Have special connection with this place.
Me and my father often visit this place when i go to town.
Its a therapy for me.
I just love the purity this place has and the joy it brings to my father to eat here.
Over the period, i developed the liking towards eating in bhojanalays - as this places are called in regular slang.
Authentic home made food, tastes like home.
The main USP is the staff, they offer you the food with so much purity, AGHRA - the word in regular slang.
5/5 everytime, eachtime here.
This place is a basic Bhojnalay with unlimited Thali.
They serve you 1 sweet, 2 farsan , 4 vegetables, Dal and Kadhi, rotis n puris, rice, khichdi , pulav. In summer you can get lucky with aamraas. ☺️
Comfort of home cooked meal and no extra oil or masala. Loved the gujju kadhi.. The inner gujju in me was doing rock n roll. The Thali is priced at Rs. 200.💲
Ambience: It is a very basic place with running tables placed in front of each other and no AC. Please keep in mind the cost, so really can't demand anything fancy. The entrance is slightly difficult to find.
I would suggest to go for a local vibe and home cooked gujju meal at a very reasonable rate.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Just when I was looking for some comfort vegetarian food, I came across this place on Zomato!
This is no fuss "Bhojnalay" where you are served homely gujju/marwari food at reasonable rates!
FOOD ( 3.5/5 )
They serve you thali consisting of 2 farsan items, 4 subzis, 3 types of dal/kadhi, 2 desserts, pulka/Puri & rice.
My Thali had following items of which some were good, average or okayish!
GOOD ONES
• Vatana Subzi
• Aloo Subzi
• Dal
• Basundi
• Jalebi
• Bhindi Subzi
• Kachori ( Baby Kachoris, served piping hot )
OKAY ONES
• Paneer Capsicum Subzi
• White Kadhi ( extremely average, usually I'm big sucker of this kadhi but it was a complete miss for me )
• Yellow Kadhi
• White Dhokla ( too dry )
• Chaach
AMBIANCE ( 2.5/5 )
This place doesn't have any ambiance, no AC either but has great ventilation so doesn't get sweaty. You won't find table for 4/6. It's typical Bhojnalay system with table for 2 placed infront of each other.
SERVICE ( 4/5 )
Quick, food served is fresh!
CONCLUSION
If you want to experience old Mumbai feel, go visit this place but don't expect much from the place for dining in experience. Food is good not great, it's not too heavy on tummy & absolutely light on your pocket! Sunday Thali cost is ₹220/-
Nice place to eat with simple food. I heard when dirubhai ambani was in mumbai he was eating in this place. lovely place with budget pocket full gujarati thali
Strongly recommended for thali lovers. You can taste rajasthani, gujarati dishes in mumbai in one thali. Unlimited servings of food but you have to pay for sweets/dessert. Not so spicy food. You have to visit once.
A great place to have a vegetarian thali. It's reasonable and unlimited. The food is delicious and the desserts were awesome. The owner was welcoming and very friendly. Loved it.
Definitely one of best HIDDEN GEMS in Mumbai. The vibe of this place is soo warm and homely that you'll surely eat an extra bite of love. They serve pure vegetarian Gujarati Thali that you can eat till you tummy bursts because its unlimited. It's perfectly value for money priced at Rs. 400 per person. They also serve unlimited hot rotis and mouth watering sweets to end you meal. The platter of chutneys will surely complement the food. So anytime you plan to visit this place, make sure to skip a meal before you come here.
nice gujarati food. Also swamirayan food. available. Its like coming back to gujarat. Recommended to anyone looking for unlimited thali.Its only 250 bucks in price.
If you are looking for Finger-licking and mouth-watering Rajasthani food, head here. The food is fresh and healthy. They serve a variety of vegetables and snack items. And don't forget the buttermilk in the end!
Prem Ramesh Jethmalani
+3.5
Price - Cheap (Thali Starts with 200 rs and above if prices are changed)
Ambience - Good
Service - Good
Dishes - Thali and Specially the Sweet Dishes
An unforgettable journey to this place on the 19.11.2017 afternoon...justice league made us feel hungry and this olace fullfilled our needs..with delicious vegetarian food on at the friends union joshi club...all the dishes were good and mainly the sweets and the bhindi (okra) bhaji with Small Chapati and Puri with some more Vegetable Curries and dal Chawal....the setup and Ambience is not much as a 5 star restaurant...but as good as a old place which will make you feel relaxed and comfortable...friendly staff who will be serving you until u are done with the owner of the place taking care of customers and serving by him self..open all days as Sundays only until the afternoon...u can book a taxi or ola or an Uber to reach this place...located on the first floor as per the pictures uploaded....a must try for all...and a second visit will be for sure...only cash is accepted here..so make sure you have plenty of it....
Located in the middle of hustling and bustling lane, FUJC or Joshi bhojanalya (as locals call it) is easy to find. It's on first floor. You need to enter the gate next to Raymond showroom and then turn right.
