In one of her articles published on Burrp, Kainaz Contractor talks about the top 5 Navroz (beginning of a new Zoroastrian year) dishes and writes about Parsi food as follows “It may be a while before you get around to gate-crashing a wedding or better still, get invited to a Parsi home. Until then, we draw up a list of our favourite Navroz treats. Be sure to buckle down for this feast; your appetites may be grossly over-estimated but the spread by no means is.” At that time she probably did not realize that she would eventually be the reason people in Delhi no longer have to wait for an invitation to a Parsi home. We would like to introduce you to Rustom’s-Parsi Bhonu.
Founded by Kainaz Contractor and Rahul Dua, Rustom’s was named after her father. If their names sound familiar, that is probably because you must have read one of Kainaz’s articles in BBC Good Food Magazine, or on Burrp. Rahul Dua is the chef and the person behind another famous venture Café Lota. Both Kainaz and Rahul are passionate about Parsi food, and since Delhi has limited exposure to this cuisine, they decided to fill this void in style.
What started as a delivery service of Parsi food today is a 20 seater restaurant, all within the span of 2 and half months. Rustom’s is already featured in GQ magazine’s 15 new restaurants to look forward to in 2015. Rustom’s very modestly shares this good response with the place and the people. Delhi, they say, is always open to new regional cuisines and Parsi food is also not that alien. The difference lies in the treatment, but there is still the rice, dal and curries, that makes it a familiar zone to set foot on, for first timers. In fact, Kainaz confirms that she has had many people come to Rustom’s wanting to try Parsi food for the first time and they really liked the experience.
The experience, this is exactly what Rustom’s wants to give its customers. Kainaz and her staff make it a point to greet all the guests and the small 5 table restaurant together with the ambience gives people the impression of walking into someone’s home. Add authentic food to this plate and it is the complete experience. Almost every comment that we see on their Facebook page talks about the food and the ambience.
Rustom’s also gave us a sneak peek into the life of a first time entrepreneur. Most important advice- Do your research before you decide on anything big or small for your venture. It is important to talk to people, to do ample research and understand the needs of your venture before you set out to buy anything, be it a table or something as big as the place for your restaurant itself. As they did with Rustom’s, the model of starting small and building your venture up comes highly recommended. Kainaz rightly points out that this gives you room to make and learn from your mistakes. One of the things I really liked about Rustom’s philosophy is that they do not believe in tailor making the food to suit the needs of everyone. Kainaz emphasizes that regional food may not be liked by everyone, but that does mean the authenticity has to be lost.
Rustom’s menu is a reflection of this authenticity that they are preserving. You will find dishes like Patra Ni Macchi (fish coated with coconut and mint chutney and steamed in banana leaf), Mutton Dhansak (meat cooked in lentils), Bhatia Nu Gos (Mutton cooked in a spicy onion gravy with potato wedges) to name a few. Vegetarians will not be disappointed as there are options for them too like the Tarkari Ni Kari (coconut and poppy seed curry with diced vegetables) or Ravaiyya (brinjals stuffed with coconut chutney). Looking at this melange of dishes on the menu we are sure your interest is now piqued.
Rustom’s- Parsi Bhonu is located at 94 A and 94 B, Adhchini, Aurobindo marg, next to Govardhan Restaurant, New Delhi.
They are open between 12:30 and 3:00 in the afternoons, and between 7:30 and 11:00 pm at night, Tuesday to Sunday
You can call them up at 011 2652 2086/ 099100 60502 for enquiries. Don’t forget to stop by their Facebook page for updates.
Pictures courtesy: Rustom’s-Parsi Bhonu