To Baroda or not to Baroda. 6 Vadodara food stops that you cannot miss.

Patti samosa, jalebi fafda. Durga Sweets & Farsa

Why Vadodara?

“I am sure people will say ‘Who goes to Baroda for a holiday’,” I jokingly told K. We were on our way to the airport to catch our flight to Vadodara, the city formerly known as Baroda.

K wanted to take her mom, mama and masi on a holiday. We could not decide on a destination. I suggested Ahmedabad. K’s folks were born in Surat. I thought that they might like to visit another city in Gujarat. I wanted to explore the food scene in the capital city of Gujarat. This influenced my suggestion.

Statue of Unity, Kevadia

K suggested Vadodara (formerly known as Baroda) instead. Mama wanted to see the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Statue of Unity. Vadodara is the closest city to Kevadia, where the statue is located.

We stayed at the Vivanta Hotel. We had booked hotel cars to pick us up from the airport. Our chauffeur was a gentleman named Uday Harshukh Makhwana. He welcomed us to Vadodara with a warm and big smile. He told us about where to shop, where to eat, as we drove down, and most importantly, where to eat.

Freddy mama asked Uday to take a detour on our way to the hotel. He wanted to show us his (mama’s) late masi’s house. Mama used to travel to Vadodara from Mumbai to check on her. Returning to Vadodara sparked a flood of happy memories for him. He asked Uday about the places he (mama) used to frequent, shops, markets, roads, etc. He consulted Uday on our planned trip to the Statue of Unity. All of this happened in Gujarati till Freddy mama told Uday that I do not speak Gujarati. I reassured them it was fine. I got the gist of what they were talking about. 25 years of staying in Mumbai and 22 years of being married to a Parsi (Parsis speak Gujarati) prepared me for this.

We were really impressed by Uday by the time we reached the hotel. We went to the hotel travel desk after checking in and requested for him to be our chauffeur during our stay.

With the family at the Statue of Unity

Uday drove us to Kevadia the morning after we landed. The drive took around 2 hours each way. Lalu Prasad Yadav had famously said that he would make the roads of Bihar to be as smooth as ‘Hema Malini’s cheeks.’ This was years back when he was the CM of Bihar. The actress, Hema Malini, is an MP now. I don’t know about the roads in Bihar, but the one from Vadodara to Kevadia is so smooth that the analogy would be apt in this case!

The Statute of Unity is indeed impressive. It is the tallest statue in the world at the moment. You can take the lift inside the statue and go up to the level of the chest where the viewing gallery is located. You can look out at the Narmada River from up there. You can climb up using either the escalators or the stairs to reach the statue’s foot from outside. There is an open viewing gallery there. Standing in the fresh air, looking at the vast expanses of green and the Narmada River, was a treat for us city folks.

More on our trip at the end of the story. Let’s talk about the food of Vadodara first.

Eating in Uday’s Vadodara

That’s Uday at the back after we had a patti
samosa, fafda jalebi breakfast ‘party’

Uday told us that he did not grow up in Vadodara. He was from Porbandar in Gujarat. Work took him to Surat from there. He then moved to Vadodara for personal reasons. He acquainted himself with his new home, its attractions, markets, places to go and places to eat. He did this so that he could answer his guests’ questions about the city. He symbolised the go-getter and entrepreneurial spirit of Gujarati to me.

He guided us to some of the best places to go and eat like a local Vadodara. What follows is a list of where we went.

Shri Ram Tamtamwala: Tamtam salad

Shri Ram Tamtamwala

Tamtam is a snack unique to Vadodara. Shri Ram Tamtamwala is where my friend, Dr Kurush Dalal, told me to go to try it. As did Uday.

According to their website, the business started with a gentleman named Shriram Durga Prasad Gupta selling tamtam from a basket in 1947. He then set up a street stall and then a small shop. Today’s establishment has been built on years of hard work. The shop is airconditioned, neat and clean, There was a long queue of people buying packages of farsan (savoury munchies), including tamtam. Their production has been automated now.

The queue at Shri Ram farsan

There was a counter on the left where a distinguished-looking middle-aged gentleman was making what they call ‘tamtam ‘salad. This is what we had come to try. The way it works is that you pay for the quantity that you want and then queue up in front of the salad counter and wait for your turn. Not knowing what to pick, we asked for 2 packs of 250g each for the 5 of us.