The place is typical lunch home setup with table for two.
Huge thali with small bowls welcome you.
So, moment I sat and in next few minutes the thali was full. Spread -
Laapsi, samosa with chatni, salad, papad, variety of chutney, chillies, two types of roti (regular/masala), bhakhri, rice, two types of Dal (mithi/tikhi), alu ki gili Sabji, cabbage ki Sabji,methi muthiya nu shaak, mag, chaas, gulab jamun, rasgulla, fruit salad...
Taste - Every bit of it was heavenly
Hygiene - Neat and clean
Value for money- Yes. (240/thali)
One of the best gujju food I have had in recent times. The USP is the ghar jaisa swaad.
Awesome vintage Gujarat cusine feeling homely after having food home away from home .........................................................m
For all the thali lovers
Simple decent place
No interiors
Simple benches
Thali is good
Fulka roti
1 Sweet
1 farsan
3 vegetable
2 Dals
1 plain rice
1 butter milk
1 papad
Over all nice food
Not expensive
Amazing home style Indian food. A must go when in town. Fantastic variety and taste with an amazing service. Not for people looking for spicy and oily food.
If you are looking for no frills restaurant for pocket friendly wholesome Gujrati Thali, this is the place.
It doesn't boast of lavish spread, which you can not do justice to anyway, but basic Thali which serves the purpose of filling you more than you had intended, and that can be bad if you are here to have a business lunch and have to resume work immediately afterwards!
The place is neat and clean, the service is super fast and courteous and the gentleman manning the counter is very friendly and treats you royally.
Definitely worth visiting again whenever I am in the vicinity during lunch hour.
Amazing unlimited Gujarati thali.
This place is a bit difficult to find, located in the narrow lanes of kalbadavi, and no visible hoarding.
A very homely environment. They serve hot food and take very good care of the guests. The owner ensures he takes care of any specifics that you mention (like Jain food,less spicey etc.)
Disclaimer - it's typical Gujarati food so do expect the sweet and sour flavour in dal.
Home style Gujarati thali. Service is very fast and efficient. A bit of a departure from the over ostentatious type Gujarati thalis that I've had in the past. The home cooking style is the difference. Good value for money @ INR 200. Liked the different varieties of rotis, the dal, and a few of the sabzis. Found the fruit custard a tad too sweet for my liking. Overall a decent experience.
One of the best unlimited veg Thali experience for the price.. we paid 230/head including a dessert which was limited to either two rasgullas, one gulab jamun or a fruit custard. Extra sweets was chargeable for 30 more bucks... Tucked in the bylanes of kalbadevi after bartan market on the first floor, it's a decent place to enjoy the refreshing meal. Everything is quick! As soon you sit, you will be bombarded with dishes, I specifically loved the dahi vadas which was simply fantastic, I had 14 of those vadas (:-*) no guilt!! Anyways do visit this place along with friends and family, I'm sure they will have a good time at this place. Chao! Happy eating! :-)Oscar Peter Devansh Khakholia Mohak
5/5 for food no doubt abt it..It will give u a true feel home cooked food. The best part was chapatti n other varieties of bread(roti), it was served right from the tawa with melted ghee over it....true home cooked food experience.
Simplicity at its best... Had d best food in my life.. The taste still lingers on my tongue.. Yummy it is. If you are in kalbadevi.. Dis place is must try..
I am a hardcore non-vegetarian, but this place has been on my list since long. Finally we hatched a plan to go here. Kalbadevi and it's cramped lanes are nothing new to me, but this place is moderately tough to locate. Situated on first floor on one of the chawls in Kalbadevi.
Ambience here is very clean and has a kind of restauranty feel to it.(Normally you get a commissary/mess feeling from such places). Menu is fixed. Food was superb and clean. I loved dahi wada. Unique thing was coin shaped puran poli. And that puran poli was surprisingly very tasty.
Since this is a Gujarati joint, expect a little sweet in everything.(Incl. subzi, daal and kadhi).
Fruit salad was good, gulabjamun's were awesome.
A place which definitely should be on your list.
This place has been on my list for quite sometime and finally made it on Diwali day. It's a typical Bhojanalay style. Clean and well lit. The spread is not very over the top but simple and flavourful. Unlike the other gujju thali outlets this one is light on the tummy. Definitely going back there again.
PS. Took us a while to spot this place unless you know Kalbadevi like the back of your hand
EAT.pray.Love.EAT Again
+4
We were not sure about this one. We were hugely disappointed not once but twice by Shri Thacker Bhojanalaya. The location makes it impossible to drive a four wheeler in small lanes, don't even get me started on the status of parking. We were planning to have an early dinner around 8.00 but roaming around Kalbadevi, searching for place, dealing with the heavy pedestrian & vehicular traffic on a Monday night then searching endlessly for parking like insane, we decided to give this place a ditch. It was close to 10, we finally double parked our car, we decided to give it a try since we've already taken so much pain to reach till here, hoping that it won't be towed until we return.
