The Partition noticed lakhs of individuals uprooted, transferring throughout borders seeking a brand new dwelling. Amongst them was a younger J Okay Kapur, who left all the things behind in Lahore and arrived in India atop the Frontier Mail prepare, carrying nothing however his garments and reminiscences—particularly of his mom’s meals. Her recipes, etched in his coronary heart, have been his most treasured possession, revealed solely when cooking for household and mates. Years later, these cherished recipes turned the muse of his first restaurant, Copper Chimney, the place he labored alongside his ustaads to curate the menu.
This 12 months, Copper Chimney celebrated its 52nd anniversary, relaunching its Bandra outpost in a brand new avatar, honouring each Kapur’s legacy and the model’s journey. The cocktail menu pays tribute to his life experiences—the smoky Frontier Mail symbolises his arrival in India, the daring Chandni Chowk marks his first pitstop, whereas Filmi Imli, a tamarind-infused whisky concoction, celebrates his profession as a movie distributor. Bombay Talkies, a rose-infused cocktail, is a nod to the late legendary actor Dilip Kumar who inaugurated the restaurant, served in his revered pink hue.
Inside Copper Chimney
“Meals was at all times a ardour for him. I’ve reminiscences of him making totally different sorts of achaars (pickles). We nonetheless have a couple of almost-tattered notebooks stuffed along with his handwritten recipes and notes,” shared Karan Kapur, who alongside along with his brother Varun signify the third-generation custodians of Okay Hospitality, which owns Copper Chimney.
Now a model with round 25 retailers throughout Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Gurgaon, and Pune, Copper Chimney has grown considerably. Recalling the journey of his grandfather, who handed away in 2004, Karan shared that earlier than venturing into hospitality, J Okay Kapur pursued a profession as a movie distributor and even produced Sagina, starring Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu.
Kadak Roomali
“It took him 25 years to lastly save sufficient cash to open a restaurant. He selected Worli, which wasn’t the bustling hub it’s in the present day—it had a near-deserted look again then,” Karan stated. To carry his imaginative and prescient to life, Kapur reached out to his good friend, Prem Chaddha, who ran a canteen, and invited him to co-run the restaurant. An fascinating twist—neither Kapur nor Chaddha knew on the time that their kids have been secretly courting (Chaddha is Karan’s maternal grandfather).
In 1972, Copper Chimney opened its doorways as a household restaurant. It launched Mumbai to dishes from the North West Frontier Province, together with the now-iconic Ab-e-Hayat soup, a vegetable broth infused with coconut water; Kadak Roomali, a crisp tackle the traditional roomali roti, now sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds and served with black chana hummus; Chelo Rice, paying homage to risotto; Achari Rooster Tikka, smoked and tender with daring pickle-inspired spices; slow-cooked Dal Maharaja; wealthy and buttery Copper Paneer Masala and Laal Qila Mutton Seekh, that includes minced lamb seasoned with hand-pounded spices from Khari Baoli, Asia’s largest spice market close to Purple Fort.
The Frontier Mail cocktail
“One of many restaurant’s long-standing folktales is that an ustaad unintentionally left a roomali roti on the tawa a little bit longer than wanted, and that’s how Kadak Roomali was born,” Karan shared. He additionally identified how Copper Chimney was forward of its time in some ways—it featured an open kitchen, permitting diners to look at their meals being ready, had a feminine head chef, Tari, and even displayed an indication that learn, ‘The house owners of the restaurant eat right here.’ “Again then, folks have been sceptical about hygiene in eating places. The open kitchen and that signal helped earn their belief. Copper Chimney turned a runaway success,” he stated.
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The open kitchen idea stays a signature of Copper Chimney, and watching the roomali roti being made—flung into the air in swift, round motions—remains to be a crowd favorite. Nonetheless, when requested what number of cooks of their kitchens in the present day are ladies, Karan admitted that whereas feminine cooks are below 10, ladies make up about 30 per cent of their total workforce.
Through the years, Copper Chimney has tailored to an evolving viewers whereas staying true to its legacy. Karan, who has reminiscences of frequenting the restaurant and punching in orders as a younger boy, remembers how, previously, bars needed to stay discreet to draw households, and drinks have been ordered in hushed tones. Right now, the bar takes centre stage, with households clinking glasses collectively in celebration.
By all of it, Copper Chimney has constructed a loyal clientele, with generations returning to mark birthdays, anniversaries, and milestones. “Many patrons met their companions right here, and now they carry their kids and grandchildren,” Karan shared. The restaurant has additionally been a favorite of Bollywood legends like Waheeda Rehman, Saira Banu, the late Dilip Kumar, and the late Dev Anand, in addition to enterprise magnates just like the Ambanis.
The model has now expanded internationally, with retailers in London, Kuwait, and Malaysia. “Kareena Kapoor Khan, Parineeti Chopra, Manish Malhotra—all of them dine at or order from Copper Chimney after they’re in London,” Karan revealed. “Our purpose is to open 100 shops within the subsequent decade, and we consider the model has the potential to succeed in 200 retailers globally,” he added.
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After all, the journey hasn’t been with out challenges. “In hindsight, we gave in to the franchise mannequin too early, earlier than we had all the things deliberate out, and that led to a dip in high quality. Finally, we purchased again all our franchised retailers. Now, all our eating places are company-owned, guaranteeing consistency,” Karan defined.
When requested about the key to Copper Chimney’s longevity, Karan attributed it to the relationships his grandfather constructed—a legacy his father, Sunil Kapur, and he and his brother have continued. “We’ve had the identical suppliers for our spices, greens, and paneer for many years. These relationships matter,” he signed off.
