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CHEERS

BBhasin

By BBhasin
in India: Dining

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Episure

Episure

Posted
Posted

Since there is no equivalent in use, I often say Kursiyan ( Chairs!). :laugh:

I have had drinking experiences and come across the toast Cheers in places like:

Deep in the Thar desert

Jungles of Madhya Pradesh

Tribal Moonshine rigs in the interiors of Maharashtra

and many more but that's another topic.

I guess we have adopted Cheers as our own. Hindi movies play a lead role in spreading this word of joy too. My Camel driver/guide in the desert was thrilled no end to find that I was from Bombay and asked me if I knew a few of his favorite Stars, I didnt disappoint him and he kept saying Cheers over the bottle of Tharra.

Salamat raho!

Khushiyan!

I fry by the heat of my pans. ~ Suresh Hinduja

http://www.gourmetindia.com

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Vikram

Vikram

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I think Episure is right. The custom of saying cheers in India has been taken from the West, so the word has too. I can certainly remember it cropping up in Hindi movie drinking scenes.

A friend of mine is trying to popularise the world 'tulleeho' and from this impulse has come a website and a company that deals with drinking in India. Its quite a nice site and can be accessed at www.tulleeho.com

Vikram

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BBhasin

BBhasin

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Posted (edited)

Thank you. From now on I am going to tell all enquirers that Cheers in hindi(or all Indian laguages) is Cheers.

If english can take words like, khaki,veranda, bunglow, waistcoat, jodhpurs etc from us it should be OK to take Cheers. What do you think?

Edited to correct spelling. My spelling is bad and I generally ignore it but this one was REALLY bad.

Edited by BBhasin (log)

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Delhi Club

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Episure

Episure

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On the same note does any one explain or know, why one does cheer before they drink and if they are lone drinkers how would they cheer and to whom?

You have to go to some country liquor bars in Bombay, where factory and mill workers come to drink. The camaraderie that exists in these places is truly commendable and extends to strangers across the table.

The standard accompaniment is a quartered boiled egg with lime, salt and pepper, which is generally 'stretched' by dipping it into the seasoning and licking it.

A lone person is often asked to partake of a bottle, beacause he is sitting at the same table.

I fry by the heat of my pans. ~ Suresh Hinduja

http://www.gourmetindia.com

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Vikram

Vikram

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You have to go to some country liquor bars in Bombay, where factory and mill workers come to drink. The camaraderie that exists in these places is truly commendable and extends to strangers across the table.

Country liquor is not quite my tipple, but I think one of the best places to drink in Bombay is Gokul's behind the Taj opposite the HUGELY overrated Bade Miyan (the food at Gokul's is much better). Its a big, busy, quite easy going place, the booze is cheap and its also one of the few places women can go to drink without problems (in the ground floor a/c room). And if you want a contrast, the other excellent place to drink in Bombay is just a few streets away at Indigo!

Vikram

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howler

howler

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ya, i'd have to agree about the over-ratedness of bade miya. he was maybe allright in the late seventies, but then he got famous and boring. his meat is all probably legit these days too.

we used to speculate what the 'mutton' kababs were: probably cat.

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Suvir Saran

Suvir Saran

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You have to go to some country liquor bars in Bombay, where factory and mill workers come to drink. The camaraderie that exists in these places is truly commendable and extends to strangers across the table.

Country liquor is not quite my tipple, but I think one of the best places to drink in Bombay is Gokul's behind the Taj opposite the HUGELY overrated Bade Miyan (the food at Gokul's is much better). Its a big, busy, quite easy going place, the booze is cheap and its also one of the few places women can go to drink without problems (in the ground floor a/c room). And if you want a contrast, the other excellent place to drink in Bombay is just a few streets away at Indigo!

Vikram

Gokul, wow... brings back so many fond memories of my time in Bombay.