He took out a variety of farsans from different jars in a near rhythmic manner and put these into a paper cone. Then in went finely chopped onions, coriander leaves, tomatoes, green chillies, pomegranate seeds, green grapes and lime juice. This was then mixed together and served. You have to eat it fresh.

Spot the newbie tamtam salad fan

This mix of different types of farsans is called tamtam and is sold in packets for takeaway too. It becomes a salad when mixed with fresh condiments. A rather refreshing and delicious one at that. One which does not meet your dietitian’s definition of salad, but then what happens in Vadodara happens in Vadodara. You can buy packs of tamtam to take home for your friends. AND yourself!

Address:

Kansara Pole, Chokhandi Main Road, Vadodara 390017. Gujarat, India.

Manmohan samosa: Samosa

Manomohan samosa

There are multiple Manmohan samosa outlets in Vadodara. We stopped at one on our way back from the Statue of Unity. I was famished and said so to Uday. The good man took a bit of a detour which flummoxed Mama who realised that this was not our route to the hotel. We drove down the bylanes of the city till we reached our destination.

Waiting for fresh samosas

I was the only one from our group to get off once we reached. The family elders were too tired and K was sleeping soundly. Uday showed me where to go and stayed back as it would be difficult to park in front of the shop. I reached a small street-side shop. This humble shop was quite neat and clean despite the dusty and busy road that it was located on. There was a queue in front of the shop and I joined it.

And then arrived the hero of the show
Freshly fried samosas.

They have bhajiyas and batata vadas at Manmohan but samosas are what everyone was there for. Freshly fried samosas were brought out in a large aluminium box and you could sense a collective feeling of joy. The samosas were massive. The aromas from the box made me very impatient for my turn to come.

I took a video of the shopkeeepr as he took out each samosa, placed it on a paper plate, added chutney and gave it to the patiently waiting customers. No one took notice of me as I shot the video. Folks are used to influencers shooting for Instagram these days after all. What they might not be used to is a balding Gen X gentleman with a salt-and-pepper beard, acting like a Gen Z Instagrammer!

Manmohan samosa

My turn finally came. I clutched my paper plate with a samosa and stood on the pavement to eat. The samosa was piping hot. I almost singed my fingers when I broke it. It was so hot that steam rushed out immediately. This was the real deal, unlike the smoke that enshrouds molecular gastronomy dishes!

What excited me most about the samosa was its massive, deep-fried and crunchy, maida crust of samosas. This was the stuff of dreams and I had hit the jackpot! The samosa filling had finely sliced cabbage in it along with potatoes! Sliced cabbage featured in the sweetish chutney served with the samosas. This gave a bit of a crunch to the texture.

I had just one ‘problem’ with the samosa. The fact that it was really tough to wait patiently for it to cool down before one could have it! That took a lot of self-discipline. I took a couple of samosas for the family elders to have in the hotel later. They loved the samosas even though they (the samosas) had cooled down by then.

Address: Multiple locations

Durga Sweets and farsan: Patti samosa

Durga Sweets and farsan

The samosa that I had at Manmohan is what is known in these parts as ‘Punjabi samosa’. It is the ‘patti samosa’ that is more native to Gujarat. This is smaller in size than a Punjabi samosa and is flatter too. The crust is thin and holds the filling together, hence the name patti (strip of cloth). These are similar in shape to the Leventine sambuca. The filling could range from minced mutton when made by the Iranis and Bohras, to potato when by Hindus.

Uday took us to Durga Sweets for breakfast the day we were flying back. We reached at 10.30 am. I ordered a patti samosa and something called a ‘Chinese patti samosa. I tried the Chinese samosa first. It had a filling of insipid noodles and was quite forgettable. I then had the real deal. Patti samosa with a spicy potato mash feeling. This was fabulous. Unlike in the case of the Punjabi samosa, this was more about the filling than the crust. It was more spicy and you could feel the chilli heat sear your mouth. This negates the argument that Gujaratis have only sweet food. Do keep in mind that my tolerance for spice is medium to low.

Fafda, jalebi, patti samosa, and chutney at Durga Sweets

I spotted fafda and jalebi in the shop among the mithais and farsans on offer. This combination is a Gujarati breakfast favourite. I asked for a portion of each. “Should I have the (savoury) fafda first or the jalebi, or the jalebi first and the fafda later, or both in one bite,” I asked Uday. I wanted to get my jalebi fafda etiquette right.

