Welcome to Central Perk.

The guitar strums, a familiar tune plays, words that we know well enough because we have heard them so many times. Phoebe walks in - her usual chirpy whee-ing self, Monica comes in next - booted and bagged, Joey next a little lost and with every statement having some easy-to-identify double meaning, Chandler and Chandler's jokes, craziness and shenanigans follow and then there is Rachel the crazy shopping person who can't live without her credit cards. No Ross isn't there yet. You'll know why soon enough. 

Yes we are at Central Perk alright. Only this isn't in NY. This is here in Mumbai. This isn't as brightly lit. This place is more dimly light, a little more red. This doesn't have couches. This has chairs and bar stools.They don't serve coffee here. They serve the drinks we like. They don't have a spot for a live performer. They have a DJ who plays some really cool music. 

This is our Central Perk. The place where we hangout. The place that also brought us closer to each other. The place that's become our home.

Welcome to Toto's Garage. Our Central Perk. Where we know which tracks will play every day of the week. Where we can walk in at anytime and be welcomed home like family members are at the end of day. Where everyone from the doorman to the servers to the managers to the owner is now a friend who we look forward to meet. Where the drink is served before we can look up and ask for it. Where our table choices are known. Where we can find a table within 10 minutes of being there no matter how crowded the place! 

Toto's for me (earlier in December) was this really hip place that I, in spite of working 5 minutes away for 2 years since 2004, had never visited. It was one of those places that you want to go to but just haven't and are so longing to go to at least once! I can't remember our first visit together to Totos but what I do remember is Joey saying, "Toto's chalte hain" and that being how it all started! 

At Toto's I was introduced to the joys of eating Bun Maska, Anda Bhurji & Pav and Kheema Pav while drinking! Tasty with that almost home-cooked flavour and feel, the experience just became much more personal! And because Monica with her OCD doesn't eat eggs after 12 PM (I know you are surprised, I was too!) we landed up ordering Chicken Lollypops one day and they were easily one of the best I have eaten anywhere! Another dish that has made quite an impression on us is the Deep Fried Pork Sausage with deep fried onions that we tried just a few days ago. 

What tops all of this, however, is that I can sit at a place as cool as Totos, that plays some of my favourite songs and eat Masala Peanuts (yes I like traditional chaknas with drinks!) Most of the places I like and would want to hang out at serve almost everything but when asked for Masala Peanuts, simply and as politely as possible, decline the request.  

I have lost count of how many times we have been to Totos now. I remember a time when we would plan going to Totos, to a time now when we just know that we've got to be at Totos. I also remember this time being a short span of 2 odd months from December to now. And when you go to a place as frequently as we do here, the biggest problem is that while you love the place and what you eat, you also feel you have exhausted the menu and are just bored of what there is to eat. Just when we felt that was going to happen, our Gunther surprised us and started serving us variations and his recommendations like chicken sausages with greens and tandoori chicken lollypops that literally melt in your mouth! 

There are days when we probably haven't gone to Totos for days and then there are days when no matter where we have been earlier, our last drink has to be at Totos. I think of this place and I see the times when we stood at one end of the bar and had a quick drink in 20 minutes to celebrate something we were waiting so eagerly for, when we stood at the other end and had shots as we bid farewell (thankfully for a short while) to Joey, when just some of us have sat down to outrun our thoughts and some really depressing days and also when we sat at one of our two favourite tables and I was flicked in the eye by Monica while the rest of the gang kept cheering for a cat-fight! 

As I see my journal, I realise so many of my most precious memories have been created here. Welcome to our Central Perk, to Totos Garage, our safe place, our hang out, our first choice to be at any given day. I hope you too create some unforgettable times here!

Cheers!