Word of caution: NEVER ever come to Kalbadevi on a weekday with your car. If 10.00 p.m looks like this, I can't even imagine the morning or lunch hours.
Thankfully, we saw the big board of "Friends Union Joshi Club" from the Kalbadevi road itself. The place has such old world charm, big wooden framed windows, vintage pendulum clock on the wall, it felt like we have gone decades back. We loved the simplistic treatment this place has to offer.
We were greeted with the welcome drink of Chaas and then the rest of the food team followed. Dhokla & Moong daal bhajji were openers followed by Batata Rassa Bhaaji, Padwal sukka, White vaatana bhaaji and Bokhra(!!) bhaaji (supposed to be a Gujrati specialty). I think Batata rassa bhaaji is the "Sonu Nigam" of thalis, irrespective of the restaurant, you've to have it on your plate. But it was indeed delicious, so was Padwal sukka. I'm not sure if it was because we were super-tired till we reached here or the aroma of hot phulkas but we had multiple servings of all the subzis except Vaatana (as I'm not a big fan). The Bokhra sabzi which I hated in Thacker Bhojanalaya was splendidly made here hence couldn't control myself from having couple of more helpings.
After gulping down half a dozen garma garam phulkas, we were not much hungry but just for the sake of taste (& this review),we had little Dal Rice, Kadhi Rice & Kadhi Khichdi- all equally delicious. We also loved the little accompaniment thali they had at every table, consisted of spicy dry chutney, fry mirchi pieces, sweet-sour pickle etc. which went very well with rice preparations.
For dessert, we had "Ravaa Laapshi" which is the closest to my grandma makes. It was utterly divine. Sweetness of jaggery with deliciousness of ghee & ample amount of cashews. The Ravaa grains were beautifully light, separated with plenty of "shudh-desi-ghee". I can't even remember how many helpings we had even though we were more than full. We shared a small bowl of fruit custard (for extra charges) as my partner wanted to.
The charges came to 400 bucks for two which is pretty cheap if you compare to other thali outlets in the same vicinity. You won't get even a single thaali in Thacker Bhojanalaya or any other leading thaali place for the same price. I would like to come back to this place which hasn't lost the warmth of home-cooked meal, preferably on weekend lunch to try some more veggie variety, puris & bhakri et al. Obviously & strictly by public transportation..!!
Ar Shantanu Dambir
This place was on my list for some time, so today I finally made it for lunch. I have rated this mess high, solely for food & cleanliness.
Location: It's quite difficult to locate this place, unless you have google maps or you if you know Kalbadevi well. Keep looking for that big signage of thali on your right once you reach that small lane.
Food: Purely vegetarian thali joint. Food is simple & delicious. And very important, it is pocket friendly if I'll compare its pricing With other restaurant serving similar thali.
Service: Staff is courteous & owner is humble. Good food & good service.
Thank you Joshi's for such delicious lunch.
This place in Kalbadevi is caught back in yesteryears, since it's inception during British times.
Beats the most hip thali restaurants in Mumbai on multiple factors, primarily value for money and needless to mention the delicious food.
Do get into some chatting with the owner of the place Mr. Joshi, who would more than welcome you to brief about the locality in which the restaurant sits and the history of this place.
This is the place I have been since I was a child. The best ever place to visit at any time of the year with anyone at all. The food, I just can say that this is home made feel from home away with such a home like treatment. If Food is the thing which you look for, then this is your place. Staff is so so cooperative and nice. Everything served is pure and tastes more than yum. From a small child to an aged person, no one can deny their food. It is always this place I would love to come again and again.
Home away from home
Worth every penny ,true gujarathi cuisine at its best
had couple bowlof turiya maag ki sabzi and hot phulkas Recommend to every gujju or foodie who likes food on sweet side.Rohit Taunk
Wow wow.. Very homely food. Neat and tidy place to sit .. Simply awesome food. Their dal was superb. They serve thali , eat unlimited.. Not very heavy to stomach.. Extremely nice. Hot ghee chapatis , rice , three sabji, dahi wada, two types of dal, both meetha and teekha and Puran poli. You can buy any sweet like rasgulla , gulab jamun or custard for an extra 30 RS
This place is much Btr then shree thakkar bhojnalaya. I agree that the variety is a bit less here compared to thakkar but the pricing is way way less at friends union. Thakkar thali is now priced at 500 RS while this is at 200 RS.. Really worth every penny. Do visit this Plc..
This is the place I visit when I'm craving homely sattvic food. Friend's Union Joshi Club is a place with an old world charm just like it's name. The thali here is reasonably priced compared to other unlimited Gujarati thali places in Kalbadevi area and is value for money. It's not very extravagant. It consists of 1/2 Farsan, 3/4 vegetables, sweet dal and chawal, sweet Gujarati kadhi (Kadhi is to die for!), Super thin rotis, puris and a sweet. Owner and the staff is warm. The food here is simple and leaves you content, just like a good meal at home does.