“Aapko jo comfortable lage” replied the good man. It is up to you. He went on to ask for a rather green chutney and explained that Gujaratis combined fafda with this. As I had observed in Surat earlier, and now in Vadodara, is that chutneys form a big part of the Gujarati snacking repertoire. These are made with a variety of ingredients and offer a variety of taste profiles.

After a Maharaja’s breakfast at Durga Sweets

The sweet shop owners gave us a corn handvo on the house when we were about to leave. It was a mix of savoury and sweet and was rather. delicious.

Address:

B 1 Rangyogi Park Society, Shrenik Park Char Rasta, Nr Akota Stadium, Akota, Akota Stadium Road, Akota, Vadodara – 390020

Jay Mahakali Sev Usal

Sev Ussal at Jai Mahakali

Jai Mahakali for sev ussal was one of the top Vadodara food recommendations that readers gave me. Uday agreed that it was a must-visit. He took us for lunch the day we visited the grand Sayaji Rao Palace in the morning.

We reached at 1pm. The rest of our group stayed in the car while I got down and went in. The place was crowded. There was a snaking queue to get in. I went to the counter inside and tried my luck and asked for a place. “How many,” asked the very busy-looking man sitting there. On hearing that I was alone, signalled to a waiter and told him to take me to a shared table in the inner section.

The folks at the table I was led to soon realised that I was a sev ussal virgin. They, along with the kind and elderly waiter who came to take my order, took me under their wings and explained how the process worked.

This is what I have gleaned from the experience. A waiter gets you a bowl full of ussal once you place your order. The ussal is made with dried yellow peas and is more savoury than spicy. He also gets you a plastic bag full of soft and tiny pavs. These are much smaller than the pavs served with missal in Mumbai. You can either take the whole bag of pav or choose how many you want. The waiter gave a surprised expression when I asked for just 3. I later understood why. They were so addictive.

You then add the thick and crunchy sev provided to you to the ussal. And tari (the oil which rises to the top while cooking the ussal) on it and which is served seperately, to make it spicier if that’s what you want. There was a small vessel filled with more ussal on the table. You can add more of it to your bowl, and more sev too. This did not make sense to me as it made the dish an ‘unlimited one.’ And at a very economical price. No wonder the place was so popular.

The combination tasted fabulous and was most soul-soothing. I dipped the soft and cuddly little pav into the spicy gravy, scooped it up and had it. This, along with the crunchy sev which added textural contrast, made for an unforgettable combination. If I had the time, then I would have bowl after bowl of this.

Is the sev ussal very different from missal? It is hard to say given that there are so many versions of missals. It is best to just enjoy it rather than overanalyse it.

The Maharaja sev ussal smile

There’s a cheese version which the young gentleman beside me had. This is Gujarat of course. Home to the world’s biggest lovers of processed cheese. There was a buttermilk made in-house that seemed to be quite popular as well.

Address:

B 1 Rangyogi Park Society, Shrenik Park Char Rasta, Nr Akota Stadium, Akota, Akota Stadium Road, Akota, Vadodara – 390020

Raju Omelette Centre

Boiled egg tikka and omelette pav at Raju Omelette

Gujaratis seem to love eggs. Many eat eggs outside of home, if not at home. Eateries selling eggs are quite popular. I remember going to Bhai Bhai Omelette with K for dinner in Surat. It was quite a surreal experience to find so many people queuing up to choose from the 50-plus odd egg dishes on offer.

Raju Omelette in Vadodara was recommended to me by many. It has several branches across the city. Uday took me to the OP Road branch which was close to our hotel. For once he didn’t have any recommendations on what to eat as he was a pure vegetarian.

What could give greater happiness than eggs
to a Bengali married to a Parsi?

The was located on the facade of the building. The place seemed to be a mini food hub with shops selling dhoklas, samosas etc. located there. There was something called ‘live dhoklas’ where dhoklas were set and served fresh. They were softer than the dhoklas one usually has. Anyway, enough of dhoklas. Let’s go back to Raju and his eggs. Wait, that did not come out well!