I was taken to it by Ashok Rao Kavi first, and then it became a place I went to many days a week. :rolleyes:

They made very good Saag Aloo and also Chanas... That is what Ashok would order for vegetarian me.. and the naan with butter was always so very fresh and nicely cooked.

Is it still serving good food? The food was nothing to rave about, but for us out of towners, living in Bombay without family and in homes with very spare if any kitchen at all, Gokul gave a promise that seemed strong and pleasant. Friends I would go with would drink Golconda red wine.

We would sit in the room that was air-conditioned and tucked behind the front dining space. Is that still there?

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Vikram

Vikram

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Gokul, wow... brings back so many fond memories of my time in Bombay.

I was taken to it by Ashok Rao Kavi first, and then it became a place I went to many days a week.

Gokul's has changed a bit from those days! Its now a more sedate and general place, really large, it seems to have grown all sorts of nooks and corners. So yes, the a/c room at the back is still there, as the more 'refined' drinking area, but there are rooms in front and above as well. The food is not outstanding, but good and honest. As you remember, the naans and tandoori rotis come fresh and hot, and with excellent mint chutney on the side. They'll fry up a pomfret or slices of surmai or rawas very nicely for you - all excellent to eat while drinking. Golconda wine is, thankfully, mostly a thing of the past now!

Vikram

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Suvir Saran

Suvir Saran

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They'll fry up a pomfret or slices of surmai or rawas very nicely for you - all excellent to eat while drinking. Golconda wine is, thankfully, mostly a thing of the past now!

Vikram

How could I forget the pomfret.... I remember my friends eating whole fried pomfret... served with lemon and that same chutney you speak of...and for me I liked their crisp sliced red onions and lemon and the chutney... tasty.

Glad to know Golconda is motly a thing of the past. It was terrible everyone said.. but the only option.

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anil

anil

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......

You have to go to some country liquor bars in Bombay, where factory and mill workers come to drink. The camaraderie that exists in these places is truly commendable and extends to strangers across the table.

The standard accompaniment is a quartered boiled egg with lime, salt and pepper, which is generally 'stretched' by dipping it into the seasoning and licking it.

A lone person is often asked to partake of a bottle, beacause he is sitting at the same table.

Hmm things surely have changed - I doubt they served baida in the hooch places in the back alleys of Juhu Tara, Goregoan,Shivaji Park - Some places served sookha mutton; others channa (to cater to their vegetarian drunks, :smile: )

I vaguely remember just as I was leaving Mumbai, The Maharastra Govt. had gotten into the business of producing and selling inexpensive country liquor to combat frequent and large amount of liquor-poisioning deaths attributed to bootleg booze. I know initially all those brands were treated with suspicion [but that's another story]

anil

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Episure

Episure

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Hi Anil,

I find your posts very interesting here and on the the other forums.

Boiled egg, Papads, boiled channa, masala peanuts, fried fish, sukka mutton are standard fare at these joints. Sometimes you will find a person hawking this stuff in the weirdest of places, a sure sign that a liquor joint is situate nearby.

You are right about the Governments' introduction of cheap liquor- Santra, Mosambi. I find their Coffee quite drinkable and manage to drink it with a cola, nowhere near my favourite malts but these places have a charm of their own.

All this reminds me that years ago I had gone to a such a joint in Khar Danda fishing village near Bandra. This was the front end of a house that belonged to a trawler owner and his family would make the most amazing crabs and fish in their 'house' masala. Must track it down again.

I fry by the heat of my pans. ~ Suresh Hinduja

http://www.gourmetindia.com

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Vikram

Vikram

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All this reminds me that years ago I had gone to a such a joint in Khar Danda fishing village near Bandra. This was the front end of a house that belonged to a trawler owner and his family would make the most amazing crabs and fish in their 'house' masala. Must track it down again.

Yes please, I stay just round the corner from Khar Danda village so a nearby drinking place would be a welcome alternative to Olive!

One fish that I particularly associate with drinking joints, BTW, is mudadashi or ladyfish, the small ones fried whole for eating as you drink.

Vikram

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