Moments of adversity give rise to the best opportunity – this proved especially true for Sabir Bhai, the founder of Sabir Bhai’s cloud kitchen that serves authentic Muslim cuisine across the city. Located in Andheri, this special delivery kitchen saw the light of the day during the lockdown when eating outside food was a far-fetched dream for gourmands. With an in-house delivery structure, it brings to your plate the glorious flavours of kebabs, tikkas and everything appetizing from the streets of Mohammad Ali Road while also following safety and hygiene standards to perfection.
Founder Sabir Shaikh, a seasoned restaurateur with a strong educational background in the field of Hotel Management took on board Sanaullah Khan – a bhatiyaar with over 30 plus years’ experience in the area of bulk cooking of the iconic traditional Muslim cuisine - to create what is today known as Sabir Bhai’s. He collaborated with Sanaullah Khan for Sabir Bhai's in a bid to support and extricate him from the quandary caused to his work life by the pandemic.
Rich in flavours and spices, the food that the city always looked forward to savouring in Ramzan, will now be available anywhere and anytime the heart craves for it. The main USP of this special cloud kitchen is bringing the food you love, to your doorstep.
Sabir Bhai's menu includes signature dishes from the magnificent Muslim culinary space like Mutton Khichda, Mutton Nalli Nihaari, Veg Baghaara Chaawal, and the famous meat and rice delicacy that has its roots going back to the Mughal era - Biryani. They also offer the option of ordering and experiencing a daawat for a small group of 4 people. Usually, daawats are for 8 people or more, however, Sabir Bhai customized the portion sizes of his daawat dishes to suit the needs of smaller families or gatherings.
Expressing his views about his venture Sabir Bhai’s, Founder – Sabir Shaikh spoke to Mumbai Live about the restaurant, menu, thoughts behind the project and a lot more. Here are the excerpts
What is the USP of the ‘real Muslim cuisine’?
Muslim cuisine doesn’t belong to one particular region. In India, Muslims are spread all across the country and everyone has their own technique and style of cooking. For example, Biryani is cooked in 100 different ways all over India and I can say that each one would taste amazing! Although the Mughals have had a huge impact on the style of cooking, overall it all depends on the method one follows. Slow cooking, dum, using stock to cook food are some of the known ways of cooking Muslim food that makes it taste different from others. Another noteworthy aspect of Muslim food is bulk cooking. It is usually cooked in large quantities using charcoal and woodfire which significantly adds to the taste.
Is it a niche market for you to step into?
Honestly, it isn’t. As far as I can say, I don’t think anyone who is a nonvegetarian hasn’t been to Mohammed Ali Road during Ramadan to relish the food. At Sabir Bhai’s, we are bringing that food to you at your doorstep throughout the year in a clean, hygienic, and presentable manner. Muslim cuisine is comfort food that is relished by all.
Share your passion for food, and inspiration for this restaurant!
My passion for food goes back to my childhood days. It was a joint family back then and seemed like it’s Eid as we would make large quantities of food every day and all sit together to eat. I have grown up eating traditional Muslim food and have always heard people raving about the biryani, kababs, Nihari, etc. This inspired me of having something like a Sabir Bhai’s which served authentic Muslim home food.
Why did you plan a cloud kitchen and not a dining experience?
It was a business call that needed to be taken during the pandemic. When we were conceptualizing it in the initial phase, we had planned a front store with a lovely counter, set up deliveries, and dine-in space. We had to tweak the format a bit due to the pandemic but we have plans to have a storefront soon.
How was the menu designed – talk about veg and non-veg options?
Designing the non-vegetarian dishes for Sabir Bhai’s menu was the easiest as I just had to cull out and collate all the dishes that I have been eating all my life. Choosing vegetarian options was a big challenge and it required a few trials.
Do you have plans to expand to other cities?
As of now, we want to expand in Mumbai and in other cities as well in the near future.
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