Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Hotels & Restaurants in Ghatkopar

I know many who might have reas this blog would wonder where are the hotels that we had good dinner or a south indian snacks. I will come to those Hotels in this post.

Okay hotles were not so a big thing in Ghatkopar, sadly very few though they catered a very tatsy delicous food to one and all. To begin with I will start with ..

Hotel Popular
This Udipi hotel started in a small corner shop of a residential building near the old L N Mehta Typing Classes. It was very small just a few tables and the owner had a great way to welcome his guest then known by names. The tea / coffee with the usaul hot Idli / Vada served in plantain leave which still continues is a great delight to the eye as you are served. The Mukgapudi (masala mix with oil) and the coconut chutney with the tasty hot spicy sambhar was such a speacial way to start your mornings.

Though the regulars swear by the cutting chai and the special that is served. As the clientel grew the expansion began with tables and chairs being put to the right side of the building compound , starting a small 2 tables it grew to more than eight and as time went by they had the area covered and very soon they had enclosed on all sides and now in its present form is a big extentionn which has more than 10 tables enough to accomodate 25 people. As time went by this hotel gained popularity most of the nearby shops had thier tea and coffee ordered from here and as Home delivery started the orders began to roll in. Its a good place for South Indian Dishers with the not so recent introduction to the menu the Rasam Vada has the Guests wanting for more.

They have the Pav Bhajji counter also and my personal feeling is that this is better than the Achija Pav Bhajji on Tilak road. But don't take my word you have to eat and decide , also the reuglars have a good night out Friday nights and weekends its just the palce you have to rush in ealry to avoid waiting to get a table. All in all great place for South Indian Dishes, neat, clean, well served with the waiters very freindly and also the fast home deliveries make it a good hotel.

Hotel Samrat:
This hotel bang opposite of the railway station on the east side is also a good Udipi hotel, though now they serve Punjabi and Chinese dishes also. Great begining to this hotel some 20 years ago, their Batata Vada is special ona way that the batter after being fried comes up so crispy and tasty that makes you go for more and more, A good deal to start with the mornihn chai. Though i have found this hotles dishes a bit too spicy , whether it is the Dal or the Subzi or other dishes they tend to make it a bit to spicy and that makes it little difficult for someone who prefers non spicy stuff.

They have have recently done thier interiors and this makes it look more airy and bright and also more space for tables. Clean kitchen to look from the outside, quick service , they also have home deliveries but they tend to avoid places Like Garodia Nagar / Natn Pai nagar if the order is less than Rs 150/- . Here again Weekends is a palce to be early like by 7 Pm to avoid being on the waiting list . The Airconditioned Section on the First floor is a place to have dinner with family. Very freindly the owner always on the move , wishing and making people comfortable. This hotel ahs a good practise of having 20 galsses of water filled round the clock adn kept on the side table outside for thirsty commuters , travelers who walk ina have thier thrist quenced and thank the owners for proiding them. If you are on the a look out for dinner or lunch this a good place to be.

Hotel Prakash:

Again one of the oldest of Udipi hotels in Ghatkopar, this is on the right section of the Odeon Building the Odeon Shopping Complex, a big and most visited area n Ghatkopar East this place did have some buzz till the late 1990s , after the owner passed away the 2 sons started to manage and over a period of time with the coming of food stalls opposite the building and also the decline in the taste of the food made here it lost out a lot of guests. The only people making it to the hotel were the Couple who could spend time in the AC secton which was nice and cosy and dark to spend some quality time of coochy cooing. Having lost on lot of business the Younger son who now manages did the next best thing of doing up the Interior and now the Hotel has a nice big bright and spacious look. This is good as the soon to beign PVR Multiplex in place of the old Odeon Theater will bring lot of guests who would either perfer to avoid the Costly multiplex counters. Though it has stiff competeition from the stalls outside it has its own mix of customers who prefer this to the roadside stalls.

Hotel Pooja:
This hotel again a Udip joint - gosh al this Udipi natives really made a lot of money here in Mumbai my catering Idlis and dosas. Though it was a really good hotel for sometime it lost out with not making changes to menu. Like may Udipi they also started the Pav Bhajji Counter with Chinese dishes and all and also the the standard Punjabi mix , this led to the guest moving away to try nd find more delicacies and different taste. I must admit with the growing of the the new age generations and the TV channels dishing out the varied countires delicaies peoples taste buds also needed more than the Idlis and dosa and the Navratan kurma. But time and again this will change and so did Pooja Hotel they also redid the place up and have a nice and cosy feeling to it, This again is a great place for love birds to spend quality time on the 1st floor section , just tip the waiter good and does not bother you.

Hotel Meghdoot :
Time for some change so we move to Ghatkopar west, this hotel was the first non verg ctaering hotel in Ghatkopar, great menu and good quality food, speacilay the Butter Chicken and American Chop Suey, I really a lot fo quailty meal with my family back in the Seventies and Eighties and also some with my friends spending huge amounts of money (Rs 300) for birthday dinners and all. Though it was a big burden to have parties on birthdays it did good to have change with non veg food. The owner was a great guy and the interiors was good. Chilled beer and good food was always a big draw. Time have changed though personally I have not visted this place in years. Nice way yo have your dinner if you perfer Non Veg in this mostly vegetarian dominated hotels area.

Hotel Neo Welcome:
How can we miss this place bang opposite the Ghatkopar Station west near the Jhunjunwalla College, as they say the Master yes this place is comsidered the Guru of Udipi Hotels. One of the oldest it still gives you gerat value for money. Real tasty food and all the more at a very reasonable price as it tries to cater to all the sections of the society so they try to avoid increasing the prices. The rsult being that though it is the oldest and one of the most visited hotels they have not rally taken to the idea of doing up the place and this makes a little too akward to see that many a new hotels have sprung up and having a bright , airy , clean eating place always makes the guests comfortable.

Hotel Guru
Just as the name Guru of Udipi hotels the owners of Neo Welcome who own this hotel as well named it Guru. This hotel was the king of Gujurathi Thali. They served the concept of unlimited eating with puris and dishes rolling in as you could muster to gobble up as much as you could, Though the idea was to cater to large families who would love to spend an evening eating outside and also not miss out on thier favouirte home food they made it look so homely and tasted good food that people loved eating here. The Aam Ras and the Hot Puris was the best dish , also the dal and rice with different veggies would make you wonder what is to be had first and what last , Nice a clean place , great eveings with family and friends were spent here on various occaions.
Though with price rise the food quantity also started to diminish and what with the use of Soda use one would just blow with just a handful of food , Sadly the use of Soda (as it is called) to make you feels fluffled up really did not helo and it doesnt, this place lost its glory over time. Have not been to this place for a over a long time so don't really know how it is today.


Gee thinking of more to wirte but guess what its Holi - day and holiday and need to take a quick nap and refresh up on more to wirte of the hotels,................Still to wirte about Bharat Cafe, Hotel Sundeep, Vishwakarma and more , Come to think of it there are good number of hotels so to speak. So folks time for a break will wirte next post more ...also do comment of\r write in if you know more about nice places you have eaten in Ghatkopar (east + west) ...


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