Jaffer Bhai Mansuri (83), affectionately known as King Biryani of Mumbai, passed away on Thursday due to cardiac arrest at Breach Candy Hospital. He was being treated for Covid-19. “They took him to Breach Candy last week. But his oxygen saturation dropped and he was switched to a ventilator on September 2. He died yesterday due to a heart attack ”, confirmed a source from the Breach Candy hospital.
Mansuri had not felt well for the past month, according to members of his family, and last week they put him on a fan.
The founder of Delhi Darbar and Jaffer Bhai’s Delhi Darbar chain, Mansoori’s death is being mourned by the broader hotel industry.
Mansuri founded the Delhi Darbar restaurant in 1973 on Grant Road, Mumbai. In 2006, he established a restaurant chain called ‘Jaffer Bhai’s Delhi Darbar’ after parting ways with the family business. Known for its tasty kebabs and delicious biryani, the Delhi Darbar chain owns several restaurants in the city from Grant Road to Jogeshwari. The chain also has several restaurants in the UAE.
Shivanand Shetty, president of the Association of Hotels and Restaurants (AHAR) said that Jaffer Bhai was a pioneer in the hospitality industry who had many firsts to his name. “Delhi Darbar was one of the first branding attempts in the city. At that time, even when people owned multiple restaurants, they didn’t have the same name. Jaffer Bhai turned Delhi Darbar into a big and credible brand. Their kebabs and biryani are known all over the world. It also introduced the idea of a central kitchen, in which the main ingredients are shipped from one place to ensure the same flavor across multiple branches, ”he added. Jaffer Bhai was one of the founding members of AHAR when the association was formed in 1979.
“From a small restaurant on Grant Road, Jaffer Bhai managed to build an empire of restaurants and food delivery places across the city to Navi Mumbai,” said renowned food critic Kurush Dalal. Known for being ahead of his time with his idea of starting paperless food orders in his restaurants to introduce Afghan biryani to those who preferred their less spicy biryani, he was the man at the forefront of all ideas.
“She loved to cook and until very recently, she would play in the kitchen and make magic happen. I wish the family all the luck to carry their legacy to greater heights, ”added Dalal.
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