Around Town: Parvez Patel of Fort’s Ideal Corner recalls meeting Ratan Tata: ‘I said to him ‘Jamva Aavo Ji’

“He had travel for the relation and we were handling the catering. When I saw him, I greeted him with ‘Sahebji,’ arsenic we Parsis do. He responded, and I followed up with ‘Jamva Aavo Ji’ (a communal Parsi/Gujarati invitation to eat). He smiled.” Did helium compliment the food? “He didn’t complain,” replied Patel and laughed.

Though the net has dubbed him Ratan Tata’s favourite chef, Patel clarified that portion helium has met the industrialist connected a fewer societal occasions and was ever struck by his humility, they are acold from being buddies oregon having immoderate benignant of idiosyncratic relationship.

Parvez Patel was drawn to the edifice manufacture aft seeing his friends pb glamorous lives successful it. Inspired, helium took a two-month people astatine The Oberoi edifice successful aboriginal 1980s. (Express Photo)

“Though helium ne'er visited the edifice himself, Ratan Tata regularly sent his operator to prime up dishes similar khatta-meetha masoor dal oregon berry pulao, on with lagan-nu custard. The operator would travel erstwhile successful astir each 3 months to get it packed for him, and this went connected for a coagulated 10 years,” Patel shared.

Ideal Corner’s fashionable khatta-meetha masoor dal (uses a peculiar sugarcane vinegar that’s sourced from Navsari, Gujarat. “When we Zoroastrians fled Persia and came to Gujarat, our cuisine evolved, and this dal is simply a reflection of that,” helium explained, adding that spices similar turmeric and cumin weren’t primitively portion of their cuisine but were adopted implicit time.

Returning to Tata, Patel mentioned that helium stopped ordering astir a decennary ago. “Our nutrient is simply a spot spicy, arsenic Parsi nutrient should be, and possibly helium couldn’t proceed with that diet,” helium added.

Inside Ideal Corner, a 39-year-old constitution successful Fort

Patel, who celebrated his 70th day earlier this week, is simply a well-built antheral with a passionateness for some nutrient and motorcycles. At his 550-sqft Ideal Corner, including the mezzanine floor, he’s parked his Yezdi motorcycle betwixt the tables — a motorcycle that’s ridden immoderate of the highest motorable roads successful India, starting with Khardung La Pass (at an elevation of 17,582 ft) successful Leh successful 2002. “At the time, it was considered the highest motorable road. Then, with GPS, we realised Marsimik La (18,314 ft) was higher, truthful we went there. Recently, Umling La (19,024 ft) took the title, truthful 2 friends and I rode determination past October,” helium told The Indian Express.

When it comes to his introduction successful the edifice industry, Patel shared that it happened aft helium saw a fewer friends successful the manufacture surviving a glamorous life. Inspired by them, helium pursued a two-month people astatine The Oberoi hotel, pursuing which helium was hired by them.

Parvez Patel, who celebrated his 70th day earlier this week, is simply a well-built antheral with a passionateness for some nutrient and motorcycles. (Express Photo)

The travel of the edifice astatine Hornby View, an Art Deco gathering successful Fort, began arsenic Ideal Motors—a store for Yezdi motorcycles. In 1985, the store closed aft the institution stopped accumulation of Yezdi motorcycles, and proprietor Boman Irani’s wife, Mrs Gulcher B. Irani decided to alteration the abstraction into a snack bar.

“She would marque 1 crockery a day—like Prawn Curry oregon Dhansak—and service it with rice. It did precise well,” shared Parvez Patel, a household person of the owners. “A twelvemonth oregon 2 later, she decided to crook it into a full-fledged edifice and asked maine to travel connected board.” Patel, who saw this arsenic a aureate accidental to beryllium his ain boss, has been managing Ideal Corner ever since. He is present 1 of its 3 partners, on with Mr and Mrs Irani.

“We started arsenic an authentic Parsi restaurant. The recipes came from my mother, aunts and grandmother,” helium shared, adding that the concern was thriving, truthful overmuch truthful that they decided to grow the paper and adhd Chinese cuisine sometime successful aboriginal 1990s, snacks similar burgers and pizza came a twelvemonth later. “This was earlier the stock market successful India transitioned to online trading, truthful everyone would flock to this portion of town. We were flying,” helium reminisced.

Inside 550-sq ft Ideal Corner, including the mezzanine floor, Parvez Patel has parked his Yezdi motorcycle betwixt the tables, which has been to immoderate of the highest motorable roads successful India, starting with Khardung L (1)(Express photograph by Ganesh Shirsekar)

In stark opposition to those days, the world contiguous is rather different—when we visited the edifice connected Friday evening, not a azygous lawsuit walked done the doors betwixt 5 p.m. and 6 pm. Several factors person contributed to this decline. While footfall decreased aft the displacement to online trading, the biggest stroke came erstwhile offices started relocating to caller complexes crossed the metropolis and suburbs.

“Demonetisation, Covid-19, and the operation of Mumbai Metro Line 3 were the last nails successful the coffin,” helium explained. The Metro operation has barricaded the introduction from Dadabhai Naoroji Road. “Of the regulars we had, lone 10 percent inactive come. We brought down our paper to 50 per cent, offering lone Parsi cuisine and sandwiches. However, we bash spot a caller crowd, particularly assemblage students who presumption america arsenic a pocket-friendly hangout,” helium added, expressing anticipation that concern volition revive erstwhile the Aqua Line operation is completed. “We anticipation to reintroduce Chinese, on with pizza and burgers, erstwhile the Metro is up and running.”

What’s adjacent for Ideal Corner? “I don’t know. Our children aren’t interested; they spot it arsenic gadha majduri (hard labour) and would alternatively enactment comfortably successful their air-conditioned offices,” helium laughed.

He added that they precocious hired idiosyncratic to grip their societal media, though they person yet to spot immoderate important impact. “We’re conscionable taking things arsenic they come,” helium concluded.

Where: Hornby View Building, adjacent Fort occurrence brigade, Ballard Estate, Fort, Mumbai
When: 9 americium – 6 pm, Tuesday to Sunday

Meal for two: Rs 700