Koolar than cool

"One who cares for his money, shops and eats at Koolar and Co." -- that's the cool jingle welcoming you to the best Irani place in central Mumbai. Find amazing omelettes (there's no hangover that the massive Wrestler's omelette can't cure), and kheema pav, and wash it down with the cult Irani chai

Koolar and Co. has been standing at the circular garden that defines King's Circle, for over 77 years, delighting loyalists and newbies with its British charm and Irani fare. The nook is unpretentious.

Not much has changed in the food and d ufffdcor (thankfully), since the British left India. The chairs are still heavy, wooden and old-world, the tables are rectangular, the framed ads mounted high up on the walls remind you of a bygone era, yet the caf ufffd is a modern chameleon. Remember the Coke ad featuring Gautam Gambhir? Or how about crucial scenes in the films Vaastav and Bardasht?


Owner Amir Irani suggests you don't trying finishing the Wrestler's
Omelette on your own, unless you are a body builder. PICS/ Sanjiv Valsan

"Sonia Gandhi gave an address on the pavement here, the last time she was in Mumbai," says jolly proprietor Amir Irani, who has a reputation for being a trend-setter.

When the authorities wouldn't let him bury his beloved five month-old Rottweiler outside the building (in which he also lives), he took the matter to Parliament, and made adopting a tree legal in India. "Cokino is buried right under this tree, collar and all," he says, pointing to one we passed near the entrance, bearing the words, "To my beloved Rottweiler Cokino," in golden letters on a black tablet.u00a0

Nothing beats sitting here for hours -- they are open from 6 am to midnight -- with a cup of the fabled black Irani-Persian chai and good conversation. The five eggs-in-one Wrestler's Omelette is guaranteed to be the mother of all Saturday night hangovers, which explains why folks drive down from various parts of the city for a Sunday morning breakfast. The macho dish is a hit with fitness experts. "Kaizad Kapadia often orders one. He finishes it all by himself," says Irani about the bodybuilder. Don't order one if you are all by yourself, though. Irani swears it takes three to finish this Tabasco-laden tango.

The romance with eggs continues with gorgeous Honey Egg (another hangover cure) and the elegantly fried Cheese Chicken Omelette.

The "Mocha for grandparents" also sells hookahs, minus the overpriced dessert and red cushioned sofas, to its loyal (and greying) customers.u00a0

At: Noor Mahal, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road, Adenwala Road, King's Circle.
Call: 24125062 / 24109873