Despite the fact that no one group has been able to claim credit for its creation, Gujarati traders made up the majority of the pav bhaji’s early patrons. As a result, Gujarati neighbourhoods still house some of the city’s greatest pav bhaji restaurants.
You can literally pick up a pav bhaji off the street in any Gujarati neighbourhood if you have a hankering for it and you won’t be disappointed. Nevertheless, some people stand above all others. This is our insider’s guide to Mumbai’s best pav bhaji.
Ashok Pav Bhaji
Of course, this street-side pop-up has no name; it just adopted the name of its proprietor, who opens his or her business every evening close to the famous Haji Ali crossroads. Even though Ashok Pav Bhaji isn’t likely to be mentioned in any of the hundreds of “best of” lists on the Internet, locals in South Mumbai can vouch for the legend that is Ashok Pav Bhaji. If you’re having trouble finding Ashok, cross the street from Heera Panna, the city’s first store for high-end knockoffs, and ask one of the street vendors for directions. Make sure you buy something small from them to reward them.
Maji Sagar
Another underestimated eatery that delivers some of the best pav bhaji in the city is located a few hundred steps east of Ashok Pav Bhaji as you walk away from the Arabian Sea. Maji Sagar is a full-fledged restaurant that serves south Indian snacks, desi Chinese, vegetarian biryani, and other dishes. It’s not a streetside stall. One of the many options at Maji Sagar’s restaurant is pav bhaji, which is perhaps much superior than the most well-known pav bhaji restaurant in the city: Drinks for the Sardar
Chatai Pav Bhaji
Chatai Pav Bhaji is a street vendor, much like Ashok. His clients named his company after the sitting arrangement in his alfresco restaurant at Maheshwari Udyan in Matunga because he didn’t see the need to call it. The Hindi word for straw mat is chatai. Additionally, it’s where his customers eat, kneeling on the sidewalk as he quickly serves dish after dish of pav bhaji. His restaurant’s somewhat strange moniker comes from the custom of serving meals to customers while they squat on mats. The owner doesn’t mind, though. or is concerned.
