Ashok Vada Pav, Prabhadevi, Mumbai

Vadapav (or VP) is synonymous with Mumbai and to my mind, no one does it better than Ashok Vaidya in Prabhadevi. Ok, before someone flames me, I'll admit that each neighborhood features a good if not great 'VP' stall and every Mumbaikar has his or her preferred place. In Prabhadevi, we'd have to hand it to Askok a.k.a. Kirti Vada. Over the years, we've grown up eating his 'VP' and there have been times in our childhood when we've excused ourselves from home on the pretext of "helping mom with an errand or two" only to sneak in a couple of Vada Pavs at Ashok's stall outside Kirti college. I always considered that vadapav as top of the heap and more recently, hes picked up a few accolades sorta vindicating my stand. Its hard to miss the little stall just a few steps away from the entrance to Kirti college. Thats the only place teeming with throngs of people clamoring for their orders. And yell as you might, its rather difficult to get Ashok's attention. Well, calling him our version of the 'soup nazi' might be taking things a bit too far but hes quirky to say the least.

On a typical evening, his vadas are made fresh in small batches and that leads to customers screaming, threatening, pleading and cajoling for their orders to be fulfilled from the lot that just came out of the fryer. Meanwhile, Ashok is busy striking up small conversion with the P.Y.T. who've meanwhile gotten ahead of everyone else in the line. I've learnt that the best way to get his attention is to act extremely disinterested. His policy seems to be; the louder you scream, the less likely you are to get your hot VP! As soon as a fresh batch of vadas rolls out of the assembly line fryer, he and his able assistants jam the piping hot vadas into pavs on standby with their 'mouth' gaping wide open. In goes a liberal dash or two of his hot green and sweet tamarind chutneys followed by a sprinkling of the nuttier coarse garlic chutney powder. And just when you think it couldn't get any better, he adorns, make that STUFFS, the pav with super crispy bits of 'orphaned' vada coating formally known as "chura". One bite and you've experienced sweet street food bliss! Its a explosion of flavors; the soft and spicy vada innards barely tamed with the sweet chutney; while the green and garlic chutneys riding on top come kicking through.

The aforementioned crispy 'chura' offset by the soft pav do their best to control the spice explosion as your sweaty face breaks into contented smile. And there are infinite permutations and combinations; you don't want to go the whole hog with the vada? No problemo; you can order the "Chura Pav". Yes, just the best parts; nice crunchy pieces with your choice of chutneys encased within soft pillowy pavs. Find it all too spicy to handle? then get the 'Meetha Chura Pav'.

With success comes respons..... uh.. higher prices. But, surely, that can't be any deterrent?!