Dadar is inspired by the vibrant street food and culinary traditions of Mumbai
Roshan, the co-owner of Dadar Restaurant in Altrincham (Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
Vibrant, spicy and colorful, just some of the words used to described the irresistible flavours of Mumbai’s beloved street-food scene.
In the City of Dreams, hundreds of vendors sell everything from fast snacks to Indo-Chinese dishes to millions of commuters every day. And while the historic Irani cafes and modern dining establishments are integral to the food scene here, street food is at it’s core.
The beating heart, Dadar is where you’ll find the iconic Vada Pav – the city’s signature veggie burger – a dish which draws huge numbers thanks to its crispy, piping hot-potato fitters stuffed inside soft bread buns.
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Paper-thin dosas created with incredible speed and precision can be seen flying through the air too, while the crispy and hollow pani puri dough balls filled mashed potatoes and spicy water explode on the taste buds with one single bite.
Someone who recalls these dishes, and many others from the region, with affection is Roshan, the owner of Dadar, Altrincham. A heartfelt tribute to a city he visited frequently as a child, the restaurant is inspired by the bustling streets, traditional eateries and culinary landmarks.
Keen to share the flavours that he and his business partner grew up with, last year they launched Dadar in the town centre, and have been honouring the legacy of Indian cooking one dish at a time ever since.
“This is the first time opening our own business, but we had a lot of experience coming into it,” he tells us as the scent of fresh spices and incense waft around the restaurant.
“I was a manager at Dishoom before this, and before that I spent six years as a manager at Indian Tiffin Room. Prior to that I was a server down south, so I have a lot of experience working front-of-house.
“We started to think about opening our own restaurant after having a conversation about how people were opening Indian restaurants but it wasn’t very authentic. It made us reminisce about Dadar and the really tasty food you get there.”
Though Roshan hails from Chikkamagaluru in southwest India, trips to Mumbai to see family left a distinct impression on him and would eventually fuel his desire to open his own restaurant here in the UK.
“My uncle used to live in Mumbai, and I remember going in the holidays to visit. There were a lot of us and my uncle would be working so he would give us some money and tell us to go enjoy the beach and get some food. We used to go every year and visit Girgaon Chowpatty, a beach, and Dadar Street. My business partner used to go with his family too for the food and the shopping.”
“Dadar in Mumbai is a place where people mostly come for the shopping, a place where you can buy anything, but then there’s also lots of street food vendors. The food is from all over India so you get a bit of everything – samosas, idli (a South Indian and Sri Lankan rice cake)i or Punjabi dishes and people loved these dishes, so we wanted to bring something like that to Manchester.”
Homages to Dadar hang from the walls of Roshan’s restaurant, while ornaments like a sacred cow statue and incense holders create a sense of place. Thoroughly contemporary but grounded in authentic cooking, every design detail has considered.
But if you’re expecting a korma, vindaloo, or madras, you might want to look elsewhere. The menu is all about traditional Indian cooking rather than the British curries we have come to know.
“It’s not their fault but people come to a restaurant and are confused that there’s no korma or chicken tikka, not jalfrezi. A customer asked us ‘are you even in an Indian restaurant?’
“But it’s an authentic taste, what makes us different is we’re not using the same base for every dish, so not onion or tomato as a starting point but our own set of spices, which means they all have a different taste. All our dishes are unique.”
It’s hard for Roshan to pinpoint a favourite dish but standouts include the Dadar Special Lamb Curry, a traditional curry with a rich gravy of charred onions and coconut. The spices to make the dish come directly from his business partner’s mother in India and he says having the dish is akin to the tradition of a Sunday roast for Maharashtrian households in India.
He’s also proud of the tender jackfruit bites tossed with onion and peppers in a spicy chilli sauce that is made in an Indo-Chinese style. Their bhajis are also not as you would expect. Rather than a huge Gobstopper size, their’s are dainty and bitesize, and served with a sweet and spicy mint yoghurt.
Of course, there’s the legendary Ashok Vada Pau too – a Mumbai street food favourite. Spicy, deep fried potato dumpling with layers of flavours, chutneys and crunchy bits tucked into a soft homemade pau (bun), and served with ghati masala, a traditional, fiery Maharashtrian spice blend from India.
“People who come here love the food, and say it’s the best. As I’m Asian and I have worked in lots of restaurants I know pleasing some taste buds can be difficult but luckily people who are Asian and coming here are loving our food – this is what they eat every day so they will give good feedback.
“We are not a curry house, we are doing something different here. We’re doing almost tapas style so large and small plates so people can share. Food comes as it’s ready rather than starters and mains and we always only recommend just the right amount rather than too much.”
The menu, vast in size but carefully thought through also includes Dadar’s special chaat – a triple crunch delight of achappam (deep fried rose cookie), golden samosas and homemade crunchy topping layered with sweet and tangy sauces. And while the specials are recommended for something different there are also authentic takes on tikka, biryani and classic curries.
“We’re not adjusting the menu, people have to taste the curry as it is. If they want a dish made extra spicy we will recommend a different dish and the same goes for mild dishes too. It ensures they taste of the curry as it is, and that it isn’t ruined and the customer gets that authentic taste.
“We had some fear running a restaurant, running your own business is very different to working in a restaurant, but we knew that we had worked hard on the menu and that as soon as people came and experienced it that they would like it. We are doing something a bit different here and challenging, but once people try it, they get it and say it’s amazing – that’s what has kept us motivated.”
Dadar, 21 The Downs, Altrincham WA14 2QD
