We asked Aneri Nathu to tell us about her background and plans....
“I was born into hospitality. My parents opened the first Indian restaurant in Christchurch. I remember being five years old and on the shop floor trying to serve customers and telling everyone I wanted to have my own restaurant when I grew up.
“After completing two degrees at Victoria University (Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Tourism Management), I moved to Queenstown to manage one of my parents’ restaurants. It was here when I started to realise a new concept of Indian street food could change the culinary scene in New Zealand. My family come from Mumbai and it was important for us to incorporate our culture into an unique dining experience, an experience that gives the full package from the famous Mumbai street delicacies as well as a fitout and ambience that gives the true feeling of the hustle and bustle of the busy Mumbai streets.
“I moved back to Christchurch to open the first Mumbaiwala with my parents seven years ago. After the 2010 earthquake, it was an opportunity for my family to be a part of the Christchurch rebuild as well as bring our concept to life. After doing this for three years, I moved to London for two years to do my OE. It was when I was travelling I realised I wanted to come home and pursue my dream of creating and owning my own restaurant.
“I made the hard decision to sell my house in Queenstown in order to invest in Mumbaiwala, Auckland. I didn’t know what would come out of it but it was the biggest risk I had ever taken, given the time of Covid and opening during the week of Omicron hitting New Zealand.
“Despite the many challenges, it’s been worth it. I’m proud of the fact that one year later my restaurant is everything I imagined it would be - seeing the community come together, people from all walks of life enjoying a unique dining experience.
“I was 28 years old when I opened Mumbaiwala Ponsonby and a lot of people doubted me because of my age and the current environment. However, I look back at the last year with immense gratitude for the unwavering support of my parents, two sisters, my dear friends, advisers, and the community of Ponsonby.”
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
BFT Ponsonby Gym and making sure I get some sort of exercise to start my day. Ultimately, I feel it is the pride and responsibility of owning my own business that drives me to get out of bed every day. My father always said to me, ‘you only live once so get shit done’.
The restaurant looks incredible - the toilets are often mentioned - who did the interior design?
I developed the concept, which involved balancing the design language of the Christchurch restaurants and seeking a new look for Auckland. I then briefed a designer to do the building consent plans and I project managed the fitout to ensure I got everything I had dreamed of.
What are some of your best dishes - including a vegan dish?
Aucklanders have wide and varied culinary tastes and are spoiled for choice so it’s fantastic to see them enjoying Mumbai street food. Our Dahi Puri, Sali Boti Lamb Curry and Tandoori Lamb Chops are the most popular dishes and the Cauliflower Manchurian is a vegan staple that even meat-eaters love.
How has the response from locals been?
I’m so grateful for the amazing response from Ponsonby residents. We love our regular customers and locals, who are not just coming in to eat, but are coming in for the experience and appreciating it. Mumbaiwala Ponsonby is for everyone - no matter if you’ve just come from yoga, or if you’ve come from corporate. It’s amazing building and connecting with so many different people. It’s also great to have our customers embrace a different and lighter style of eating Indian cuisine – beyond the staple curry and rice- which is what I always envisioned.
The staff are so good. How has the feedback been?
I get immense satisfaction from giving young people an opportunity, so we hired staff with little experience alongside our seasoned team and they’ve all learned from each other. Our head chef has been with us for over 10 years looking after the kitchen, so we know food is consistent, which is key to why our regulars keep coming back!
You look so busy on Saturday nights. Do we need to make a booking or can we simply try our luck as a walk-in?
We are a 150 seat restaurant and we always try our best to leave some tables for walk-ins. So feel free to drop in whenever you want and I’m sure I’ll be able to accommodate even if we are busy.
Mumbaiwala, 252 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 213 4152, M: 021 648 785, www.mumbaiwala.co.nz
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