Breakfast at Cosmopolitan…

Well, well, well….things change with time, don’t they? This was the precise thought that popped into mind last Sunday. I was out at my friend’s place for an overnight stay, and we decided to have our Sunday brunch at an Irani restaurant near his house. Something different than the usual hideouts.

There is something strikingly different about these Iranis. Right from the entrance, to the flooring and the funny smell that loiters the ambience. The walls are covered with tall mirrors and pretty wallpapers. Wooden tables with an exquisite marble top are neatly arranged across the expanse of the restaurant. The fluttering sheets of a century old calendar drag your attention to the gigantic and ancient ceiling fans hovering above you. It’s the perfect place to sit with a cup of tea and spend hours on end, reading a novel. And no one disturbs you. No one is actually bothered about you; you are left to your own self.

Unfortunately for us, these Iranis are slowly becoming an extinct species. Today is the era of Café Coffee Day, Barista and Brio. These new-age cafes are complete in every sense. In every modern sense, that is. Swanky new chairs and tables, shiny floors, large panes of see-through glass, air conditioned ambiences complete with lava lamps and bean couches. And an equally young generation of waiters who will provide you with prompt service, bringing in your cappuccino and micro-waved samosas in minutes. These cafes are a favorite hangout for all - youngsters and elders alike. They prove to be an exchange domain for study notes, love, memory trips and business ideas. With their wireless access points and electric plugs, they easily attract the portable computers and their busy brained users. Meanwhile, the loyalists of Iranis slowly continue to trickle down…

I wonder if ten years down the line, I will even be fortunate enough to experience the bun-maska and cutting chai of Merwan’s at my neighborhood. Though they are no match to the abundant amenities of CCD, they certainly deem home to the nostalgic good old times la Bombay!