When Marine Drive wasn't complete without K Rustom

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The true measure of a city’s evolution isn’t just what it builds, but what it leaves behind. 

Another slice of old Bombay has quietly disappeared. 

For generations of Mumbaikars, buying a K. Rustom sandwich ice cream and savouring it while strolling along Marine Drive was more than just a treat; it was a cherished ritual. That quintessential Mumbai experience is now a thing of the past. 

Earlier this week, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suspended the licence of iconic ice cream outlet in Churchgate. An inspection by authorities allegedly found serious hygiene and food safety violations, including the presence of live rats, houseflies, expired food products and lapses in cold chain maintenance, an official statement said. 

While the action on the popular ice cream parlour was a part of a statewide food safety drive in which the FDA also suspended two other food business licence, the crackdown has left many Mumbaikars very sad and disappointed because it has been a part of many nostalgic memories that they have had ever since they were children. For many others, it was their favourite hangout while studying at the colleges in the neighbourhood. The snaking lines and forever crowded area outside the shop are proof of its popularity that this writer has personally witnessed, and one of the reasons why it has been elusive till now. However, many others including several South Mumbai residents reminisce childhood days when they not only enjoyed the famed ice cream sandwich, a first for many Mumbaikars, but also litchi sherbet, which they say was among the first in the neighbourhood. 

‘K Rustom’s is like wrapping memories in a wafer’

While many ice cream shops have mushroomed over time in the city, K Rustom has been a permanent fixture for many including Jessica Rapose, who reacts, “I’m going to cry. K Rustom’s was our hangout spot with so many memories. It was where we’d end up after college, after shopping, after long walks – sometimes with a plan, most times on a whim. We would stand in that little queue, argue over flavours, unwrap those iconic wafer sandwiches before they melted in the Mumbai heat, and somehow never run out of things to talk about. Looking back, it was about more than just the ice cream. It was about the people you were with, the laughter, and the feeling that life could wait for just a little while.” 

The 29-year-old, who is now a successful creative professional, adds, “K Rustom wasn’t just serving ice cream; it was quietly wrapping memories in wafer. Its closure feels like saying goodbye to a piece of old Mumbai that so many of us thought would always be there.”

More than just an ice cream parlour, K. Rustom is a legacy and an emotion that has stood the test of time. For over seven decades, its iconic biscuit ice cream sandwiches have been woven into the city’s collective memory, making it synonymous with the simple joys, timeless traditions and unmistakable flavour of old Bombay.

Such is the popularity of the parlour that in July 2025, K Rustom’s Mango Sandwich featured on TasteAtlas’s ‘100 Most Iconic Ice Creams’ list in the world 

It is not only a favourite for Rapose but also for Alifiya Joel, who also has many memories going to college in the neighbourhood. The 34-year-old, who has since moved to New Zealand, was shocked when she got to know the news, reacting, “I love K Rustom’s. I used to have mango lassi there when I was in St Xavier’s College. We used to bunk class and go have the mango lassi by Marine Drive. There was a cute Parsi man who made it for us. It feels sad now that it has shut down because it feels like one of my childhood favourites is shutting down.” 

Elsewhere Andrea Cardoz, who has been a lifelong K Rustom ice cream lover, is sad but also reminds about the need for food safety standards. She says, “I have been going there for years and lately for the sake of nostalgia. The quality and standards have degraded over the years. If food standards and hygiene is not maintained, they should be held accountable. You cannot have people’s safety being compromised for your profits.” 

However, Cardoz adds that she will miss some of her most favourite ice cream sandwich flavours. “Chocolate Walnut Ice Cream Sandwich was my favourite at K Rustom, along with the Mango Ice Cream Sandwich – they were unique because of the biscuit sandwich, which you get like you do in Singapore. Going back there with my St Xavier’s College after many years was very nostalgic for me every time.” 

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