Taj Icecream

Vivek Athavale

3 years ago

5.0

 Most of us, especially, if you stay in Mumbai, are aware of the food on offer during Ramzan on Mohammed Ali Road. Some of the restaurants even set up temporary shops here to serve the thousands of people who visit Mohammed Ali Road to try the traditional delicacies. The whole place comes alive in the evening. It is super crowded then and most of the people visiting are tourists from other areas of Mumbai. I have been here during Ramzan and while there are a lot of food options I find the crowd and noise a bit overwhelming. The area around Mohammed Ali Road still had all the signs of the old Mumbai. There are the old world bazaars like Nul Bazaar, Bhendi Bazaar and even a Chor Bazaar. Zaveri Bazaar is not too far either. There are markets/streets dedicated to one kind of item. So there is even a Mutton Street. Most of the buildings here were constructed a 100 years back. But since the buildings are so old there is also a lot of redevelopment activity going here. And redevelopment means the old food maps don’t work the way they used to. So if someone says you get down at Sandhurst Road and then take a cab to Al Rehmani and then just walk across to the neighbouring JJ Jalebi, he has not updated his food map 😊. As planned I took a cab from Sandhurst Road Station and took a cab to Al Rehmani. Once you’ve read and seen a lot of Food Blogs & Vlogs on Mohammed Ali Road food, you assume that the mention of the Al Rehmani Restaurant excites everyone as it excites you. Well it does not. I mean everyone kind of knows it. But it doesn’t excite them as much as I had thought it would or should. The original area of Al Rehmani restaurant is now under redevelopment and they have opened a restaurant and have named it Rehmaniya Restaurant. The signage is nice and new. But to a Marketing guy like me it defies all logic. Why will you rename a 70 year old restaurant. But they have. You walk into the restaurant and the waiters don’t inspire any confidence either . I befriended one waiter and asked him the usual question ‘ Yahaan pe special kya hain ‘ and in this area (I realise later) it is primarily ‘bade ka kebab’ or Beef Seekh Kabab. Not my kind of food. So I opt for the safer Chicken Tandoori Leg with Paratha. The paratha is typically fried and its an odd combination but a tasty one nonetheless. The chicken is nicely cooked, not overcooked, not to spicy and it has the typical green chutney with chopped onions along with it. The fried paratha has the usual neutral taste and it comes in handy if, like me you  are used to a roti-sabji combination . Al Rehmani didn’t disappoint. It probably didn’t delight me either. It was also because I was alone and couldn’t try their other dishes. Next I walked to JJ Jalebi. It is a small shop where they display and probably fry the Jalebis & Gulab Jamuns on the street. There was a lot of traffic on the road and even the footpath was busy. There was the typical honking of two wheelers and the grunting sounds which BEST buses make. I saw a few flies buzzing and even occasionally tasting the Jalebis but decide to ignore them 😊. The Gulab Jamuns looked tempting, but I went for my favourite Mava Jalebi with Rabdi. I bought the minimum quantity of 100 gm for Rs.80 and ate it standing on the pavement/street. Amid this chaos I tucked into my first bite of the Mava Jalebi with Rabdi on top . It was clearly fresh, soft and delicious. Probably the best I have had in my life. I praised the Jalebi and the owner who had been a bit cold so far was quite pleased and told me that his mother makes the dough for the Jalebi and he fries them at the shop. So that was the secret. Home made and time tested recipe. I asked him for directions to India Hotel the restaurant next on my list. To my dismay he was not aware of India Hotel despite being a local. But when I told him it was located in Bohri Mohalla , he guided me to the road. This entire mohalla/locality is undergoing massive redevelopment. As soon as I entered the mohalla I saw all the famous restaurants/shops of Bohri Mohalla including Surti Bara Handi, Tawakkal Sweets, India Hotel, Taj Ice Cream, Fakhri Bakery and Haji Tikka Corner. I am sure there are a few more joints which serve similar food. But these are probably the more famous ones. I couldn’t decide what to eat. I am not a big fan of fried stuff and hence didn’t go for the Chicken Baida Roti or other Tawa Fried stuff. The stuff at Surti Bara Handi seems a bit too esoteric or for slightly more evolved tastes. I opted for the simple Chicken Malai Seekh Kebab with Tandoor Bun. I used the word simple for the seekh kebab because the making of it looks simple when the experienced chef uses the soft tender minced chicken with gentle flavours and gentler hands to make soft seekh kebabs. This simplicity coupled with high quality of the meat gives you Kebabs which as they say ‘melt in your mouth’. I wish I had the appetite for the Chicken Baida Roti or the Tandoori Chicken but I didn’t. Instead I decided to end the food tour of mine with hand-made ice cream at Taj Ice Cream Shop. I had the seasonal and the most popular Mango Ice Cream. Their ice cream tasted like any nice  home made (hand churned) ice-creams you might have had with the sophistication in taste & texture, which a professional with 100 plus years of experience brings in. The ice-cream certainly lived up to my high expectations from this shop. On asking for directions to Sandhurst Road Station I was told I could walk to the station. It was not that closeby . But I think they had guessed how much I had stuffed myself and made that recommendation ! 😊

