Britania may go soon

BOMAN Kohinoor eagerly shuffled towards the group of foreign tourists sitting in the corner, his eyes behind powerful lenses shining with anticipation. After the initial assistance with the menu, Boman faced a question any restaurateur would dread "What's wrong with the ceiling, Mr Kohinoor?"

The 86-year-old looked up at the cracked ceiling of his Britania restaurant, and said, with a smile, "That is the work of M F Husain, the famous Indian artist."

Not many would look at the peeling walls of Irani restaurant Britania, its discoloured ceiling, unkempt interiors and call it art. With sacks and boxes stacked up against the corner, a blackened kitchen visible from the dining tables and thin sunlight throwing musty shadows, Britania, at first look, can induce hesitation. Till you eat, that is.

From there on, art takes over as the du00e9cor blurs into invisibility and it becomesu00a0 obvious why this place, tucked away in the leafy bylanes of Ballard Estate, has been running successfully for over 80 years. The only thing that can bring it down now is disinterest, not from the people who visit, but from those who host.

Speculations were strong recently that Britania was shutting down a half-truth that Boman unhesitatingly addresses. Britania will live as long as he does, justifiably so, considering both were born at the same time.
The restaurant was started by Rashid Kohinoor at the birth of his son Boman, who has run the place for several years. But his sons are eager to sell it and move on, amid resistance from Boman. So they made a pact:
Britania stays alive as long as he does, though its lease runs out in 2022.

With it will go the sali boti, sali chicken, kheema and the signature dish berry pulao. The ingredient for this is a family secret passed on by Boman's wife Bachan to Romin, the younger son and chief chef at the restaurant. The rice dish with stewed chicken, mutton or vegetables garnished with fried cashew and onion is topped with dried berries, still imported from Iran, from where the recipe was once brought and modified.

Over the years Britania has easily built a loyal clientele. "What brings me here is the sali boti and the ambience. It gets all kinds of people from top executives to regular guys," says Hari Ayyappan, vice-president of event management company, 360 Degrees. "The service is also special. For instance the waiters will even cut and peel patri ni machi in the same way time and again. You feel you get the same attention as being at home," adds Ayyappan, who loves all the mutton dishes there.

Precisely what Boman would appreciate. The tag line of restaurant, as seen on the menu, along with the photo of a rooster, says, "There is no love greater than the love of eating."

Boman recounts the story behind the cock called Robin, adopted by his animal-loving wife and adoringly given a pride of place in the family bedroom. Forced by habit, Robin would crow at four every morning, waking the family up at the unearthly hour. "After a few days, my wife started gently slapping the cock every time he crowed. After about a week, he started crowing at 10 am," chuckled Boman.

Boman Kohinoor's culinary jewel is reaching the end of its innings. Should one drop everything and rush there for one last meal? That may not be necessary yet, but going there for a meal, sooner rather than later would be recommended at least, as Kohinoor says, for a "fresh lime sweet, to beat the heat".