HAZRATGUNJ-FOODIE'S DELIGHT

HAZRATGUNJ-A Foodie’s Dream !!



Gunj has always been, is and shall always be a haven for the foodies and there was a time that restaurants and eating joints in Lucknow, existed only in gunj, except for the ones in old Lucknow.



Chaat ,sweets ,kulfi and veg food of Motimahal and Choudharys were very attractive in the yester years and in fact the best in the city, specially famous for chat, milk pudding and nans. So were the meetha pans outside Chowdhary ,folded in a cone, decorated by a silver foil and coconut powder, placed over a ice slab and which could match any dessert. The old Capoors and China bar which was near Mullicks,served drinks and the latter was very famous for its mutton cutlets. Capoors was the only restaurant serving liquor and hence was avoided by families generally.



The three most visited restaurants were, Kwalities,,Royal Cafe and Ranjanas. Kwalties was the costliest and classiest restaurant, located in the Mayfair Building. Besides food it was famous for its snacks, confectionary and ice-creams. Inclusion of pineapple pastries from Kwalities, priced at a rupee a piece even in late sixties was the gold standard for any party. Besides business luncheons, it was used for match-making and often for couples for the dream date or the proposal place. Royal café was then located in the Halwasia Court, just before Halwasia building and was considered as the only fine-dine restaurant of those days.I ts dim light, live oechestra and antique furniture, gave it a look of an English reataurant. Baked vegetables, Non veg mixed grill and fish tomato with butter naans were its speciality .For year’s dad use to take all of us, there for dinner after the ritualistic Saturday movie, a habit which we have followed to date, of having dinner out on every satureday. We would however first go to Choudharys, for mummy to have her vegetarian food, unless she had had chat before the movie. Ranjana, was located where Barrista is today, and was the busiest restaurant throughout the day.Its Dosas, grilled sandwiches and cutlets were all time favorite. Ranjana was the only restaurant serving Chinese in sixties and it was there, where I tasted chinese for the first time in 1968,and that too, with chop sticks.



Anapoorna, was located to the side of Ranjana in the Prince-Filmistan building and resembled the Irani restaurants of Pune and Mumbai serving tea and snacks, specially good potato patties and small vanilla pasteries. The Indian Coffee House located next to Ramlal Brothers, had its coveted identity. Haunted by poets ,journalists and artists it was the place were all the national and international issues were discussed over a cup of coffee. The strong aroma of the filter coffee mixed with that of crisp masala dosa and cigarette smoke, lingers in my mind even today. Talking of Dosa,I cant resist talking about Madras Mess, working out of a house ,located inside, from the lane next to Gandhi Ashram.I can never forget that,since I was always taken there by my brother,to patch up, after he had bashed me or had a fight. Madras mess served typical south Indian soft dosas for 50 paisa, with sambhar and chutney served in saucers from buckets. Extra sambhar and chutney was free and hence we would often have several plates of them. The building next to the hanuman mandir had a pure vegetarian restaurant which changed many names,including Anapurna and Bantoos.It served thalis for meals at throw away prices and was frequented by office workers for lunch. It probably also had few rooms too,on the first floor.



Once Anapoorna, closed down from its original place, it re opened as Krishna Sweet house, next to Ramlala Brothers and was later converted to a restaurant , called Kayz Kozy Korner. Jone Hing came up as the first exclusive Chinese restaurant opposite the Hanuman mandir and most Lucknowites were introduced to chinese from there. For two years ,during my intermediate,76-78,every evening without fail, me and my dear friend Harsh, shared a plate of hakka noodles and a bowl of chicken sweet corn soup here,all for ten rupees. Rovers, at the petrol pump, opposite GPO, came up the same time and was the first fast food joint of Lucknow, serving burgers and roles.



There was King of Chart in Halwasia Market,Prince of chaat,on Shahanajaf Road and then the tikki and golegappa stall at the LIC Building before Lovers Lane. Besides these established eating joints there were few fixed hawkers too. The biryani and Kababs in the lane next to Prince, the boiled matar outside halwasia market,the chana Joor garam,on the varendah outside Bata, the Dahi wada outside GPO gate and the innumerable tthelas all along gunj,selling moongfali in winters and jaljeera in summers,in huge earthen pots, decorated with raw mangoes and mint leaves. A redi outside the Hazratgunj thana,attracted a big crowd for the omellete,of desi eggs made in amul butter, served with bread on newspaper. Not to miss the Rita and Gogo ice cream with an occasional Kwality ice-cream vender too, which introduced two special icecreams, Bon-Bon-,three ice ream balls coated with chocolate in a box, and Ball ice cream, where the ice-cream was sold in a plastic ball shaped cup, both for a rupee each.. Cold water was sold too, in the yesteryears, initially three paisa a glass and later five paisa and finally ten paisa for unlimited quantity, to cater to the students coming from Univ and for players returning from Stadium after evening games. All along gung there were hawkers selling fresh cucumbers, molis, fruit chat, sprouts, coconut, aamras, and boiled singhadas



Today ,Gunj has all this and more,with very few changes.Kwalities,Motimahal and Choudhary are less popular.Royal cafe in its new location is the busiest restaurant,not only of Hazratgunj bit also of the city,which is popular not only for its multi cuisine food,but for the chat too and specially the basket chat.Coffee House had closed down,but has been revived as a fast food and confectionery joint.Cafe Coffee day and Barista have been established and many older small restaurants,including ranjana have closed down



From the roadside fresh cucumbers to the pastry tray of Kwalities,all had their special charm, and catered to the pockets, needs and taste of one and all. What I have always found very surprising, is the fact that, till even today, no one from the old city, ventured to open a exclusive Lucknow Mughlai kababs, biryani and food outlet in Hazratgunj proper.



The variety of food available , even today is vast and no one who visits Lucknow, can ever forget them, specially the chat and kulfi.



Dr Sanjay Kapoor