Walking into the modest confines of Mamma Mia, the local hangout for food that isn’t vegetarian or ridiculously expensive, my appetite is roaring. After classes Mamma Mia is a wonderful option, being only a few minutes away and I find a couple of my classmates already waiting for their order. The restaurant is not terribly big, but neither is it dingy. It might not have the most prompt service; but that does not deter us student types from heading over there for a filling lunch. The place serves everything from Italian pastas, American burgers to Chinese fried rice and noodles. It has a reasonably wide array of options in its menu, including a special Mamma Mia brunch that is actually available at any point in the day.
Despite all the appetizing options for quenching my hunger, my go to is without fail either the brunch option (for when I am terribly hungry) or the beef steak pizza, which is my personal favourite. The first time I was told about the creation, I was over the moon. I wanted to thank and congratulate the mind behind the idea of putting steak on a pizza.
In an area like Mumbai’s girgaon Chowpatty, where even a basic chicken franky is found only after an arduous expedition, a place that served not only non vegetarian food but beef, and at the astonishing price of 220 rupees seemed nothing short of an oasis in a desert (of vegetarian food).
The week after the beef ban was announced I kept hearing rumours of the famous pizza still being available, albeit for only a little time more. I decided that I had to taste the goodness of the thin crust, cheese covered, chilli flake sprinkled and beef steak adorned pizza, one last time. After classes on the 11th (the ban was announced in the newspapers on the 3rd) I headed over to Mamma Mia for my last chance to savour beef (at a reasonable price).
As I sat down with my friends, I convinced them that the beef steak pizza was the only thing we should consider eating. The waiter walked up to our table and I asked him with a dread setting in my heart if we could have the “beef steak pizza please?” The young guy nodded, making my heart almost burst into flames, took orders for our drinks and walked away. My friends and I congratulated each other and basked in the glory of the impending arrival delicious food.
Just as we were in mid celebration of managing to scour a beef pizza in the land of beef ban, the shy waiter walked up to us again, delivering the news that “no, sorry no steak pizza” but would we like the chicken tikka?
I guess for now, it’ll have to be chicken tikka after all.
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