Maya Sarabhai AKA Ratna Pathak Shah Loved This Gujarati Supper Club In Mumbai

No matter how successful we become or how many fine-dining tables we sit at, there is one craving that never really leaves us: the food we grew up eating. Not the polished restaurant versions. But the real thing. The food tasted different at every relative’s house, and the flavours quietly shaped who we are. Actor Ratna Pathak Shah, fondly remembered by many as Maya Sarabhai, recently put this feeling into words on Instagram.

Unbox Jalso, The Gujarati Supper Club Ratna Pathak Shah Swears By

 

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Ratna Pathak Shah spoke about a search she and her sister Supriya Pathak had been on for years: a search for authentic Gujarati food in Mumbai. Not “good Gujarati food,” but food that tastes like childhood.

She admitted that Mumbai has no shortage of excellent restaurants serving Gujarati cuisine. But somehow, none of them tasted quite like the food they remembered eating while growing up. That nostalgia, that very specific flavour memory, felt missing. But it was only the case until she found Unbox Jalso.

Ratna Pathak Shah shared how Unbox Jalso helped her revisit her childhood through food. The flavours evoked memories of meals from a time when food was personal, slow, and strongly connected with people. She highly praised the experience and declared it a must-try for anyone who genuinely wants to experience Gujarati cuisine in Mumbai. And that says a lot, especially coming from someone who knows these flavours as lived experience.

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This Isn’t Your Usual Gujarati Thali

Unbox Jalso is not about ticking boxes like dhokla, fafda, or thepla. This is a slow, intimate Gujarati supper club, where every course has a story behind it. The menu goes far beyond what we usually see at restaurants. Think regional Gujarati dishes, family heirloom recipes, and preparations that are quietly disappearing from everyday kitchens.

These are recipes gathered over time from family, friends, and travels across different parts of Gujarat. They are cooked with the same care one would put into a meal for loved ones. In a world where meals arrive in ten minutes and are eaten between notifications, Unbox Jalso asks you to do the opposite. It asks you to slow down.

This is an intimate pop-up with limited seating, designed to feel like a shared meal rather than a restaurant service. Guests sit together, eat together, and talk together. Stories flow as easily as the food. The experience unfolds gently, reminding you that Gujarati cuisine has always been about togetherness.

When someone like Ratna Pathak Shah says a meal made her feel like she was revisiting her childhood, you know it’s something special. Because sometimes, the most powerful food experiences aren’t about innovation at all.

Cover Image Courtesy: Unbox Jalso/Instagram