The other day Justice A.S. Oka, who retired recently as a judge of the Supreme Court, gave a talk on freedom of speech at the Press Club. It was a full house with the charming Neeta Kolhatkar introducing him. What stuck the most about him was his utter simplicity. He arrived on the dot in a Maruti Baleno with fading blue paint. Over Krackjack biscuits and chai he recalled his days as a resident of Thane. In fact, many of his friends from Thane dropped in to say hello to the “lordship.” The talk itself was interesting and he agreed to take a few questions at the end of the programme. He replied to the questions, including some tough ones, with alacrity.
As a judge of Bombay high court and later as the chief justice of the Karnataka high court and finally as an SC judge Oka acquitted himself as an honest, knowledgeable and hard working person with a strong sense of fair play. He never suffered from lawyers who appeared before him without adequate preparation. He would tick them off immediately. But if a lawyer has done his or her homework then he was guaranteed a patient hearing and a well reasoned order. Wish there were more judges like Oka Sir.
Devotees carry idols of Lord Ganesha from workshop at Parel | Vijay Gohil
Liberty’s Benne Dosa Steals The Show; Mirchi & Mime Shuts
Reinvention is the name of the game. Liberty Restaurant opposite the now defunct Liberty Cinema has been around (wasn’t it called Kamat's in between?) since ages. It was known for decent no-nonsense Udipi vegetarian food. It has now expanded its menu to include Benne dosa, Thatte idli, Neer dosa, Poondu dosa, Vengaya dosa, Jini dosa etc. etc. Recently, I had to drop a colleague at the nearby Bombay Hospital and decided to visit Liberty after several years. The Benne dosa was simply superb. It was made just the way they do it in Bengaluru. Some outlets in Bandra and Khar are also offering Benne dosa. But there are no patches on the one served at Liberty.
The butter is pure and the dosa is served with green and red chutneys and a bowl of lovely sambar. There are many varieties of Benne dosa. They have ghee masala, ghee podi, garlic roast benne dosas. I ordered one plain Benne Dosa and a Karuvappelai Thaat Idli, which is a flat idli sprinkled with curry leaf powder. They also serve typical Karnataka fare like appe (paniyaram), Biscuit ambade, Ulta masala dosa, poondu dosa (garlic), kaikari uthappam and Thayir idli. I also spotted Andhra dosa on the menu card. The filter ‘kaapi’ was authentic. There is an amazing range of chaat, north Indian and Chinese cuisine, milkshakes and desserts as well.
The prices are friendly and the service is superfast. Check out for yourself. I guarantee that your tastebuds with dance. Meanwhile, reports about the closure of Mirchi & Mime Restaurants are really sad. The establishment had provided jobs to as many as 80 hearing and speech impaired staff. I dined at their outlet at Powai some time ago and was highly impressed with the silent service provided by the staff. The food, of course, was interesting. Wish the restaurateurs association will ask its members to absorb these trained staff.
Tailpiece
Overheard in a SoBo bar: “Donald Trump is taking credit for everything. He might well take credit for Mumbai's traffic jams.” (Compiled by S Balakrishnan)