I had heard about this iconic restaurant but got a chance today. Admist rain, getting stuck in Kalbadevi lanes we were saved by the huge name board. You have to enter a wadi and it's on 1st floor.
Ambience: the place is clean and resembles a dining hall with the plated laid out. No sooner than you sit that the serving starts. The staff is polite and cordial.
Food: This place serves typical Gujurati cuisine and of course veg on sweeter side. There are limited items but you can eat unlimited. The seasoning is correct so you don't feel bloated at all except gave a siesta
Price: The thali costs 200rs. And aamras costs 30rs extra or basically any sweet other than piece of Besan sweet on the plate.
Do visit it as this place is different than the commercial ones
The pic doesn't show papad, potato tikki, Besan Roti, and rice
It offers simple, delicious home-style Gujarati food. They are famous for their light thalis. A normal thali consists of four vegetables, one dal, one farsan, phulkas and bhakris, a salad and sweet dish.
Yummmy Gujarati food...dal,kadhi, veggies chass...all d vry authentic way...vry pocket frndly...vry good service....really a destination fr food if u want a pet full excluding harming ur digestive system vit harmful masalas... personally i liked it as being a marwadi i m a gujju food fan...
If you want to have a Thali, this is where you have to go. Amen.
The value for your money that you will receive from Friends Union Joshi Club is probably the highest in the city. Their thalis are full of multiple daals and sabzis and the servers keep pushing you to have more. Pair that with unlimited chaas and you have a Foodie Paradise.
Try visiting this place on Sunday for a special meal with puran polis! :D
With a humbling ambience, Joshi screams out to you urging you to tuck the electronics away. And focus on food. Hence, no pics.
Very lacklustre place focused on a communal meal, you'll actually witness the old timers walking over to each others' seats and having a conversation. As for the food, a thali costs around 200 (I think the Aam Ras we had cost Rs 20 per bowl) and is sheer simplicity staring at you.
My thali consisted of bhindi, lauki Kofta, an aloo sabzi, green moong dal, meethi dal (with a choice of meethi / teekhi dal or kadhi I think), aam ras, and sabudana wada. Each item was cooked to perfection with my personal favourites being the bhindi, aloo and lauki (please note, I only eat lauki koftas and no other lauki preparation).
By the end of your meal, you are bound to be overstuffed even though the items are limited. Only because of the perfection with which every item is made. I am definitely visiting again. I just hope I get some more bhindi (given my undying okra love)!
This place is like the heaven for vegetarians. The thali is so tasty and filling that you feel like going there every time you struck on a sore mood. The various daal- khatti, meethi, kadi were equally well made with the authentic essence maintained in all three. The subjis were tasty too! The samosa was very delicious but will be often be missed out in the overwhelming platter. The chutneys were amazing. A very Spartan setting and a very friendly host who serves his guests on his own. Also they served amras that was yum and unadulterated 🙌🏾
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
7th Feb, 2016
Summary: Gujrathi thali in homely but spartan surroundings. Three generations onwards, Mr Purohit representing the current owner family is one beefy tall Bhau who personally comes to each table at least couple of times to ensure you eat heartily & relish with love his kitchen's simple food. At the prices they charge (INR 230/-)..boy O boy .. For its humble warmth, simplicity of the dining room, good quality food, VFM & the "athiti" hospitality by staff, FUJC makes into my top 20 Mumbai list. Neighbouring Thakker Bhojnalaya my other fav thali outlet better watch out given it over the past year has over Priced its famed budget thali now above INR 400/-.
The boys prefer thali , so we head town side. At the heart of Kalbadevi, you enter an old building through an arched alley and on the first floor hangs a signage Joshi Bhojnalaya or Friends Union Joshi Club as Zomato officially names it. In the early 1960s & 70s, Mr Purohit informs me this place was called a "KHANAWAL" an eatery for the middle class neighbourhood and labourers. It's exactly one pm, we are the first to the tables. Spic & Span interiors, clean tables and clear crisp decor on the walls. The red spicy garlic chutney & diced green chillies in mustard are a great palate cleanser. Farsan (only 2) ,phulka & puri, dal & subzis are usual thali stuff, but we felt the masala & spice levels had a ghar ka touch than being lavishly creamy or rich. The sweet Kadi , Kichdi, aloo Tamatar gravy, steamed okra subzi & Fried potato Gujiya starter were winners. The gulab jamun is hot & best to have, suggest you avoid the rosagolla. Fruit custard was cool, not so thick & creamy. The chaas loaded with cumin- refreshing. I have 3-4 katoris of the meethi kadhi.Yum 😎
The young table staff keep asking my younger son for his fav paneer subzi & even at the end he happily tucks into another ladle of serving. My elder son who had deep reservations looking at the derelict building feels it's worth coming again .. Redemption finally. So I say come to this humble eatery. This may not serve fancy farsan & mishtan or more quantity of items compared to Thaker Bhojnalaya or Maharaja Bhog .. it's still worth a meal to have . As Mr. Purohit tells me while we leave ...Sir Tamhe Jhamvano Prem ma, I trust his words... Trust !!!!
