We Love The Wholesome, Gujju-Style Thali At The Friends Union Joshi Club

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What Makes It Awesome

A humble bhojanalya, Friends Union Joshi Club has been around for decades, hidden inside an old colonial building in Kalbadevi, and is known for its home-style Gujarati thali. Though we by no measure declare it as the best thali in town, it’s one of the old iconic places in town that has gotten a lot of word-of-mouth praise. Friends Union Joshi Club (FUJC) is situated in Narottam Wadi in Kalbadevi. It’ll be hard to find (owing to it being on the first floor of an old building), so keep Google Maps handy.

Enter the place and be greeted by an old-style bhojnalaya, aka canteen avatar. Heads up, take the ambience and the setting with a pinch of salt as this place is by no means about the ambience. Its aim is simple: serve good food to the public, the office-goers, families or anyone, and that’s all it does. Truly a vegetarian’s delight, the thali is pretty diverse and filling. Though they’re known for the simple thalis, FUJC changes the items of the thali every day. For INR 200 (on weekdays), and INR 230 on weekends, the thali will include a variety of dishes – all made in a simple Gujju style. The food is supposed to be very close to home-cooked food, so the spices and the flavours are really simple.

Expect four types of vegetable items, rotis, small bhakri, farsan, two types of dal (sweet and regular), two types of kadhi, rice or khichdi, chopped cucumber salad, chutney and pickle. For the dessert, patrons can order it separately for an additional cost. The chaas aka buttermilk that comes with the thali. It’s refreshing and perfect to down the flavours of the thali.

Mumbai does have great some places for Gujarati meals, and we do think Friends Union Joshi Club is a decent place for devouring a home-style thali. It’s priced decently, is simple and has been around for decades.

Pro-Tip

It’s super busy on the weekends, and during the lunchtime, so we suggest you plan accordingly, unless you’re patient enough to stand in a queue.