MUMBAI, March 11 -- Restaurants and caterers in Mumbai have begun to trim their menus and make other adjustments while grappling with a cooking gas shortage triggered by the war in West Asia. At New Heroes Restaurant near Grant Road station, Harish Balwa, the owner, said, "We usually prepare around 1,100 servings daily; now we are serving only a limited number of dishes, especially those cooked on coal stoves." A shortage of LPG has increased the demand for coal, whose price too has risen. Depending on its quality, coal was available for Rs.32-35 per kg until early this week. On Wednesday, it cost Rs.40 per kg. Shops selling traditional 'sigdis' or coal stoves are doing brisk business. Sales have seen an uptick, ironically, at a time when the fossil fuel is being phased out. Meanwhile, the LPG shortage has hit the Muslim community, which is observing the holy month of Ramadan. "We provide food to people twice a day during Ramadan (Sehri and Iftar). Because gas supply is short, some caterers are asking us to arrange for cylinders, while some have increased meal prices by around 25%," said Firoz Ahmed Ansari, of the non-profit Love All - Serve All, in South Mumbai. Commercial establishments like the popular eatery at Bhendi Bazar, Shabbir's Tawakkal Sweets, have been hit hard. Moyad Mithaiwala, the owner, said business usually peaks during Ramadan. "We are making less sweets. My factory has been shut since 1.30pm, which is unusual at this time." He said arranging for LPG cylinders is becoming a daily struggle and he's switched to fuels such as coal or electric induction, wherever possible. "We don't know long the shortage will last. I have bought an induction cooker but I don't know what I will do with it after the crisis ends," he said. But at Noor Mohammedi Hotel & Restaurant, a popular eatery also in Bhendi Bazaar, it's business as usual. "We cook only on coal and diesel stoves, and use only copper utensils. Diesel stoves have superior heat conductivity," said Raashid Hakim, of the family that owns the restaurant. Representatives of the local hotel industry in the Navi Mumbai-Panvel belt say the disruption has affected a large number of eateries. Industry estimates suggest that around 2,000 restaurants operate in the region, employing over 15,000 workers. At R Bhagat Tarachand restaurant in the APMC market, a notice has been put up stating that only a special thali will be served until LPG supply improves. Satish Shetty, a Navi Mumbai-based caterer, said the crisis has created serious challenges for events booked months in advance. "We have taken bookings for weddings months in advance at Rs.250-Rs.300 per plate. Now we are not getting even a single LPG cylinder," he said....