Ruling with his jhinga fry, seekh kebab

Vishwa Shivanand. Goregaon

For some reason, restaurants and hotels never had any place in my culinary pursuit. I often find the ambiance too prim to let my hair down and enjoy. It's not that I've never been to a restaurant or a cafe, but my heart is with those innocuous-looking roadside joints that dish out the most delectable dishes that most restaurants would give their right hand to serve.

One such joint is Sardar's Gadi in Jawaharlal Nagar, Goregaon. I am not sure if that's the name of the place or is just something people call it. The place is a 10x10 garage space that is shut for most part of the day. It's only at 6 pm that two sardarjis pull out the pushcart and start their daily ritual of dishing out sumptuous non-vegetarian preparations. They have a couple of helpers to clean utensils and serve food. That's it. Most of you might make a long face and doubt the hygiene of this place, but you have to eat here to believe it. The food is cooked on order — this can take some time as there is a long queue you have to negotiate — and the plates and utensils are properly cleaned, not just dipped in water.

The food is amazing. You can have tandoori chicken and fish, seekh kabab, bheja fry and masala, liver and jhinga preparations. The crowing glory of this place is the paya soup. A bowl of paya soup with pav is divine. It's not that this place serves something unique but these sardars know their trade well and you will vouch for it once you've eaten here. The rates are at rock bottom, the quantity is filling and the taste makes you feel content. Why then, should I visit a restaurant and wonder if they have really put as much thought into what goes on in the kitchen, as they have in perfecting the ambiance?