Awadhi Swaad

You can find us at Malad West Madhya Marg Shop No 6, right in the Ashok Enclave building. Awadhi Swaad is a small shop, and we mostly focus on the flavors from back home. We don't have a lot of space for sitting, maybe just a couple of stools by the counter. Most people just take their food and go. The walls are painted a pale yellow that’s started to peel a bit near the ceiling. I spend most of my time over the big handis, watching the steam rise. We use whole spices that we crack ourselves. It takes longer, but the smell is worth it. The neighborhood is always bustling, and we get a lot of people stopping by on their way to the market. We don't have any fancy signs or neon lights. Just a simple board with the names of the dishes written in chalk. Sometimes the chalk gets smudged and I have to rewrite it. It’s a bit of a struggle to keep everything clean with all the dust from the road, but we do our best. We don't have a big staff, just me and my cousin. We handle everything from the cooking to the cleaning. It’s hard work and our backs usually ache by the time we close up at night. But as long as the food is hot and people are eating, we're okay with that.