You may blame politicians for all that is wrong with Mumbai. But you must give the devil its due. The fantastic infra boost currently being witnessed in the metropolis will majorly transform the way millions of citizens travel in the coming few years. The metro is already providing ease of commuting to millions in the western suburbs. The SEEPZColaba underground line will be another game-changer. At present the patronage is not satisfactory but that is because southwards the trains do not go beyond BKC at present. Once the full length is commissioned I am certain more people will opt for it. It’s a marvelous piece of engineering, which should make all Mumbaikars proud. The coastal road built by the BMC is another marvel, which has majorly reduced traffic congestion in several areas.

Food for thought

Flood bloggers have become a dime a dozen. Many of them have no clue about the restaurants they are promoting and do not give any real insights into the food they taste. In the process, they end up waxing eloquently about places that do not serve quality stuff anymore. B Merwan, opposite Grant Road Railway Station on the east side, is a case in point. Once upon a time, it was justly famous for its mawa cakes. They were so popular that within a few hours of being taken out of the oven, they would be lapped up by eager customers. But not anymore.

I went there recently and ordered a mawa cake late afternoon. It was actually way below average. Even the bun maska was just about OK. Also, the management has introduced self-service, which robs the charm of sitting on the black wooden chairs in Irani restaurants, munching snacks and watching the traffic pass by. The other joint that I visited recently was Khichdi Samrat at CP Tank Circle. Earlier it was known for its legendary hot khichdis, which banias from nearby markets would devour with delight. But now it is a pale shadow of its earlier avatar. I ordered a tadkawali dal khichdi and truth to tell, I had eaten much better khichdis in Udupi outlets. On the same street, there is Hiralal Bhajiawala, which was known for Gujju farsans like different varieties of bhajias, sev kamni, dhokla, khandvi, etc. I ordered moong bhajia. It was cold as an iceberg and the taste was perfectly indifferent. No patch on the moong bhajias, for example, served at Gurukripa, Sion or D Damodar at Dadar.

Tailpiece

A man asked on social media: “What do you call a dog that wears gold jewellery?” The reply given was: “Puppy Lahiri!”

(Compiled by S Balakrishnan)