An Evening at the Royal Bombay Yacht Club

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Close to the Gateway of India is the Royal Bombay Yacht Club.At some point in time,all of us have passed it.



The Royal Bombay Yacht Club was earlier housed at the Waterfront but later shifted to RBYC Chambers in 1947 when the clubhouse was acquired by the Bombay Port Trust.The Offices of the Atomic Energy Commission are now housed there.The building is stunning.
King George and Queen Mary visited the club in 1911.A special menu designed for them is mentioned in "The History Of The Royal Bombay Yacht Club", written by Gulshan Rai,retd Joint Commissioner of Customs,Padmashree and Arjuna Awardee who circumnavigated the globe.He was Ex Commodore at the RBYC.The table you see above is the Commodore's Table on which the whole team eats together.Though a Dutch sport,yachting was introduced to India by the British,just like tea was.










The club is very well maintained.There are several yachting memorabilia on display.
I came across an ancient weighing machine in which the person has to be seated!


There are boat models everywhere....like the one below of INS Trincomalee.




Spotted a barometer that warned about ships about impending storms



The door to the first floor room made you feel like you were on a ship





There was a really old bell with a gong to match.



The food at the Royal Bombay Yacht Club transports you to the days of the British Raj......Devilled Eggs,Lobster Thermidor,Ham Sandwiches....





Every time I've been there,we have had my friend Kainaz's favorite: Eggs Kejriwal invented by Devi Prasad Kejriwal,a Marwari who ate nonveg.......it's a concoction of fried egg,cheese and green chillies on toast.


Recently,I came across a book on Dak Bungalows called "The Raj On The Move" by Rajika Bhandari which talks of food during the British era,in particular the abundance of chicken in dak  bungalow cuisine.Rajika mentions  Caramel Custard being nicknamed 365 as it was prepared all around the year due to easy availability of its ingredients.While Caramel Custard is available everywhere today, other dishes are seen only in clubs such as the RBYC.Thankfully some recipes have been documented in "Curries and Bugles" by Jennifer Brennan and in 'Curry-A Tale Of Cooks and Conquerors' by Lizzie Collingham

Comments

Kalyan said…
Love the kejriwal & the ham sandwich too. The club is such an oasis in the middle of the busy city
November 20, 2013 at 10:57 PM
Sassy Fork said…
True Kalyan...thanks to Kainaz and you,I got to see the place
November 21, 2013 at 2:46 PM
Anurag Mehrotra said…
A fun read!
November 22, 2013 at 7:26 PM
R. Karmakar said…
How come I did not see the weighing machine in the club?
November 22, 2013 at 8:28 PM
Sassy Fork said…
Thanks Anurag! Good to see you here!!
Rekhamashi,it is on the first floor after you enter the permit room...I read about it in Gulshan Rai's book and then spotted it
November 22, 2013 at 9:47 PM
BombayJules said…
Hey Sassy...I went to an expat event here once but not since. Do you have to be a member to dine there or can anyone go to the restaurant?
November 29, 2013 at 12:07 PM
Sassy Fork said…
One has to sign in with a member....wish I was one :)
November 29, 2013 at 2:27 PM
Anonymous said…
Thank you for mentioning my book, The Raj on the Move: Story of the Dak Bungalow. I'm glad you enjoyed the recipes.

Rajika Bhandari
December 1, 2013 at 5:30 AM
Sassy Fork said…
Rajika ....so thrilled to see you here!! That is one fabulous book!! I am looking forward to more from you
December 1, 2013 at 8:25 AM
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