The way it works at Raju is that you place your order inside and wait for your dish to be prepared on the big cast iron tava. You can take your food once done to the steel table/ stands in the courtyard in front of the shop and eat. Or pack it and leave. Or both, as it was in my case.

I did not know what to choose. The menu was extensive. I was alone. I planned to order 2 dishes and pack what I could not finish to the hotel to eat later. Choosing an omelette was a no-brainer, but what would the second dish be? I asked the man at the cash counter for his recommendation. “Everything is good,” he answered. Not very helpful! I was not ready to give up and persevered. “What sells the most,?” I asked “Egg-boiled tikka,” he said after much contemplation. I had my answer.

The omelette in the omelette pav was a typical street-side omelette. Deep fried, spicy, joyful. Slip it in pav and you are in heaven.

The boiled egg tikka was interesting. Sliced and chopped boiled eggs, served in a thick Moghlai restaurant-like red gravy. It tasted really good. I packed what I could not finish and took it to the hotel My mom-in-law and K’s masi had it. They enjoyed it despite it being too spicy for them.

4, Toran Complex, Main Road, Old Padra Road, Vadodara – 390020 (Near Meghdhanush Society)

Multiple locations

Mandap: Gujarati Thali

K and I wanted to go to a Gujarati thali joint at Vadodara and said so to Uday.

Uday of course had an answer and took us to Mandap Restaurant which is located in the Express Hotel.

The restaurant had a very calming and relaxing feel to it. This, given that we had made the trip to the Statue of Unity that day, was just what we needed. The place was packed. The crowd consisted of a mix of corporate groups and joint family ones.

The service was warm. The waiters are not pushy and rushed unlike how they often tend to be in Mumbai thali joints. They were attentive and were quick to get refills.

The food was delicious. Comfort food in a sense. The flavours were subtle and well-balanced. The dinner left us with a peaceful, easy feeling as the song goes.

I tried to figure out from the waiters, the cashier and even Uday, about the part of Gujarat that the food belonged. “Typical Gujarati khaana (food),” was the answer that I consistently got!

C/O Hotel Express Towers, R C Dutt Road, Alkapuri, Vadodara – 390007 (Opposite Canara Bank)

Appendix:

I have covered the traditional eateries in this post. Vadodara has a fair number of new restaurants, including chain restaurants, which offer both pan-Indian and international cuisine.
Non-vegetarian food is easily accessible. Our hotel, Vivanta, had nice options in their daily buffets and in a la carte. We went to the Peshawari at Welcome Hotel which had its signature lamb and chicken kebabs. Stand-alone restaurants serve non-vegetarian food as well. There are roadside tava joints which offer non-vegetarian kebabs, tava fries and biryani. Plus the omelette shops that I mentioned.
Where to pick up food gifts: Shri Ram Tamtamwala for tam-tam packs (they have other stuff too), Jagdish Farsan (multiple branches) for fulvadi, rajvadi and lilo chivro; Ambassador Sweets for assorted halvas.
Sightseeing:

Within the city: The Sayaji Rao Museum is a must-visit. Sur Sagar Lake for a touch of peace and quiet amid a bustling city. A drive or walk around the old city can transport you to another era.
Day trip to the Statue of Unity. Day trip to Champaner, which is known for its architectural splendour. We missed out on the latter because of time constraints.

Shopping for clothes. Suggestions courtesy Uday. Sankalp Bandhej for bandhani which is a type of print that is typical to Gujarat. You get saris, salwars, and dress materials at Sankalp. These are tie and dye and are on the expensive side. They do the final finishing once you purchase it and courier it if needed. That worked out well for us. If you want to look at something for everyday wear at good quality and lower prices, then go to Baroda Prints opposite Sankalp. Here you will find tee shirts, shirts, shorts, dresses and skirts, saris, salwars, and linen.

Sur Sagar Lake

Statue of Unity

Sayaji Rao Palace.

Jagdish farsan. multiple locations

Ambassador Sweets

Here are a few things to keep in mind when visiting the Statue of Unity:

Vivanta, Vadodara

The hotel is located in the new part of the city. You can reach any part of the Vadodara within half an hour.

They kept us on the recently renovated floor. The rooms were clean, and bright and looked nifty. K and I were upgraded to a suite. This had a verandah. We were floored by the warm, professional and courteous service.

Videos of the places we visited

Raju Omelette: