Bademiyan or Bade Miyan

It's easy to spot Bademiyan. When you turn the corner from the Colaba Causeway, you can faintly smell the aroma of chicken in the tandoor. Turn right again, and you can cruise straight into the restuarant.

First you see the smoke, then the bright lights and the visitors gawking at the cooks. Then you hear the sizzle of meat on tandoor, and by this time, the smoky smell of tandoor already has your tongue salivating in anticipation.

Don't loll around, I humbly suggest. Grab the nearest empty table (they're hard to find; but a ten-buck note pressed into the boy's hands works wonders), and stay put.

Order a Chicken Baida roti (egg-roti stuffed with chicken) first, and then take a look at the rather small menu-card (I wonder why they don't put the prices there!). I'll recommend that you buy Tandoor Chicken Leg, Bheja fry, and a roomali roti to go with it. I'll also suggest that you order a coke or packaged water here.

While the above dishes are the highlights, many people like the chicken roll, which is quite filling. I also like the boti kebab, chicken and mutton seekh kabab, chicken tikka and gurda (kidney) fry. The tangdi kabab is also pretty good.

The portions are not very generous, but filling all the same. The vegetarian menu is not inspiring. This isn't a place for vegetarians.

All dishes are served with tangy green and red sauces and a generous portion of onions. I never touch them - I don't like any other taste interfering with the succulent chicken!

This place is a legend on it's own. It is the only streetside joint in Mumbai city which has been allowed to exist legally - rumour has it that a past police or municipal commissioner was a regular of this place and gave it legal sanction, rather than pack them up in one of those infamous BMC trucks...