Aba, whose mother was from Bombay, loved that city. He would tell us tales of people, food, places, and more often life at home with mamoo and cousins. He would shake his head, wishing he could have visited the other side of the divide more often. He lived in Karachi but he had given his soul away to Bombay.

I inherited Aba’s passion (for Bombay) with zeal. While he yearned for more significant things, family ties, I crave more zesty and mundane pleasures, like pani puri. Oops!

I can keep going back to Bombay (or Mumbai, as they call it now) for such simple pleasures as pani puri. In all seriousness, when it comes to pani puri, even the more pressing issues of peace between India and Pakistan can wait. Oops, again!

Imagine this: standing by a streetside stall in Bandra, being served crispy, light puffs, oozing with sweet tamarind water, one after the other till your stomach is full but heart not. Pait bhar jaye magar dil nahi.

Give thanks, then, to Chit Chaat, a sister restaurant of the ‘infamous’ Andaaz in Old Lahore, which has managed to bring home a version of pani puri close enough to the one in Bandra. I repeat, ‘close enough’.

The puffs are bite-size, unlike those humongous ones served elsewhere that do not fit into your delicate mouths in one go; the filling generous, not a couple of chaanas (chickpeas) stuffed elsewhere, and the imli ka pani perfectly flavoured -- tangy and spicy -- and chilled with ice cubes. The starkest difference though is in the name -- Chit Chaat calls them gol gappas, as do most in Lahore. I can keep going to back to the place for gol gappas, provided they taste as good each time.

Situated in a discreet corner of Jail Road, Chit Chaat is an intoxicating experience. With faded emerald green walls, ceiling adorned with a grid of pipes, colourful but uncomfortable camp chairs and wooden tabletops placed on top of antique sewing machine bases, wheel and pedal intact, the place is technicoloured.

Call it a canteen or a modern, upmarket dhaba, it’s a little hideout for chitchat (‘gup shup’ in vernacular), tucked away from the furiously busy food scene of Lahore. It’s a place for families or teenage mates escaping their parents’ attention for the evening. It’s certainly not a place for large extended family gatherings and fancy committee parties because it’s small and no frills.

As you choose from a menu printed on a paper folded like a samosa, a polite, familiar-looking waitress awaits you. You recognise her from your good times at Andaaz. There’s not much for her to say, as the menu is detailed and stylised.

The menu a heady mix of veg and non-veg. Paneer, rolled in paratha or pizza topping or tikka, is infused with delicate spices and mixed in sweet and sour chutney. Burgers on the list are an interesting fusion of East meets West, like beef/chicken tikka and chilli burger.

Then there’s something special for Lahori street food lovers. Chit Chaat brings to you their favourite Liberty Burger and Pappu Burger, served in style and a higher price tag on the side. Though Pappu Burger is light and fluffy, shami kabab perfectly flavoured, the layer of egg is too thick. Egg dominates the taste of shami and veggies.

The restaurant revives the old-fashioned flying saucers. Sandwiches, toasted in the mould to look like orbits, serve as a good reminder of times bygone.

To expect Chit Chaat not to add twist to the traditional drinks would be unfair. Lassi, savoury and sweet, preservative-free, is bottled in small plastic bottles. And that’s how lassi, also sherbets and juices, are served. Sip the beverage with a straw directly from the bottle. Quite smart.

Cream rolls of yore are back in. And this little place does not miss them. The cone comes with a variety of fillings, rose buttercream, chocolate mousse, firni and fruit curd - for Rs190 only. The taste is new and intriguing.

This food of the subcontinent is a study in tradition. Very cleverly done and at a reasonable price. With all the upscale eateries in all of Lahore to turn my attention to, I would still return to Chit Chaat -- for gol gappas and more. Even if it is maska spread on a bun!