The Professionals' Choice

Fresh from cooking for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Walthamstow Town Hall yesterday at the start of their Diamond Jubilee Tour, this week Chef Patron Cyrus Todiwala OBE DL of Cafe Spice Namaste takes us back to his childhood in India...

About Cyrus

Cyrus Todiwala OBE DL is Chef Patron of Cafe Spice Namaste which he runs with his wife Pervin. In October 2011, he opened Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen, the signature restaurant at the brand new Hilton London Heathrow Terminal 5. Whilst in India, Cyrus was the Corporate Executive Chef of the Taj Group’s Taj Holiday Village, The Fort Aguada Beach Resort & The Aguada Hermitage in Goa. He moved to London in 1991.

A child’s memories still alive...

Good Luck Cafe / Restaurant, Hill Road, Bandra, Bombay 400 050, IndiaOne cannot lose memories so easily, in particular, when it comes to food and especially food that is comforting, satisfying, tasty, cheap enough, but above all that which makes you happy.Many, many years ago, and somewhere in the late 1960's, as a school boy I had to wait bang outside Good Luck for my bus and, of course I would get off there daily as it was the last stop, and drool over the ever fabulous aromas of Kheema cooking.Rarely could we afford the food then, and one had to save several weeks of 5p (5paisa), comparable in value today with our 5p, to buy one portion of Kheema Gutli. Gutli is a hard crusty roll like a Pain Rustique, which is slit in the middle and filled with hot mutton mince.If you managed to save more money you spoilt yourself and bought a Kheema Ghotala, which is mince scrambled with egg and served with a soft roll...amazing and zingy.

Today every time we go back home to Bombay a few pilgrimages to Good Luck is mandatory. Pigging out is common, as I am flanked by my nephew and son who of course sport the kind of appetite I used to have then, and Pervin my wife sits across from me, not wanting to look stupid in front of three idiots.It is I have to say as good, as fulfilling and as satisfying, though not as cheap anymore.If you dine here do not look around, do not think of hygiene, do not ask too many questions as you will get funny answers, just go and eat and enjoy! There is other food too which is good, but when we go we go for either the Kheema Ghotala or Kheema with a fried egg on top.This restaurant is also a store selling groceries and the like. However, the restaurant is one of the few remaining in Bombay of a bygone era where Zoroastrian Iranis served the population with soul, comforting and heart warming, so synonymous with that Great Foodie City.We are pleased to know that Good Luck grows from strength to strength and the youth of today and, us die hard older regulars, do not desert it.