Prakash Shakahari Upahar Kendra — Restaurant in Mumbai

Prakash Shakahari Upahar Kendra

This review is based on my multiple visits to this place over the years & not just based on a single visit. Prakash Shakahari Uphaar Kendra, in Dadar West, Mumbai has been serving authentic pure vegetarian Maharashtrian cuisine since 1971. This eatery has has stuck to its policy of not serving anything that is not traditional Maharashtrian cuisine dishes for over five decades. Those who fast on certain days of the week or days like Mahashivratri or Ashadi Ekadashi they have a special fasting menu consisting of dishes that can be eaten specially on those days. General Ambience is decent but not very plush. It is not air conditioned. Prices are moderate & not very high. Everything appears clean & hygienic. Staff is dressed in uniform with pink shirt & white trouser with a cap. The service is quite efficient. The menu has no description & in case you are not familiar with Maharashtrian dishes the service staff will help by explaining & recommending dishes. The menu is rotated with some dishes being available only on certain days of the week. Portion sizes are small so you can try various items. Seating is very basic as this is not a place for anyone to hang out as there are people constantly waiting for their turn. You have to eat & move out quickly. You will have to wait for at least 10-15 mins to get a table as the place is always crowded & may have to share table with strangers. The menu offers a range of regional delights which includes Maharashtrian classics. The flavors are a perfect blend of fresh ingredients that arouse the taste buds. I have had Kokam Sarbat, Piyush, Masala Doodh, Sabudana vada, Aalu wadi, Kothimbir vadi, Misal & Mattha misal (They don't serve pav or bread slices here), Thalipeeth, Batata puri, Vangi Pohey, Masale Bhaat, Pithla & bhakri, Green Matar Pattice They also serve a Maharashtrian thali. It is a complete meal in itself. It consists of Goad varan, bhaat, Chapati, rassa (gravy sabji) bhaaji, a dry vegetable, curd, koshimbir (raita), pickle, a sweet. They also serve raw phanasa chi bhaaji (raw jackfruit vegetable), special patal bhaaji (a runny gravy sabji) made with mix vegetables to be eaten with pooris. MAJOR DISADVANTAGE : In this day and age of digital payments this restaurant accepts only CASH payment. No online payment, No UPI, No Debit/Credit card. And who doesn't have online payment nowadays. The owners need to be more flexible and not be stubborn about accepting only CASH. So remember to ensure that you have enough cash to pay the bill amount when...

Another legendary restaurant/eatery serving authentic Maharashtrian [Vegetarian] cuisine. It is located diagonally opposite another legend, Aaswad.

It has been renovated recently and looks nice with some colourful walls, soft lights and a few wild life picture frames. Blue bench seats and tables are still the same. At the cash counter, you are greeted by a Burrp Certificate and an enlarged article about this restaurant which was printed in The New York Times.

Finding a place to sit here is still difficult; don't be surprised if you have to share the table with strangers.

The service is fast & very efficient. The waiters are dressed in a very unique uniform; white trousers, rose pink shirt and a white Gandhi topi [cap]. After you are done eating, the bill is presented to you on a yellow piece of paper written in pencil; a practice followed for many years now.

Start with the Misal because it is served the fastest; order a Sabudana Wada or Thalipith / Kothimbir Wadi for later. The Sabudana Wada is legendary here. Please also try the Mutter Pattice [Green Peas] which is served with very tangy tamarind chutney. If you don't mind consuming something bit oilier, please order the Veg Samosa [made with Green Peas, Cauliflower, French Beans and a spicy masala] All the above items are served with Groundnut chutney which again is a speciality of this restaurant. It is coarsely ground chutney made with Raw Groundnuts with a sprinkling of fresh coriander.

After you are done with the eating part, order for the Piyush or you also get Masala Milk, a Must Try.

After eating as much as you can stuff [a maximum of 3 items + Piyush / Masala Milk], the bill will surely around Rs.200; Value for Money.

When you are @ Shivaji Park & you have to choose between Aaswad & Prakash for snack, you feel you have been asked to choose between Sachin Tendulkar & Rahul Dravid; each a legend in his own right, assured of his individuality and prowess yet respectful of each other.

It's difficult to choose between the two.

Overall...

I have been eating at Prakash for more than 35 years now. Ever since their original place went into redevelopment, they have moved diagonally across the road to a much smaller place. I love the food but feel they haven't upgraded with times. The original place was more relaxed and there was no hurried vibe. There too, you couldn't sit after eating a meal because the queue was always there so one had to be mindful always.

Today, I don't know if the owners are involved in day to day running because I only saw staff. Not on any delivery app, no credit card, no g-pay and only cash, Prakash has so much potential but don't seem to want to expand or modernize to reach more customers.

The manager was so busy, didn't have time to look at you. I know for a fact Cafe Madras is 20 times more busier but their owners still find time to look you into your eyes.

I will always prefer Prakash over Aswad and so will many loyal customers as seen by the queue waiting to be sorted but a change of attitude is definitely required.

Shout out to the gentleman at the counter selling sweets and kokum sharbat. I wanted Piyush for my mom who has been unwell but manager refused citing over for takeaway inspire of requesting. This guy after selling me Kokum sharbat, I requested if he could fill up Piyush in the same bottles, he too refused initially but after telling him about mom , he said it would take time but in 5 mins came back with 4 bottles! The additional star is for this gentleman or else would have given 3*

The difference is in overcoming your standard response if you have empathy.

It is very important for restaurants to have empathetic staff as their front line otherwise the restaurant or cafe gets a bad name.

I am aware that Prakash's reputation has taken a major beating in the last many years due to indifferent attitude of the staff but I hold the Management responsible.

If you have never eaten here, you have to come and eat. No one makes Piyush, Thalipeeth and chutney nor Sabudana puri...