TheFreeBird
In the world of skyscrapers, what do you call a single-floored shop occupying the costliest real estate worth crores selling tea & bread ?? This is one of the few places in Mumbai where the tasty tradition of Irani Cafes is still alive. Welcome to Yazdani bakery. It was 3 pm in office (I used to work near CST station )on a cold monsoon day and office AC seemed to be in summer mode. A hot cup of tea felt very welcoming. Idea of visiting an Irani Cafe was gaining momentum. The first on the top of the list was Yazdani Bakery.
Yazdani Bakery – the nearest Irani Cafe from CST is enroute Gateway of India (location). Walking 10 minutes from CST I reached Flora Fountain at Hutatma Chowk (martyr’s square) and with few more turn I was standing in front of the half century old Yazdani Bakery. The road leading to the bakery has lot of glossy posh shops & swanky cars parked in front of them. But as soon as you reach here you are transported back a century.
Right side of the Yazdani Bakery sells hot bread while left side has a simple entrance. The old world charm and simplicity exudes through every nook and corner of this landmark. The aroma of freshly baked bread is rife in air and sets you in mouth watering mode.
The menu here is simple and has lasted for decades: Brun Maska ( Crispy Bread with ample butter) , Twisted Khari, assortment of pies & cakes, Ginger biscuits, multi-grain breads , puffs,…… Also there are seasonal delights like rum-soaked plum cakes which sell fast and furious during Christmas.
Bro Tip: Order anything that is fresh out of oven.
From 1953 these wooden chairs have seen foodies thronging to this place. The worned out wall colours are nothing like the lively hot cakes and pies served here. The walls are showcase many letters of achievements, certificates of being a modern urban legend.
Just like the cakes with various nuts, the walls possess a nutty flavour with the postcards that read : “No talking to the cashier, no sitting for long, no combing your hair, no touching the cat, no talking loudly “. Some sarcastic comments which took charm in being simple read: “Free Sauna. Sorry no Wifi “. Walls are also pasted with old pics of cakes described in French or German. The place has a soul – a simple & sarcastic one and a scrumptious attitude which has helped it survive through the last 70 years.
As you enter, the aroma of a freshly baked cake sets the mood. A simple chai and bun maska got the ball rolling for me. I rushed though the bun-maska and was lucky to have got freshly prepared apple pie. The extremely hot pie was worth going to hell as it transports your taste buds to heaven. Got my word play there ?!
My friend seemed to have gone to that heaven as you can tell by the shaky photo.
A quick snack for two can cost round about 200 bucks and makes up for a jolly good time. One thing I’ve noticed was as soon as i finished any of my plate it was cleared in a split second . This was in afternoon when there was no crowd , I can only imagine how hastily it would work during peak hours of morning
Bro Tip: Best time to visit any Irani Cafe is early morning during rush hour.
The mawa cakes are freshly baked and all bakery items are served hot in the rush hour. By 9-10 am all the items are mostly off the shelf and you have to be content with the small number of items being prepared through the day. I was lucky to get hold of a fresh batch of apple pie at 3 pm.
A quick stop for 30 minutes will be etched in my memories for long. You walk out from here with a full tummy and resemble nothing like the old pics of Arnold Schwarzenegger that are plastered across the walls. Mumbai is abode to many of the depleting count of Irani Bakeries like Yazdani, Kayani, Merwan , Britannia, etc.
The sky high real estate costs means a slow end to these one floor wonders. I would suggest you to enjoy these tasty piece of history till they last. After i finished snacks at Yazadani i have decided to visit the other cafes as well. Lets see how that goes. For the time being office was calling.
Bye !
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I’ve written blogs covering numerous Sahyadri treks, all accessible in the section below. Additionally, I create ambient Sahyadri videos on YouTube, featuring solely natural sounds such as birdsong, wind rustling through the trees, and the soothing patter of rain—the elements of nature that I hold dear.
SAHYADRI TREKS NEAR
