Around Town: Why Mumbaikars queue up daily at this 86-year-old iconic vada pav outlet near CST

Indian Express

4 days ago

Around six every evening, a long queue begins to form opposite Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. These people aren't waiting for a bus or a shared taxi, nor are they buying train tickets. About 25-30 individuals — from college-goers and first-jobbers to seasoned professionals — line up outside Aram, eager for hot batata vadas tucked into slightly larger-than-usual ladi pavs. It is their way of keeping hunger at bay until they reach home.
'Our VIP guests — customers who come here daily — tell me that one vada pav and a cup of tea keeps them going till dinner,' shared Kaustubh Tambe, 55, the third generation manning the business.
Established in 1939 by Shrirang Tambe, known to many as Bhau, Aram is now a city landmark. 'My grandfather spotted a shut shop in the Capitol Cinema building. He approached the owners expressing interest in starting an uphar gruha (eatery), and started what was then called Aram Milk Cooperative,' Kaustubh recalled. The initial menu focused on milk-based items such as tea, coffee, basundi, gulab jamun, kheer, and among the early savoury offerings was the batata vada.
Eighty-six years later, Aram can seat 48 people at a time and is still rooted in Maharashtrian cuisine. Over time, the menu expanded to include dishes like Kothimbir Vadi, a savoury snack made from gram flour and fresh coriander leaves; Thalipeeth, a healthy, multi-grain flatbread made using dozens of ingredients including jowar, bajra and rice flour; and Zunka Bhakri, a dry and spicy gram-flour sabzi paired with a rustic jowar bhakri among many others.
My mother, Shree Tambe, personally taught the kitchen staff these dishes, always insisting on quality ingredients and consistency,' Kaustubh added. 'We are also well known for our Upvas (fasting) menu, which includes Sabudana Khichdi, Upvas Misal made from peanuts, and Upvas Pattice made from potato and peanuts. A few years ago, we even introduced an Upvas Thali featuring rajgira puri, batata sabzi, misal, pattice, rajgira roll, banana, and piyush.
The separate vada pav counter, located just outside the main eatery, was introduced in 1995. 'Back then, it cost Rs 5. Now it's Rs 25,' he noted. What keeps the queue growing? 'Our vadas are bigger than most. So are our pavs, specially made for us. We use Samrat besan, single-fry the vadas (not double), and cook in refined sunflower oil. The recipe is simple, but the quality and consistency is what built us this reputation.'
'It is also the goodwill and management practices of my grandfather, father (Madhav Tambe) and uncle (Madhukar Tambe) that built this place. Most of our staff have been with us for 30-40 years. They feel a sense of apnapan. They know the batata vada must have a thin coating, and if someone new joins, another will step in and guide him.'
Inside, it's a no-frills operation — people eat and leave, making space for the next customer. The staff run like clockwork, especially at the evening vada pav counter, where five people are assigned daily. Rajendra Zavre, who has been with Aram for over three decades, proudly shares that Madhav Sir, now in his 90s, still comes personally to hand over the staff's bonuses during Diwali.
Aram underwent a minor refurbishment last year under the guidance of Kaustubh's wife Bijal Tambe, ahead of its 85th anniversary. The space was made brighter, ventilation improved, and induction cooking added to the kitchen. But the real shift is yet to come.
With patrons from across the city, including celebrities, politicians, real estate moguls, and film personalities, franchise requests have poured in. But Kaustubh is clear: 'We can't hand it to someone else. If we don't own and run it, the quality might drop, and that's non-negotiable.'
The fourth generation may step in next. While Kaustubh's older daughter is studying law, his son and younger daughter have expressed interest. 'They'll do their MBA first, work a few years, and then they will join Aram,' he shared.
Meanwhile, Kaustubh has started laying the groundwork. 'We are setting up a central kitchen to maintain consistency and plan to open another outlet later this year. It will be somewhere between CST and Dadar.' When asked if that's just the beginning, he smiled and finally shared: 'We'll have 25 outlets across Mumbai in the next three years.'