Iconic chef Kaku Maharaj, whose real name was Murlidhar Parmanand Joshi passed away at 82, on 4 January 2021. He leaves behind his wife Kanta Joshi, and four children, Kishor Joshi, Shobhna Joshi, Pratima Sharma and Laxmikant Joshi.Recognized for his modesty and outstanding service to the community, Kaku opened his first restaurant — Joshi Restaurant and Café in Bur Dubai in 1968.
Humble Beginnings
Kaku Maharaj landed in Dubai back in 1962 and is known to have fed many Indians back in the 60s and 70s. He came to the emirate in search of a job and started working as a chef. He then brought his brother to help him in the job. With time, Kaku mastered his cooking skills and soon became well-known among the Bhatia community.
Even before Dubai’s cuisine scene took off, there was a community that would travel all the way to sample a meal whipped up by Kaku Maharaj. Soon, Kaku opened one of Dubai’s oldest restaurants -the Joshi restaurant in 1968. Back then, it was the only restaurant that served Indian vegetarian food in Dubai.
The restaurant and cafe have been there for over 50 years now and have people flocking in for its delectable dishes. When the restaurant opened doors, it was famous for Thalis. The platter consists of vegetable curries, lentil gravy, rice, bread and yoghurt and was costed INR 10 back in the 1960s. The UAE dirham was not yet in force back then.
Also read: Jaffer Bhai’s, Dubai’s Biryani King Has A 50-Year-Old Family Recipe Behind It
Earlier in September 2020, Dubai mourned the demise of Biryani King Jafferbhai Mansuri. He opened his first Delhi Darbar outlet in Dubai in 1984. Moin Jaffer Mansuri, the third of the master chef’s four sons and the fifth of his seven children spoke to a leading daily and said, his demise marked the end of an era. “For years, he fed people with his own hands, and he showed the world how a biryani is made delicious by just putting one’s heart to it.
Moin who now runs the Jaffer Bhai’s restaurant on Zabeel Road in Dubai said it was his father’s pure love to feed people and that made him truly special. Jaffer Bhai’s restaurant was all set to open a second outlet in Barsha on September 11, which is now on hold.
He was going to come and inaugurate the restaurant. He had also promised to spend at least a month in Dubai with his family. But sadly he couldn’t keep the promise, said Moin who last spent time with his father in Dubai in 2017 for “a few days” on his way back to India from an Umrah trip in Saudi Arabia.
The King Bombay Biryani Leaves A Legacy Behind Him
Jafferbhai Mansuri was fondly known as the King of Bombay Biryani. He earned his name after serving Mughlai cuisine for years. In his initial days, he took over a catering company started by his Gulam Mohammed Mansuri in 1915. Mumbai was his base right from the start. In 1973, he opened the very first branch of Delhi Darbar on Grant Road. And then there was no turning back. He opened the second branch in Colaba in 1976. Eight years down the line, he ventured into the Middle East with his first Delhi Darbar outlet in Dubai. His restaurant later gave way to a famous chain with several offshoots. It also includes the one that Moin has been running since 2002 using recipes and ethics, he said, he absorbed from his father.
Jaffer Bhai’s restaurant was voted one of the country’s best biryani outlets in an unofficial poll by two Emirati bloggers in 2017.
