, expensive china, stylishly tied napkins, fresh flowers in both corners and the menu. Instinctively you reach out to read it. And your lips give way to a broad smile. Our’s did. Worse. We grinned. Shamelessly. For, our menu read – Rooh Afza with soda and lime juice and mint garnish, Mutton Harissa served with a topping of lime, mint and birasta, Mutton Samosa served with spicy green chutney, Shami Kebabs, Whole Chicken served with Mutton Kheema and boiled eggs and served with Pav/Garlic Bread, Mutton Biryani with Dahi Kachumbar, Sheer Korma and Khubani Ka Meetha. Now tell us, why wouldn’t we grin?
I, who hated Rooh Afza all her life, sipped through the one Faiziya got for us, all through the afternoon. Was it the ambience or was it the right garnishes? Perhaps both. Refreshing, it also helped kick up an appetite. And soon, we were all set to hit the Cutchi Memon Table. Remember I told you that the crockery looked expensive? Well, there was more to it. They were neatly place one on top of the other – first the soup bowl, next the snacks plate and next the main plate. Only now, while seated and waiting for the first course, did we realise that the crockery would follow the course of the meal. Faiziya brought in the Mutton Harissa, a soup made with daliya and mutton kheema, extremely tasty and what is supposed to be very filling during the Ramadan fasts. We could do with it any rainy day in Mumbai…
And then Faiziya brought a plate full of what she shouldn’t have brought. Mutton Kheema Samosas. We lost our character to them, shamelessly piling our plates with 2-3 at a time. One of the juiciest samosas we have ever had, I am craving for them right now as I write about them. Next came the Shami Kebabs – juicy, filled with flavours and so perfect with the green chutney. So what if we were in love with the Samosas? We didn’t do the Shami Kebabs any injustice. We devoured 2-3 of them too, and then reached for that final Samosa! Tch tch…our shamelessness…
By the time Faiziya brought in the next dish, the Whole Chicken, we were worried. For her. Just when did she wake up to make all these? She smiled, saying that preparations had started a day in advance. We had in front of us a full chicken that had been stuffed with Mutton Kheema and boiled eggs and served with Pav/Garlic Bread. Not grill or baked, mind you, but cooked in the gas stove. Smiling at our amused looks, Faiziya helped cut the chicken and serve the tender pieces, explaining all the while how she made it. We believed her. No way you couldn’t. This was a work of art. An art learned and perfected at her parental home in Bangalore. Tasty and very tasty, we reprimanded ourselves when we wanted another helping! For, Mutton Biryani was on its way and we need to save space for it. Faiziya explained that the Biryani, with succulent pieces of Mutton and flavor-filled potatoes, was the recipe handed down to her by her in-laws. We could only gape with wonder at the ‘foodie’ history of the family and be happy that this beautiful and talented woman has decided to allow outsiders to be a part of the journey…
And now, time for the Sheer Korma and Khubani Ka Meetha. Symbolic of the continuing Eid celebrations, the Kheer Shorba was simply perfect to end the meal with. We scraped out the last bits from the little glass, and then, collectively fell for the Khubani Ka Meetha — so so exquisite and so so yumm, it was the best we ever had! We rounded up the extravaganza with Meetha Paan. We left for home with happy stomachs, happy hearts and an exquisite desserts jar that Faiziya made with her mom’s secret recipe…
Not unnecessarily oily or spicy, the Cutchi Memon Table lived up to its name. It surely can’t get any more authentic and beautiful than this. Strongly recommend you to go for an elaborate meal here, get your family and friends along, and discover the beauty and taste of the Cutchi Memon food. No way you won’t fall for it and turn shameless like how we did!
Speak with Arshad or Faiziya at 9820398922 to fix a lunch date. Find the Cutchi Memon Table on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Spread the flavour.
Wow! Congratulations. Can’t wait to try.