So… what did I do with my “Bonus time in Bombay“? Lots of things! For starters, finally made it to Ram Nayak – a favourite udipi joint to stuff myself silly on yummy South Indian vegetarian fare.
For literally years I’ve wanted to go back – a treat usually reserved for foreign guests who want a ‘real taste’ of food here. I shared this desire with more than one friend and finally last weekend a bunch of us decided “Yes let’s!” More miraculously – actually followed through on our enthusiasm – full credit to our ring leader not I!
Why is this place so memorable?
- In a part of Mumbai – Matunga East – I rarely go (don’t forget to say hello to the cow)
- Eat off a banana leaf (supposedly more hygienic than plates)
- 30 min wait for 5-10 mins of hogging (check out the blurry sign below)
- Cheap cheap cheap! For INR 150 / USD 2.50 you have all you can eat feast!
- And the food is truly yum! Typical meal includes buttermilk, rasam, various dals, multiple vegetable dishes, pickle, yoghurt, chappatis or puris, rice, pappad, choice of deserts
- Been around since 1942… so clearly someone somewhere must be doing something right for it to be consistently popular for decades!
Enjoy the pics, let your tummy rumble in hunger… Oh and don’t do what I did… Seriously over eat to the point I was moaning and groaning post lunch!
Area around Matunga Station
Well hello! Welcome to our Udipi dinning experience!
Ready for the wait?
Don’t forget to buy your token 1st! Which was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary – more than 20 years ago.
For your reading pleasure while you wait… some more…
Have a seat while we serve you… and serve you… and keep on serving…
Now dig in! Get those fingers all covered in food!
I know you had 6 helpings, 2 deserts but you must have room for just a little sweet paan?
Ta ta! Bye bye! So nice of you to stop by… Now go catch your local train home…
What do you enjoy but rarely actually do in your city?
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Everyday Asia 
Now I’m hungry! And I’ve only just finished brekkie 😦
Haha! Gotta love the joy of timezone differences.. its coming up to dinner time here! 🙂
Definitely on my enjoy but rarely do in my city is the kebabs and nalli nihari at Mohammed Ali Road. I love walking down the street and stopping at random kebab shops and nibbling and finally ending up at “Chinese n Grill” for nalli nihari with rotis. Finally get a falooda on the way home to finish it up and insure that I’m immobile for the rest of the day.
Well… I’m not a meat eater however those that are swear by the places and khanna you’ve just described! 🙂
I neeeeeeed this! It looks so wonderful and delicious vegetarian food is so hard to find here.
Welcome to pop over anytime! Plenty of veggie options ready and willing to be enjoyed. 🙂
Ahhhh…udipi….as one of those foreign “guests”, I can say that it was a real treat/experience !…. got to practice eating with my fingers and didn’t realize that they keep serving until you fold the banana leaf over :o) -full for the day !!
Quite right chachhi! 🙂 And it is far to easy to over eat – I did and lived to moan and groan for a few hours with very happy taste buds and a way too full belly! It was worth it though. 🙂
Great to see these little food corners continue to generate interest. Food in Mumbai is a great experience – from the piping hot potato vadas, to the udupi idlis, to the fluffy pohas at marathi joints, and I am told, the meat on Md ali road. For those with a sweet tooth, would suggest kulfis and glasses of freshly extracted sugarcane jucie – would make anyone’s day ! (IF you enter an authentic marathi joint, pls ask for puran poli as dessert ! ).
All fabulous recommendations! Cheap little food corners are the best.
There used to be a place called ‘South Indian Concerns’ in Matunga, right across Shankara mutt. Not sure if this place is the same with the name changed. If not, would recommend that for your next lunch/dinner. Simply referred as ‘concerns’, it used to be the life-line for number of south indian ‘bachelors’ who ventured to ‘Bombay’ for their professional career, leaving far behind the comfort of home + never-boring-daily-menu of sambhar, rasam and more (buttermilk) – me included 🙂
Haha! Good recommendation! Haven’t come across “Concerns” yet but… always welcome new places to chow down!
well, to rewind further, clarified with my father – when he found himself to be all by himself in ‘Bombay’ back in early 1960s, he had bought a ticket-book at Concerns for Rs. 50 that was for 2 meals/day and valid for a month. Thursdays were always the ‘gate-crash’ day when long line would stretch onto the street….for the special potato curry and onion sambhar combo; it was the same even when I lived there in the 1980s. So, go for a Thursday dinner ….sure the custom still continues…. 🙂
More hygienic than plates? Hehe…how would I say “we’ll see about that” in Marathi?;)