My dad took us here in last year Diwali and was reminiscent throughout our drive. Food tastes just like mom made food. It's so peaceful to sit in a place which is untouched by this loathing commercial world. Open windows, fans, simple seating arrangement, simple food and simple people makes you feel like you time travelled. Go here once to take a break from the stereotype.
Nice Gujrathi Thali. Value for money. Not as lavish as Thakkers or Golden Star Thali but good when u r running short of funds at Month ends and want to have a sumptuous thali.
Friends Union Joshi Club Bhojnalaya is a special
Thali restaurant based in crowded Kalbadevi main road.They serve homely food & very warm service through their Thali..
FUJC operates on low margins & emphasises on good food.
1 Farsan
4 Sabzi
Khichdi & Rice
Kadhi & Dal both sweet & spicy
Phulkas & Puran Poli
Choice of 1 Sweet -Gulab Jamun & Rasgulla were good But, Fruit Salad was bad...!
All this is unlimited priced at 230/- only..!
Quality & Quantity is the dogma of this eatery.
Don't expect grand food & posh setting.
Try this place for light soul food.
A friend took me there for lunch to make me feel like home and feed me typical Gujju food :P
I already judge him for eating out so much! And he wanted to change his image in my mind! :D
So it's a very old place and has very simple and subtle arrangements! Table for two like a typical Gujju bhojanalaya! :)
The thali was delicious! The undhiyu they served was very much different than what my mum makes but I can't blame them! There are so many versions of Undhiyas based on the regions! :) and the bhakri biscuit was sweet! I expected a typical kathiawadi bhakri! (I guess I expect way too much! :P)
Everything else was just delicious! I loved the rasawala alu, mung shaak, rasgullas, sabudana wada and daal! :)
It was quite a heavy lunch! :P but it's worth a many visits if you wish to be a part of some age old restaurant and experience basic food with a historic ambience! :)
I eat here since several years when I am in the town. Best food in Kalbadevi side. I have eaten both lunch and dinner thalis here and both are best in class. Lighting and infrastructure setup is not upto the mark. Its dim lighting and not worth. The approach to the restauarant above is not upto the mark since it is an old building. But the food is best in town and comes at an affordable price compared to others.
I guess they should turn the facility air conditioned for atleast four to five months a year if not round the year.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Finally made the pilgrimage to this oft written about and much hallowed thali joint and boy, was it worth it! A 90 minute drive for a 15 minute meal, is what my dad called it. If you have a large car/SUV it may make sense to park somewhere more convenient, away from Kalbadevi and cab it to this place. With much difficulty we found a tiny place to park our vehicle on Babu Genu road. We accosted two adequately Gujju looking people who would be prime suspects of being regulars at Joshi's, to direct us to the joint. They mistook us for first time Mumbai tourists and tried to dissuade us from going to Joshi's and instead recommended the more famous and richer Bhagat Tarachand or Thakkars. With only the determination of true foodie pilgrims to guide us, we ignored them and continued to our original destination anyway. FUJB is located on the first floor of a what's probably a 100 year old decrepit 'copraytive' (gujju for cooperative) society. It's one of the original Khanavals in the city, intended to feed scores of Gujarati and Rajasthani migrants trying to make a living in the city of dreams. 200 INR for a thali sans sweets, 250 with one serving of sweets. Not very expensive considering the spread. 4 veggies, 2 dals(sweet/plain), kadhi, khichdi and chaas all unlimited. The place itself is fairly Spartan, but clean. The food is delicious and wonderfully light. Rotis were soft with just the right amount of ghee. Veggies and dal were flavourful without being too oily or spicy. Khichdi was cooked just right and the tangy kadhi was an excellent accompaniment. They served Puran Polis with the thali which were outstanding! The puran was soft and doughy without being cloyingly sweet. We ate to our heart's content and walked out rather than stagger out(which is the usual condition after a thali) satiated. For someone uninitiated to the world of Gujarati and Rajasthani thalis, maybe FUJB is not the best place to begin with. You may want to experience a grander thali with more fanfare, first. Veteran foodies who know the value of simple soul food and for whom ambience and other pretences don't matter, are the ones who'll truly appreciate FUJB for what it is. The pilgrimage from the burbs to Kalbadevi just to eat at this joint is one that I'll be making more often.
Good home made food at a very reasonable rate..best place for lunch and dinner.. Had been there with my friends fr lunch thrice..enjoyed the meal.. Felt like had good food after a very long time..totally worth it !!
