Flavours of belonging: Chef-entrepreneur Barkha Cardoz reveals her favourite Mumbai eateries

For NRI chef-entrepreneur Barkha Cardoz, revisiting Mumbai’s iconic eateries is more than a culinary journey—it’s a bridge to cherished memories, familial bonds, and the flavours of a childhood steeped in nostalgia

Last month, when New Jersey-based chef-entrepreneur Barkha Cardoz visited Mumbai before heading to her hometown in Bhopal for her bi-annual visit, we met her briefly at her childhood favourite restaurant, Kailash Parbat in Colaba. Over plates of pani puri and chhole tikki, she walks down memory lane, remembering her father, Radhakrishin Dudani who grew up in an old-school Sindhi family, with his eating habits entrenched in Larkana, Sindh. “He loved what his family cooked and always had stories to share of how he would get an ‘aana’ from his father and would love eating tikki chhola, pakwan dal and mithais at the shops in Karachi, Pakistan,” says Cardoz, digging into her chhole tikki with child-like delight.

Koki and Pani Puri

“My children don’t understand the fuss all about the food here, but then food is always flavoured with memories. My father’s family moved to Mumbai following Partition, and after marrying, my mother settled down in Mahim. Because he missed the food he ate growing up in Karachi, he frequented places like Kailash Parbat, Tharu’s in Khar, restaurants in Sion, and Jhama Sweets in Chembur, as they reminded him of ‘his’ places in Pakistan. Having left their homes and all that was familiar in Sindh and coming to India as refugees, most Sindhis bonded over family, which helped them cope with being displaced. Not only did they have to leave their established lives and jobs overnight, but also their sense of belonging, so each one of them looked for a familiar taste that reminded them of the home that they had lost,” she adds.

Aloo Tikki

Kailash Parbat’s journey is heartwarming. What began in the 1940s as a humble chaat stall on Bans Road in Karachi quickly became a neighbourhood favourite. After Partition, the Mulchandani brothers brought their passion to Bombay, founding Kailash Parbat in 1952 and decades later, it continues to uphold its legacy of flavours and tradition. Growing up in a modern yet traditional Sindhi home in erstwhile Bombay in the 1970s, Cardoz fondly remembers her mother, Gudi Dudani, the quintessential hostess who loved having friends and family over for dinners, and family celebrations. It gave her and her three siblings exposure to trying everything. Mithai for the Dudanis was almost always from Tharu at Khar, a place that too has roots across the border.

It was begun in 1920 in Shikarpur, Sindh (now in Pakistan) by Seth Mukhi Tharu, operating under the name Nanu Tharu. After Partition in 1947, the family resettled in Bombay as refugees. Refusing government aid, Seth Mukhi Tharu relied on his skills as a halwai, starting with the sale of gulab jamuns at a refugee camp (it was an instant success). By 1948, the family established a small stall in the Mumbadevi temple compound and in 1964, they opened a shop in Zaveri Bazaar. Four years later, the business relocated to Khar, where it thrives now, managed by the fourth generation, carrying forward its rich legacy. You can trust it for traditional festival sweets and Sunday specialities like Sindhi curry and dal pakwan.

Savouries at Candies, Bandra (right) Vada Pav at Ashok, Dadar

For birthdays, it was always Mac Ronells on Hill Road, Bandra—the It place, known for creating cakes into any shape your heart desired. Run by Cajetan Periera, the father of Candies’ owner Allan Periera, Mac Ronells was where Bollywood stars and locals alike went for cakes, flaky chicken patties, generously filled sandwiches, and zesty lemon tarts. At 12, Cardoz’s mom would send Barkha with the driver to pick up mayonnaise to make her famous Russian salad for guests. Sadly, Mac Ronells closed its doors years ago, the reasons shrouded in mystery.

At Canossa Convent in Mahim where Cardoz studied, picnics were mostly to Aarey Milk Colony where they enjoyed cold masala milk with friends. Her happy memory of these picnics were the evening before when she would go with her father in his ambassador car to Blue Circle on Hill Road, the small shop beside New Talkies, to pick up freshly made potato chips that melted in the mouth, and mawa cupcakes from a bakery in Mahim across from the railway station. “Even now, my eyes wander in that street to look for these long-forgotten stores, where a little girl had her eyes wide open at the sight of food that touched the soul,” she reminisces.

For Indian Chinese, the Dudani family favourite was always at Gazebo in Bandra with sweet corn chicken soup and American chop suey being her absolute favourite. On sultry summer nights, the kulfi thelas near Dadar station—where they weigh the kulfi and sell it to you on plates made of sal leaves—were a favourite, especially when they had house guests.

Cardoz moved to the US in 1988, where she reconnected with Floyd Cardoz, her catering college friend. They fell in love, got married and bonded deeply over their shared passion for food and travel. Their sons, Peter and Justin, grew up immersed in this love for cooking and hospitality, becoming adventurous eaters and talented cooks themselves

Studying at Dadar Catering College in the 1980s and staying in the hostel with limited means meant heading to Sujata in Dadar for dosas and misal pav and vada pav at a stall near Shivaji Park was when they were really broke and hungry. “It just hit the spot and tided us over until dinner was served at the hostel. Over the years, I have replaced this with Ashok vada pav and I have other fond memories of the place. Those were the best years of my student life… not only did I learn about food, but I also gained a lot of independence navigating my life away from my family at 17,” she adds.

In the 1980s, Tibbs’ mutton frankies became a special treat, especially with the chilli vinegar. “Watching the frankie being made, the smell of the filling, and those spices that finished it was just so thrilling and made you drool! There was an ice cream place at Linking Road that used to be our treat spot on the weekends after a drive to Juhu Beach. Now that it is gone, I make a trip to Naturals to get a fix of tender coconut and custard apple flavours.”

Falooda

In the US, Barkha worked in hospitality while cooking for her family, and later partnered with Floyd at The Bombay Bread Bar in NYC. Together, they dreamed of showcasing Indian spices, which led to their collaboration with Burlap and Barrel in 2019 to create a line of masalas. In 2020, Barkha launched three blends—Goan, Kashmiri, and Garam—eventually expanding to include vindaloo, green tikka, and chaat masalas. This journey inspired her cookbook With Love and Masalas, as well as collaborations like masala chai with Art of Tea and a masala crunch chocolate bar with Elements Truffles.

When we met her in February last year, digging into omlettes, kheema pav, mawa cake, bun maska, and chai at Kayani’s at Dhobi Talao, Cardoz told us about her aunt Vindri Hiranandani bringing Shrewsbury biscuits from Kayani Bakery, Pune. Cafe Andora introduced her to meat puffs, pan rolls, and chicken mayo rolls, while Candies is a go-to for breakfast treats. Her trips to Mumbai comes with packed itineraries that include visits to Jhama’s gulab jamuns, Jai Hind’s seafood, Kobe’s sizzlers, and Copper Chimney’s tandoori delights, K Rustom’s ice cream, Britannia’s berry pulao and caramel custard, with visits to Elco and Soam completing her culinary nostalgia. “When we return to our favourite eateries, it’s rarely just for the food—it’s to savour the echoes of laughter, the warmth of shared meals, and the moments that linger long after the last bite,” she signs off.

Seasonal menu at Soam, Babulnath

Barkha’s takeaway

>>  Sandwich masala from Sandwizzaa in Santacruz
>>  Banana chips and butter chaklis, Mahima Mangalore store, Bandra
>>  Praveen mango pickle
>>  Parsi Dairy’s the great Indian toffee
>>  Tharu’s green pista and sev mithai
>>  Butterscotch barks and Indian cookies from Bombay Sweet Shop

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!