This is a local bakery in Vishal Nagar, right ahead of Copa Cabana. No no it isn’t some cool hip newage joint opened by some bored housewife or someone looking for a mid-career change. Just a modest bakery run by, I think, two brothers – I have mostly only interacted with the kind Afzal but I know he has a brother too.

I discovered this useful place thanks to the LBT stir that had resulted in a shortage of bread in the city. So driving around I was trying to locate any shop that was at least open and would have bread available. This is when Modern Bakery was sighted – not just bread, but fresh bread was procured and my visits to it started.

Now let’s get one thing cleared at the start – I haven’t tried any of their cream cakes or pastries or puffs/rolls – those look . . . how can I kindly say this? . . . not good!!! What they are certifiably good with are their BREAD/PAV/BUNS and dry delights like KHARI and BISCUITS.

They bake fresh WHITE SANDWICH BREAD every day. It is Rs 25 for a mid-sized sliced loaf! They used to bake a whole wheat one too but, as reported by Afzal bhai, silly people in the neighbourhood suspected it looked too fair for a brown bread and didn’t help it move from the shelves too much so they went back to baking only the white one!!! So just because they didn't resort to adding the caramel to make it look brown, a genuinely whole wheat bread didn't find takers!!! This, when we live in a country otherwise so enamoured by the fair-complexioned!!!

They have a range of KHARI – jeera, twist, butterfly, you name it – wonderfully fresh, crispy and flaky just right! I prefer the slender twisted one – great for hot beverage dunking, holds its shape and is easier to convey into the mouth without too much getting wasted as flakes.Even the clumsy me can eat this in a fine lady-like manner even when I have company for high tea like gatherings;-)!!! These usually come for Rs 30 per 250gms – one such pack would last a week if and only if consumed in moderation – nothing is in my household, so it lasts three days max!!!

They offer a range of biscuits too – especially nice NAANKHATAIS. They sell their NON-CREAM CAKES in sliced form as well – for Rs 50 – seems a bit steep for a modest rectangle carved from a larger cake but it is good and popular.

One thing I am kinda addicted to lately is this pack of about 6 small CREAM ROLLS that sell for a ridiculous Rs 10 – yes you heard right . . . Rs 10 for all 6!!! To be fair, some of those rolls don’t really have the cream . . . I mean it has either not been piped in too well or too generously . . . but then just a hint of creamy sweetness ensconced in a very fresh crisp roll is just so excellent with my evening tea so I don’t complain. The size is right too although I do admit to demolishing all 6 in a day if that packet is left unsupervised anywhere in my presence!

Modern Bakery is ideal for those who stay in the neighbourhood – why would you buy packaged retail khari or biscuits or bread or pav if you can get fresh daily supply from Modern at such modest prices? It is open from a ridiculous morning hour of 7am to 11pm to make it even more convenient for you to drop by. So please do.