We had the pleasure of sitting down with famed Indo-Canadian chef and restaurateur Hemant Bhagwani to discuss the opening of his newest restaurant, Bom-Bay Snack Bar. Having opened 50 restaurants -- among them, the well-known Amaya Restaurants, Popa Toronto and Goa Indian Farm Kitchen -- Bhagwani is no stranger to the hospitality industry.
Chef and restaurateur Hemant Bhagwani.
The new Irani-Indian snack bar, taking over the former space of Egg Bird in Leaside, one of Bhagwani's other takeout concepts that opened this past summer, Bom-Bay Snack Bar is bringing authentic, Bombay street food to Toronto. Bom-Bay Snack Bar is inspired by the Irani cafés Bhagwani visited on his trip to India last year. Dating back to the 19th century, these Irani cafés were brought to Mumbai by Zoroastrian Irani immigrants escaping religious persecution. These cafés weren't only a place to enjoy food, but rather, they functioned as a social meeting place to connect with other Zoroastrian Irani refugees.
These cafés had a major influence in shaping Bombay cuisine as it is known today, however, over the years, they’ve become less prevalent and Hemant is working to introduce them to Torontonians. Wanting to move away from the mainstream dishes that most Indian restaurants in North America are serving, Hemant Bhagwani is diving into regional foods and is doing so with a restaurant that pays homage to the beginnings of Bombay cuisine and Mumbai's street food.
Since ethnic brunch restaurants are a hot topic in Toronto's food scene -- albeit rare -- Bhagwani wanted to blend Iranian cafes and the simple, yet delicious street food stalls in Mumbai into one experience.
“I designed a menu that remains faithful to Bombay street food, Irani cafés and Indian tea rooms, all of which are inherent to Mumbai’s culture," says Hemant Bhagwani.
The menu consists of several brunch dishes like Parsi Akuri, a spiced scrambled egg; a Canteen Bun Omelette made with onions, tomatoes, cilantro and ghati masala and hand-pulled and freshly baked Sausage Naan with a fried egg, chilli tomato jam and fresh herbs.
Lunch and dinner specials include Bombay sandwiches, Frankie rolls, puff pastries stuffed with spicy vegetables or minced lamb, a creamy butter chicken made with only grass-fed chicken and a perfectly spiced and sweet tomato butter sauce.
Paying tribute to the Indian tea rooms he visited, Bhagwani has partnered with premium loose leaf tea supplier, Tea Squared to offer more than 60 different kinds of tea. Bhagwani does hope to someday create his own in-house tea line with signature blends of different tea leaves and spices.
When asked what it is like running and operating restaurants during a global pandemic, let alone opening a brand new one, Bhagwani had a hopeful answer: "Small businesses are the heroes of the country. We will not let our heroes fall through the cracks.”
“Having matured in the industry and to go through this [pandemic], has made me more careful in making decisions to stay afloat. It's not about making money, it's about survival," he continues. With over 600 employees in the company, Hemant Bhagwani has tried to keep everyone on board and stays in touch with all of his employees through this tough time.