Jubin Balakrishnan

1 year ago

5.0

If you're looking for a unique ice cream experience, Taj Icecream is a must-visit! We tried mango, strawberry, mixed fruit, and mandarin apricot, and the clear winner was mandarin apricot—a perfect balance of tangy and sweet, unlike anything we've had before. What makes it even better? You get real fruit pieces in the ice cream, adding to the freshness and flavor! Taj Icecream isn’t just about great flavors; it's about craftsmanship. They use a century-old technique to make their ice cream, which gives it a rich, creamy texture. Since it's Ramzan, the place was buzzing with people enjoying their treats outside. Another plus? They pack your ice cream with dry ice, so it stays frozen for up to two hours—perfect for taking home! We got a 500g pack, and it was just as delicious later. Taj Icecream, please open a branch in the suburbs too—we’d love to have you closer! Highly recommended for anyone who loves artisanal, flavorful, and nostalgic ice cream with real fruit pieces.

Mithila Menezes

3 years ago

5.0

After savouring delicacies near Minara Masjid, we hurried in search of the Taj Icecream store, worried that they would close at 2 pm... With the traffic and nonexistent parking, I resorted to running down the street to look for it , reaching there minutes after 2 pm... However the staff greeted me with a smile and were so happy to get me ice cream... They also waited for my husband to come over and chose his flavour ... The Alphonso is what we went all the way for, and it was well worth the across the city trip, so delightful, real fruit pieces in the ice-cream is always a winner... They happily packed us more to take home ... However, they have a new Mandarin apricot , that I did not pay much heed to .. until they gave me a taste... It's the most splendid flavour of ice cream I have had in a while... They capture the flavour of the fruit so well without overpowering sweetness... You have truly ensured we will come back for more again....

Social Cravings

2 years ago

5.0

This place is serving fresh ice cream from more than 100 years You must try their gauva and sithaphal icecream it was delicious 🤤 They also have 250gm and half kg ice cream boxes available And they also take bulk orders for wedding or events ❤️ Follow @socialcravings_ for more cravings and honest recommendations https://www.instagram.com/socialcravings_?igsh=dGg2dGFvaTgwbDht

Ejaz Sam

3 years ago

5.0

OLD IS GOLD.......just want to say that I really love mango ice cream, since childhood days I am having this flavour,and trust me ,taste is the same as before, and it's really worth your Money . Must visit this small with Amazing flavours of ice cream.

Farhan S

4 months ago

4.0

We stopped at Taj Icecream and tried their Mix Fruit Ice Cream along with the Roasted Almond and Chocolate Chips flavour. The ice creams had a creamy texture and nostalgic old school feel that people usually love in Bohri Mohalla. While both flavours were good, we still felt they were more okayish than extraordinary. Still, it was a nice experience exploring this iconic Bohri Mohalla food spot.

Pranave Nanda

3 years ago

4.0

An old school ice cream joint in the heart of Bohri Mohalla, Taj offers delight in a cup for a mere ₹80! Tried their sitaphal and their roast almond+chocolate flavours. While the latter was good, the sitaphal flavour was absolutely on point. I'd recommend sticking to the fruit based flavours to truly savour the best!

Yazzi thefoodiebites

3 years ago

4.0

One of the the very old and popular ice cream joints. The ice creams are hand churned. Like the sitaphal and mango ice cream here. Atmosphere - 4/5 Speed of service - 4.5/5 Product Quality/ Presentation - 4.5/5 Taste - 4/5 Portion Size - 4/5 Value for money - 4/5

Yash Mehrotra

3 years ago

2.0

Do visit them and be told rudely that they have policies (made by them obviously) against allowing for tasting ice creams. We offered to pay for the scoops. We offered to pay for tasters. Were told “agar itni dikkat hai toh mat khao”. Texted the owner and they just stoped replying. Were also refused a bill. Guess we’re in 1887 where bills don’t matter.

Radhika

4 years ago

1.0

It's in such a bad and weird locality. I don't know much about the taste but it looked very unhygienic as well. Decided to skip