Natarajan Viswanathan
+4.5
As they say to find a diamond one needs to comb the mines and you need to excavate, in the same way this diamond is nestled in the midst of the hustle bustle of one of the busiest lanes in mumbai, Kalbadevi Road. The plan was to have a leisurely lunch here. So we set out in a cab armed with Google maps to excavate and explore this gem. A nondescript place on the first floor of an old building with absolutely simple furniture and seating. We walked in to the owner standing at the door welcoming us with a smile. An inner voice told.me that the experience would be great. We sat down and were immediately served hot and piping food. Starting with ' Sheera' and moving on to kachori, Alu gravy sabzi, sprouts, beans, cabbage, two types of dal (sweet and normal) and butter - milk. There rotis and biscuit rotis and rice. Amazing out of the world sabzis and dal. The rotis were soft and fluffy. The butter milk was refreshing with the right amount of spices. The best part about the food is that there were not too much masalas which was easy on our palettes. The owner of the place personally checked on each and every diner. Felt very good and satiated after an awesome lunch. Please try out this place. Wish everyone a very happy diwali.
An absolute hidden gem!! One of the best Gujarati thalis I have ever had. A simple and humble establishment that packs home style deliciousness in its thalis. Starting with some fresh bhajiyas to the seasonal delights from Gujarati cuisine, eating at Joshi club is truly delightful.
Not much in terms of ambience.. An old school mess or lunch place. .. But hygienic and well made food.. Not to mention unlimited food.. So gorge on the masala rotis bhakris and great subzis
Word of caution - since it is tucked into the maze that is kalbadevi.. Do not take your car.. Parking can be a big problem.. Oh and lose that belt
After a wait of 2 years, I finally went to this place and had the famous Thali.
Thali is on the menu and gives you variety of choices - Sabzi- Paneer , Potato and another variant
Dessert - Milk item + Custard
Starter - Dhokla\ Khamman.
Types of Chutney
Roti- Fulka\ Puri
Food quality is great and tastes like home. Optimum in spicy and oil. Service is prompt and worth all efforts
This place has been in existence from the pre-independence era and again has a cult following. ‘Friends Union Joshi Club’ quite an unusual name for a thali place, it perhaps speaks of it as a place to congregate for a foodie cause in the times gone by. It was on my list for some time and I finally managed to visit last week.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
A bunch of us went for lunch. This 'club' is actually a restaurant, located in a ramshackle building in Kalbadevi, one of Bombay's oldest trading hubs. Friends Union Joshi Club is perhaps so named because in its founding days, it was a great adda (hangout) for friends, mostly from the Gujarati and Maharashtrian communities.
The food is served on a big steel plate, with steel cutlery. The good thing is that this restaurant has kept its food delicious, simple and true to its Gujarati roots. It does not try to dazzle customers with fancy dishes and new-age concoctions. Which is why so many people wend their way to this place time and again: I'm told by locals that Friends Union has a large base of loyal patrons.
The day we went there, they had a couple of fried snacks to start the meal. This was followed by three kinds of rotis and rotlas, made of atta, bajra and one other pulse. Then there were dals, a kadhi, three subzis, pickles, the pudina-dhaniya chutney, papad and a couple of other items that I have forgotten.
The waiting staff is polite and courteous. They do the rounds regularly, giving you refills any number of times.
Friends Union Joshi Club is great for those who love authentic food with a dose of history, but care two hoots for the ambience.
Classic Gujarati Food. Must must must try. Be prepared for the immediate sleep with the hogging one will do after eating here. Waiting to go again
have been here.... simple and amazing food... it was closed for renovation... but now its back on track.... authentic gujrati thali food...
Good food but closed for renovations.
Been to this place about 2 years ago. The food is simple but fulfilling. Just the way it is served at home. The ambience is nothing to write home about.
Wanted to try it again, but this place is under renovation. Maybe they will open after the rains.
Mannn !! You gotta visit this place before you die .... Absolutely amazing staff ... They make u hog ... Amazing authentic gujju food ... I clearly fell in love with .. My dad got me to this place when i was a kid :)
When I think of the Friends Union Club, as a towny I have so many memories to this place. I inherit the nature of being a foodie from my mother and thanks to her for taking us to this lovely restaurant on a busy street like Kalbadevi. The lovely unlimited Rajasthani - Gujarati mix Thali they serve with the speciality of serving food hot and fresh has always amazed me. As kids my brother and me have blackmailed my mum into taking us to this place. Simple and although the ambience of this place is all not exciting, the food served here sets this place apart. Economical in nature and great place to enjoy lovely Rajasthani and Gujarati food.
