This quaint restaurant is so famous that the place where it is located has been named as Goodluck chowk. Getting here can never been an issue as every auto rickshaw and cab driver in the city is familiar with this famous landmark.
About Cafe Goodluck....
This legendary cafe was started by Hussain Ali Yakshi way back in 1935. The place draws huge crowds on a daily basis owing to its proximity to educational institutes such as Fergusson College, Modern College, BMCC and Symbiosis. In the past, this place was frequented by film stars such as Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna and also director David Dhawan as the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) is located close by.
In 2001, Hussain Ali Yakshi's son Ghasem took over the restaurant. It was he who revamped the menu, introducing new tawa and tandoori recipes which are a hot favourite today.
The USP of this place, apart from its location is the pocket friendly, delicious and fulfilling food. The fact that the food items have not undergone any change with respect to their quality and taste, creates a beeline of customers since the early morning till late night.
The menu of the Cafe includes several veg and non-veg dishes along with snack items and dessert.
1. Bun Maska (with Chai)
2. Bun Butter Omlette
3. French Toast (both sweet and salty)
4. Paneer Roll
5. Egg Roll
6. Chicken Roll
7. Brain Masala
8. Irani Chai
(Note: The rolls are available only after 4 p.m. so you will have to visit the place in the evening to taste them. But they are definitely worth the visit.)
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| The famous Bun Maska served in the Cafe |
Upon reaching Goodluck Chowk one can instantly notice the big red board of this iconic eatery with "Cafe Goodluck Since 1935" written across it. Sometimes it takes a bit of a struggle to catch a glimpse of the entrance owing to the huge crowd waiting to get a seat. (Fortunately, as we reached there early at around 8:20 a.m. so there were only few people.)
As you enter the cafe and glance around, you can easily notice that nothing much must have changed since the inception of the place. There is a small counter to the right side of the entrance that is stacked with trays containing hot samosas, puffs and delicious looking sandwiches. The owner sitting behind the counter is busy juggling the tendering of cash, handing out take away parcels and maintaining a record of the inventory. Yet, he manages to look up to you and with a warm smile reassures you that it would take only few minutes before you get your seat.
The small room has tables arranged adjoining the walls with the centre aisle providing access to move to-and-fro for the waiters. The wall to the right is adorned with mirrors creating an optical illusion of space as the sunlight entering through the windows overlooking the bustling FC road lights up the entire place.
Shifting my gaze, I notice a huge vessel containing loads and loads of butter and another containing rich pink coloured jam near the counter. The sight is enticing enough to set my stomach grumbling. In a flash, a waiter appears, takes out a bun from the cabinet, slices it and applies a generous layer of that yummy butter and voila serves the bun maska to the customer seated close by.
Tracing the waiter as he goes back, I notice that there is another seating area inside that opens up to a larger dining space ahead. So this place isn't that small after all.
(One can also access this area from outside the restaurant. There is an entrance to the right side of the main door of the restaurant. You can provide your name and number of people along with you to the person at the counter who maintains the queue list)
People of all age groups can be seen in the cafe, a group of elders sitting in the corner reminiscing the good old days, a few college boys hastily having breakfast before they rush off to their classes and a couple lost in deep conversation, among several other people.
I decided to strike up a conversation with them to get to know more about the place. A member of the elderly group told me that they were all school buddies and have been patrons of this iconic eatery since their school days. They take time out twice every month to catch up with each other and remember those golden days as they sip their chai and enjoy the bun maska which till today tastes the same.
The college students told me that they were new to Pune and lived in a hostel nearby. The place was very pocket friendly and they often ate breakfast and dinner at the Cafe. While the couple mentioned that they had come to visit the place as they were in Pune for a week and wanted to relive the time they spent together at their adda during their college days.
The rush at the cafe provides you with the opportunity to share your table with others and strike up conversation with them. A thing that has become a rarity in this age of social media !
Time just flew by in all the chit-chat and it was our turn to be served at this legendary cafe. The waiter smiled as we told him our order "2 bun maskas, 2 chai aur 2 frenchtoast" probably the most common order out there.
He was back in a few minutes and neatly arranged all the items on the table before hurrying off to attend to the next order.
The bun maskas were soft and fresh. The combination of loads of yummy butter and bits of tooti fruti was working its magic as I relished it after dunking a piece in the hot chai. Both the sweet and salty french toasts were finger-licking awesome.
And as we paid our bill at the counter, I knew that I had made another awesome memory at one of my favourite places in Pune !
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| Our order - Bun Maska, Chai and French toast (both sweet and salted) |
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| The stack of Bun Maskas kept in the inventory - Ready to be served |
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| Bun Maskas being prepared |
1. There is no facility for reserving tables over calls in this restaurant.
2. Please do try to reach this Irani cafe at least 20 to 30 minutes in advance as the place is super crowded at all times.
If you happen to be in Pune or you are planning to visit the city then this is a place that has to definitely be on your to-visit places !!
If you have already been to the place or are a regular patron, do let me know about your experience, the foodstuffs that you like and recommend or any special memories associated with the cafe in the comments section below !!
Bon Appetit !!
If you happen to be in Pune or you are planning to visit the city then this is a place that has to definitely be on your to-visit places !!
If you have already been to the place or are a regular patron, do let me know about your experience, the foodstuffs that you like and recommend or any special memories associated with the cafe in the comments section below !!
Bon Appetit !!
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