5 am Pait Puja

B MerwanAt Grant Road East, right outside the stationVery pocket-friendly, menu starts from Rs 6 (tea) to Rs 26 (egg preparations)Ready to serve at 5.30 amBest options: Mawa cake bun maska and jam puffsTry freshly baked mawa cakes with tea. Pic: Ashwini SawantYou can walk into this Irani bakery as soon as you step out of Grant Road station in the east. At 5.30 am, you can eat here bun maska, khari biscuit, mawa cake, samosa, vegetable pattice, brun maska, and jam puff, even bread pudding. You can also order for omelettes, double fry, half fry or bhurji to go with your bun maska and chai. You don’t have forever to have a bite here though. B Merwan is drawing curtains on its 100-year-old legacy this March 31st.Trivia: Sarosh Irani, who runs the bakery along with his cousins, has starred in many films like Masoom, Aarti, Sautela Bhai and Grahasti in the ‘60s. His sisters Honey and Daisy Irani are known names in Bollywood, and so are his nephews and nieces, Farhan and Zoya Akhtar, and Farah and Sajid Khan.Haji Ali Juice CentreAt Mahalaxmi, near Haji Ali DargahPocket friendly Rs 50 (jam roll) to Rs 220 (fruits with fresh cream)Ready to serve at 5 amMust-try: Juices and milkshakesFaloodaHaji Ali Juice Centre is a landmark and the only place in the city where you can dig into ice creams and fresh fruit with cream at 5 am.  In fact all the items on the menu are available. The juice centre is a great place to celebrate birthdays differently — instead of cutting a cake at midnight, wake up early for a drive, and cut an ice cream cake here!SarviAt Byculla, opposite Nagpada Police StationPocket friendly, Rs 20 onwardsReady to serve at 5 amMust-try: Kebabs (round mince balls)Kebabs at SarviOnce the haunt of famous writer Saadat Hassan Manto and his friends, this Irani restaurant has been famously serving seekh kebabs for generations. Served with a fresh bunch of mint, you can enjoy their hot seekh with naan only post 10 am though. Another star is their breakfast   kebabs available 5 am onwards. Known as simply kebabs, these round mince balls are a hot-selling takeaway items at Rs 4 a piece, and in fact only available in the mornings. At 5 am, you can also order for kheema, omelette and half fry with lamba pav.  Hotel RamashrayIn Matunga East, on 24 Bhandarkar Road, outside Central Railway station near Matunga Kabutar KhanaVery pocket-friendly, From Rs 28 (bunns puri) to Rs 35 (sheera)Ready to serve at 5 am. Mondays closedMust-try: Bunns puriShira. Pic: Rajneesh LondheBite into steaming hot idlis, sheera, upma, sabudana wada and sweet kachori. But do try at least once their bunns puris made from banana and flour. By 7 am, more items (dosas) make to their breakfast list. On its way to town, (where most office-goers are headed), it’s a great option for breakfast on the way. Perhaps even a team breakfast.Iran Like RestaurantOn Palton Road, JJ School of Arts near CST and Crawford marketPocket friendlyReady to serve at 5 amMust-try: Kheema ghotala“Iran-Like” is a unique name to have and for good reason. While the restaurant has an Irani appeal, it’s owned by members of the Chiliya community. A popular haunt with the students of JJ School of Arts, while the menu offers almost everything — Chinese to Mughlai to vegetarian dishes, the early morning menu is limited, only sada omlette with tea and coffee at 5 am. But that’s enough to fill you up till 6 am, when the restaurant starts taking orders for  its popular dish — kheema ghotala (Rs 50).YaadgaarAt Bandra West, near the Bandra Bus DepotPocket friendly, Rs 40 (eggs) to Rs 110 (mutton kheema)Ready to serve at 5 amMust-try: KheemaOmelettes are the safest bet at most breakfast places. Pic for representation purpose only You can get something to eat at this small place outside Bandra station, as early as 4 am (only takeaways), but you can’t sit to eat here until 5 am. If you have an outstation train leaving from Bandra Terminus early morning, or have to catch a bus to Navi Mumbai, here’s where you can get a good fill of non-vegetarian fare. Options are omelette to bhurji with tea to mutton and chicken kheema. What took us by surprise though was that at 5 am this is perhaps the only place where you can get a plate of bheja fry.