Nadia Comăneci of Gujurati Thaalis. Scores a perfect 10.... 5in this case. Will make Mr. Modi proud. I had close 15 rotis, and still don't feel uncomfortably stuffed. Magic of home cooked meal. Not to be missed
Total value for money, the food, the taste, cooked with love and served from heart.The hospitality and the warmth with which you are served is hard to find even in star category hotels. Do visit and have a great meal and you would love to go again.Wishing you all the best,Kiran Shah, Pune cell: 9158251696
Absolutely authentic gujarati thali place in the heart of mumbai's trading district. The owner himself comes to serve you sometimes and asks about the food quality. For those not used to, may find the food a tad too sweet. This being the season, we got served oondhio and it was yum. Other thali items were nice too. Being in a very crowded locality, you need to come with a prayer on your lips for a parking place. Otherwise take a cab from VT or churchgate to this place. Did spot a rat on the floor but don't think the management takes any chances with hygiene here. The floors and tables and plates/spoons were spotless otherwise. A good place to stop by and stuff yourself with home-like gujju food and then take an afternoon siesta!
Amazing food... With abt 4 vegs.. 2starters.. Ghar ka roti... Yummy....
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Been here several times over the years
POPULARITY INDEX
Legendary place always busy. Bombayites if you remember BUSYBEE Behram Contractor the Famous MID DAY food critic. He discovered this gem which was known to only the insiders
AMBIENCE
Located in a very congested area of Kalbadevi not far from Princess street. Dont even try to take your car here unless you want to park on Princess street and walk. Simple no frills eatery located on 1st floor. Legendary place here for ages. CNN Food ranks this as THE BEST thali in mumbai followed by Thakkar and another one in Opera hse forget the name Golden Star I think
SERVICE
Owners and staff are humble polite good hearted folks who treat you like family
CLEANLINESS
Clean neat hygienic
FOOD
Fresh flavorful amazing fresh variety. You get an unlimited guju thali with everything from appetizers, 3 subzis, dal kadi, rice khichdi, phulkas, bhakri etc etc " FOOD IS TO DIE FOR. This is where all the fussy gujjus who know their dal-shak-bhakri go and eat. They set a standard in perfection that is always imitated but never replicated. You will often get to try their special surti undhiyu here. Just remember gujus always add some sugar or gud to their dishes. The kesar silk shrikhand is SIMPLY DIVINE. Thats probably why they are such sweet soft spoken people. LOL Much better than Thakkars for just approx 150- Unlimited but sweets extra What a bargain. For folks who are new to Gujju food. Thakkar and Friends are the gourmet places for gujju food. Rajdhani is like a Mcdonalds fast food replica of them and garbage compared to the perfection at these two places.
THIS IS A MUST TRY FOR ANY FOODIE. I ASKED THE COUNTER PERSON WHO I RIGHTLY ASSUMED TO BE THE OWNER IF HE OWNED THE PLACE. HE SAID GOD OWNED IT AND HE JUST WORKED THERE. I TOLD HIM HIS FOOD WAS BETTER THAN THAKKARS. HE HUMBLY REPLIED THAT THAKKARS WAS ALSO VERY GOOD. WHAT A KIND HEARTED PERSON. FRIENDS IT IS SUCH ENCOUNTERS THAT KEEP MY HEART AND MEMORIES ALIVE
A place which deserves a 5 star rating if only food was the criteria. Have given 4 because the place desperately requires a fresh coat of paint. Priced at Rs.200 for an unlimited thali, the food is total value for money. Staff as well as the management are very attentive. The spread is limited and every item is very tasty. Looking forward to eating here again.
Honestly, I found the served here of great quality. This is not a fancy joint but I would rate their food over Bhagat Tarachand. As I feel they do justice the food they serve. The food is just amazing. Though people might complain saying @ 200 it's really expensive with no air conditioning and great seating options! I would say whenever I am next in Kalbadevi looking for some great vegetarian food FUJC you will be amongst the top 3 contenders!
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Located in one of the busiest roads in Mumbai, it's difficult to see find this place. Once you enter, it gives you the feel of a very old established eatery. I have heard about this place from a recent article on thalis and I wanted to check it out, which is why we went for a lunch.
Lets get to the main point which is Food!
Dollops of ghee and sweet food is on your way. They serve you spicy dal as well as sweet dal. The four sabzis, which include aloo sabzi, cauliflower bhaji, bean sabzi, matar k sabzi were delicious. They served chapati, chota roti, and Bakhri smeared with ghee. You should try their lahsun ka achaa which is absolutely red and tasty and there was also sweet dahlia. They also serve aloo bondas with imli sauce, deep fried. For dessert we had choice between piping hot gulab jamuns and roshogollas. Chass is what we ended with, which just ruined our taste as it was too salty.
Food is absolutely delicious. If you have never tried Gujrati thali or you are low in your pocket or you want to eat lot of food. You should try out this plate. They serve you generous helpings and keep on serving you till you say stop. Go there with an empty appetite andmake sure you go for your run or excercise the next day. It's worth spending for the food here.
Just back from gastronomical meal here ! Somethings dont change with time and same goes for the food here. Just awesome as usual. Have been going here from 2000 but nothing has changed except the prices :P. Would recommend for all those low on pocket yet want to eat authentic guju food. If u compare with the thakkars/golden star only difference being the no of farsans in the meal & the ambience. Everything else are on par with them. Highly recommend this, make it point to visit it every 3 months !
