Following a "suggestion" by the Republican Party of India chief Ramdas Athawale, Ling's Pavilion(launched in 1945) has given in to the demands of Indian Hotel & Restaurant Association(AHAR) and included Maharashtrian dishes on its menu.
The reason behind the citizens' and the restaurant patrons' ire is a political connection that appears to have forced the restaurant owners to club dimsums with misal pau under the same roof.
Officials of the Indian Hotel & Restaurant Association said that it was Athawale's "suggestion" to "promote Maharashtrian cuisine and ensure all restaurants serve such dishes at affordable rates". The AHAR chairman, Niranjan Shetty, said following the suggestion, that it was a request and not a diktat. "We have asked member restaurants to try it out. If any restaurant is doing that, it is a welcome move. It is a request, not a diktat," Shetty said.
According to a Mumbai Mirror report, one of the owners, Baba Ling, asserted that the menu was changed because they were asked to do so. "There was a meeting of restaurant owners through our association(AHAR) and they asked all restaurants to promote Maharashtrian food. Hence, we put these items on the menu. We are doing it because the association asked us to do so," Baba Ling told Mumbai Mirror.
When Mirror asked whether patrons actually ask for Maharashtrian dishes at his eatery, he said, "Nobody has ever ordered any of that. Why will anyone order a misal pau at an authentic Chinese restaurant?"
Athawale was unavailable for comment, however, Shetty insisted that it was the Ling's Pavilion owners' decision to introduce Maharashtrian dishes at the eatery. "As I said, we merely suggest. It is up to the restaurant owners to decide," he said.
So the next time you visit Ling's Pavilion, don't be surprised to find a Misal Pav on the menu. A social media user also commented, "Don't be shocked when the name changes to Shivling's Pavilion."
