Ancient Mangalore

Even though Bunder has lost some of its bustle and sheen, Bombay Lucky Restaurant still remains as busy as it has been for nearly 80 years. Mohammed Iqbal, 32, who is the son of its owner Mohammad Sulaiman, says that in all these years, Bombay Lucky has retained its customers, who keep returning for some simple and tasty biryani. Mr. Iqbal says his father took over the restaurant 40 years ago, but the restaurant itself belonged to the pre-Independence era. The menu has changed little over the years, except that for the last few months the owners have been forced to stop serving fish because of “labour problems”. Over 10 years ago, Mr. Iqbal said, the walls of the restaurant had been decorated with glass paintings of flowers and buildings, but gradually the paintings got worn out, and had to be removed. Then two years ago, the old structure was torn down and a new building – still not finished — replaced the original restaurant. Asked about its unusual name, Mr. Iqbal said even ...