Grills & Wok

We are set up in Byculla House, right on Clare Road. We actually have three shop spaces here—number 20, 22, and 27. It sounds like a lot but it is still quite a squeeze when everyone shows up at once. Being right next to the Bata shop helps people find us because everyone in Byculla knows where that is. We started Grills & Wok because we just wanted to cook the stuff we liked. The kitchen is always a bit chaotic and the woks are constantly clanging against the burners. Mumbai is loud anyway, so the noise doesn't bother us much. We have these old fans that try their best to keep the air moving, but it still gets pretty sticky in the afternoons. My cousin and I do most of the work, along with a couple of guys from the neighborhood. We don't have any fancy tablecloths or a big menu with pictures. It is just a plain list of food on the wall. Sometimes the delivery bikes block the entrance and we have to go out and yell at them to move. It is just how things go around here. We spend a lot of time cleaning up after the lunch rush. The floors are old stone and take a lot of scrubbing. We aren't trying to do anything special, just keeping the shop running and making sure the food is ready when people walk in. It is a lot of work but it is ours.