What is the one food item that defines Mumbai’s food culture? No, it’s not the famous Bombay sandwich or chaat; it is undoubtedly the iconic vada pav! This humble dish consists of two main elements – a spicy potato patty covered in a batter of gram flour and fried to golden brown perfection, and a soft bread called ‘pav’. The pav is slathered with a coriander-mint chutney and a dry garlic chutney. To go with it, you’ll often find fried chillis and onions accompanying your vada pav.
There are plenty of stalls across Mumbai where you can find authentic vada pav; however, if there’s one stall that has been serving the original vada pav for decades, it has to be Ashok Vada Pav. In the Dine and Dish series, we explore various restaurants and provide honest recommendations on whether you should dine there. Read on to discover our adventure at Ashok Vada Pav.
Dine And Dish: Ashok Vada Pav
About Ashok Vada Pav
While there are many versions that claim the origin of vada pav, Ashok Vada Pav is often credited with inventing this iconic street treat. In the 1960s, Balasaheb Thackeray, head of the political party Shiv Sena, urged the local Marathi population to create their jobs the same way South Indians did with their Udupi restaurants.
The working class of Mumbai needed fulfilling, cheap, and delicious food on the go. This encouraged a lot of entrepreneurs, including Mr. Ashok Vaidya, to start their street food stalls. He initially started selling batata vada, omelet pav, and poha. When he experimented with his food and sold a batata vada inside a pav, the idea took off instantly. Mr. Vaidya’s idea took off so fast that within a decade, vada pav had managed to become the quintessential street snack of Mumbai.
With the 80s and 90s being tumultuous years for mill workers of Bombay, many turned to opening their own vada pav stalls as a secure way of livelihood. Even though the 90s saw the rise of global fast food chains like McDonalds that sold a similar concept (in the form of a burger), Mumbaikars could not move away from their humble vada pav.
Trying Ashok Vada Pav
As you approach the roadside stall, you’ll notice that there is always a long queue outside, regardless of the time of day. Almost certainly, people are waiting for their turn to enjoy a piping hot vada pav. We waited in line for nearly 30 minutes. Halfway through, they ran out of batata vadas. However, we eventually got our hands on the iconic Vada pav for INR 30. One of the great features of their vada pav is that it comes with delicious red and green chutneys, as well as crispy fried bits made from gram flour.
Some of you might be disappointed to know this, but there is no seating at the stall. As it is on the roadside, you must stand and eat your food here. However, many people make their way to the Dadar beach, just a minute’s walk away, to savor the delicious vada pav.
Taste Test: Ashok Vada Pav
We bought two vada pavs – one with chutneys and one without them. The vada pav with the chutney tasted quite sweet and didn’t impress us much. The chutney made the pav almost soggy and didn’t elevate the taste of this snack much.
However, the vada pav without the chutney was quite delicious. It was flavorful, and the crunchy texture of the gram flour bits paired beautifully with the soft, fluffy pav. In our opinion, the vada pav without the chutney was a clear winner!
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Important Details About Ashok Vada Pav
Address: Kashinath Dhuru Marg, Dadar West, Dadar, Mumbai, Maharashtra – 400028
Timings: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Price for two: INR 60 to INR 100 (approximately)
Final Thoughts: Should You Try It?
Ashok Vada Pav is one of Mumbai’s most iconic eateries – often credited with inventing the OG Mumbai snack of vada pav. The humble street food is easy to make and easy to eat, especially if you crave a pocket-friendly snack on the go. If you wish to get a taste of Mumbai’s original vada pav, be prepared to wait in line for some time. However, we assure you that the wait will be worth it! So, when are you trying out Ashok Vada Pav?
