Lucky’s

After a wearied day,

I suddenly yearn for Biryani,

But not just any biryani –

The heart skips Awadh and Aminia,

And strangely drifts

To the noise and dirt of Bandra Station.

 

There, beyond the logjams

Of autos and Padmini taxis,

And the constant stream of passengers

At the busy station

Lies an old-fashioned building

Stirring taste buds for 90 years

 

Ah Lucky’s – how I miss

That succulent and soft mutton biryani

That aroma, that taste…

But then I realise

I have now forgotten the taste

Of that legendary dish

 

How much more

Can a life be exiled

That memories drift away this far?

I call an old friend, an accomplice

Partners-in-crime

In kebabs and biryani

 

We laugh after ages

Talking of the hot summers

The long weary days at work

And the finale -

Late evenings of tasty food

The endless moaning of work

 

And the never-ending streams

Of nicotine, thums up

And the constant milling of people

The honking of cars

The chugging of trains

The clatter of spoon against empty plates

 

For a few moments, Mumbai’s universe

Is recreated

The lost planets are aligned

The stars reoriented

And the sun simmers

In a big pot of spicy biryani

 

The people have all moved on

They have left Mumbai

Carrying little boxes of memories

Just as much as

They left behind invisible parts

A smile, sobs, unsaid goodbyes

 

But in a single moment

Like Atlantis,

The universe collapses

And I return to the absolute silence

Of this Sydney suburb

A street light instead of my sun

 

My partner too has grown old

He too displaced in exile,

Dusts the browned albums of time;

We keep talking of older days

‘But the taste Vishnu,’ I exclaim

‘How can I get it back?’

 

I can imagine him smiling

On the other side of the phone

Cigarette in hand,

Looking out

An imaginary empty dish

Diligently cleaned of rice and meat

‘You can always go back to Lucky’s my friend,’

He speaks finally

‘But can you go back to Lucky’s….’

I imagine the smoke of his cigarette

Drifting like a tendril of time

From a café from many years ago…

 

No visit to Mumbai is quite complete without a stop at Lucky Restaurant, Bandra, an institution dating back to 1938. Its succulent mutton biryani, fragrant rice and old-world charm offer more than a memorable meal. Set amidst the bustling chaos of Bandra, it is a slice of everyday Mumbai — where railway commuters, locals and food lovers converge. If you do visit Mumbai, skip the polished dining experiences for an afternoon; come here for the biryani, stay for the atmosphere, and savour a little piece of Bombay's culinary history.

12th November, 2026