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Located in Narottam Wadi on Kalbadevi Road, The entrance is a bit inconspicuous as you enter a large arch and see a tiny 'Joshi Bhojanalay - 1st Floor' board over the stairs that lead to a very old structure. Once inside, it appears as old school and rustic as one can imagine. A very canteen like one sided table and bench arrangement is unusual for this world.
Once on your table the drill begins. One after the other, the components of the thalli are delivered. Diced Kanda, Tamatar & Kakdi is followed by a miniature Batata Vada and roasted Papad. The Vada is soft and delicate. Was quite tempted to ask for two more of them but paused and waited for the next dish to arrive. In a typical 4 joint bowl came the veggies. Matki ki bhajji, Aloo Bhajji, Karela Bhajji & Palak Paneer. These veggies rotate daily, So you will come across different bhajji's on each day. Evening dinner sometimes replaces the staple rice with Khicdi. Next up were the assorted flatbreads - Plain Chapati, Masala Chapati, Puranpoli Bhakri & Biscuit Bhakri (Puri is served only on Sunday). These were followed by the two variations of Dal - Meethi Dal & Theekhi Dal with plain rice and finally option of Cham-Cham or Fruit Custard.
So after tasting the comforting Vada, broke the flatbreads. Started off with the cute looking Puranpoli Bhakri and tried with a spoon of the Karela Bhaji. Both are unique to the core. The Bhakri being thick and little crumbly at the same time and the Karela which was prepared with Akha Jeera, Dhaniya, Gud plus more ingredients was best bhaji of this meal. Masala Chapati is slightly spiced while the Biscuit Bhakri is as the name says - Quite crumbly and goes really well with Palak Paneer which itself is very different to our standard version. This one is more crude with bits of Palak than the pureed version that we make and eat rather everywhere. The Moong & Aloo is average and i believe are the daily non-novelty dishes. Theeki Dal is what i preferred while i was recommended to try the Meethi one. The Meethi Dal reminded me of my ex-collague from work - Kapil who's Mum used to pack a similar one for his lunch dabba. Lastly went for two rounds of Fruit Custard to cut through all the desi flavors i gorged on from the meal. Cham-Cham was average affair. In the end was left with a glass of Masala Chaas on the table and after this long meal, i couldn't gather my mind to tell my hand to go for that glass.
Lovely vegetarian meal after ages was concluded. Happy face and satiated belly is all anyone can ask for. The meal is decently priced at 200 bucks plus 20 bucks for each dessert.
This Thali is not about how full your plate looks with assorted starters and array of bhajis or choice of rice. It's not like the lavish thali you'll eat at Thackers or Bhagat Tarachand It's more about eating simple and straightforward food at a Bhojanalay - That's the word to take back 'Bhojanalay'
Great Indian food.... Very affordable... Worth for the money... Good hospitality
a simple no frills joint; unlike other fancier restaurants. Was introduced to it by a friend of mine & got hooked on to it. The food is awesome.
friends union joshi club food is superb.One should not miss it for anything. Rajiv Bagri.
An excellent place for Guajrati thali. You can eat a lot. I've tried the most thali restaurants in South Mumbai and every where after 2 rotis you feel full. But at Joshi Club, thats not the case. It is less oily, better taste and no or little "soda". Ambience is not good. But food quality is excellent. If you want ambience then this is not the place to be. But if you want authentic gujarati thali, then this should not be missed.
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If you are tired of all those fancy traditional food served in malls n big regional food chain restaurants and want to have traditional food with rustic edge.. this is the place!! Friend Union Joshi Club at Kalbadevi! It was navratri and me with my friends went to Mumbadevi for darshan and now when I know that I am so proximate to Joshi club... how could I control... :p
First feeling one get after entering narrotam wadi for FUJC, like you r in some Ahmadabad's pol. Everything is just perfectly Gujarati. After you enter its just Simple! no A/C, or any glamor, but those aroma's and crackling sounds of tadkas will make you forget everthing and you will be driven to grab a seat.
And there they start with 4-5 types of chatni "kuch Khatti, kuch Mitthi".... different farsans and large number of vegies with all those fried n steamed gujrati delicacies. When that server serves you, one fill like when should i start !!!! Those fluppy dhokla, crispy mini kachorii!! Bajre ka rotla with dollap of ghee!! dark yellow thepla with aam ka chunda!! Sev- tamatar sabji, dal khicdi with tick n soft light yellow kadhi perfectly garnished!! They go on serving you and you cant resist their serve...
This might be the reason that even Prahallad Kakkar visited here and to his surprise encountered RJ Mallishka who was shooting for it happens only in India... and the way they had food here, lured me to come this place. the pics in my review speaks a lot!!!! The price is such a factor that its value for money. So next time if in south Mumbai hire a taxi say Narrotam wadi.. Kalbadevi.. Friends Union Joshi Club and your Gujarati rustic cuisine awaits for you!!!
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