This is a favourite and well known snack at any time of the day. Breakfast could begin with it and the masala omelette .

Today there are very few Irani restaurants in Mumbai or Pune. Many have either sold their businesses as their younger children are not interested in running such restaurants or have moved on to other fields of industry.

I was happy to accompany some dear friends to the famous Irani Cafe for breakfast in Pune.

The Cafe was crowded. It had a sit out with a number of tables available. We got one at a corner. It had the name of the cafe prominently displayed on the wall.

The most interesting part was the menu.

Besides the food items and rates displayed, at the center of the card, there were amusing instructions. You may read some like : no sleeping , no running away, no talking loudly and even more amusing ones as you read the menu card.

I was keen on having their bun maska , masala omelette and chai out of the full variety of menu items

The bun was soft and well layered inside with butter . The taste was exhilarating and of a quality more than I expected . I would have enjoyed it on its own, but also tried the masala omelette. This combined well with the bun maska.

Finally came the chai . Oh, that chai set it off . I enjoyed it so much that I ordered another cup and it left me quite satisfied .

The chai came in the typical small striped sturdy glass being used in such restaurants.

Our chats became more enjoyable and animated with the hearty breakfast. Some had toast/butter/jam, others bun maska, and cheese omelette

I hope to visit this cafe again.

The traditional Irani restaurants have existed for a long time. They have typical Irani/Parsee dishes. Some even compete with recent popular dishes.

The older restaurants would have marble topped tables and round backed chairs. The waiter would have a serviette or maybe a towel thrown over his shoulder.

Today service has changed and modernised. Some favourites on the menu are still retained .

Let’s hope that these restaurants do not disappear. They bring back some great memories when I step into one.

Why don’t you visit the Irani Cafe in Pune ?