ONE JANUARY MORNING in 1928, a young Irani – not long arrived in Bombay – was waiting to collect a parcel at Victoria Terminus. Unusually, the train was running late. The Irani waited, patiently; then, growing hot and bored, he decided to stretch his legs. He wandered amongst the station crowds and then down a side track, off the main terminus.
Quickly, he found himself in a vast, airy shed filled with the hubbub of a thousand industries crossing paths: freight trains pulling in with a squeal, wagons being loaded and unloaded, men and machines labouring with their cargo. Railway workers shouted to one another in a dozen languages: Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bihari. Goods of every conceivable sort ebbed and flowed through the station, a veritable artery linking the Indian subcontinent to the Western world via the trading port of Bombay.
BEGIN YOUR DAY AT DISHOOM with breakfast, which might be a Bacon Naan Roll, a Kejriwal or a Big Bombay. Then lunch lightly on Roomali Rolls and Salad Plates, or linger with a feast. Refresh your afternoon with a drop of Chai and a small plate or two. Dine early or dine late. Or just join us for a tipple – perhaps an India Gimlet, a Permit Room Old-fashioned, or our very good Dishoom IPA?
OLD FASHIONEDS AND PAANCHES served in The Permit Room by the Chota (small) peg. The first strong taste is mellowed slowly by melting hand-chipped ice in your cut-glass tumbler.
The first frozen water was shipped to Bombay from Boston in 1834. The Parsi merchant Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy served the ice at a dining party and his distinguished guests all caught colds. Sir JJ grew from humble ‘bottle-walla’ to pre-eminent industrialist, giving much of his fortune to the needing. Sir JJ has place of honour in our list.
Dishoom King's Cross
5 Stable Street
London
N1C 4AB
Tel: 020 7420 9321