I noticed a surprising change about Mumbai since my last stint here years ago - something has completely vanished from the menu of Mumbai restaurants.
Today I felt very hungry and wanted to have a Thali (a platter offering a variety of dishes). I went hunting at all the Udupi restaurants all over Mumbai for a thali - but everywhere I got the same response. "Sorry sir, we don't offer the thali anymore - we stopped it years ago. You can have dosas, or roti-sabjis" was the standard response everywhere. Apparently the changing tastes of the Mumbai consumer, and the lower margins on the thali for the restaurateur (I suspect more the latter) have been the reasons for the thali vanishing from the Mumbai restaurant menu.
Desperate for a thali I traveled for an hour, and went to the place that was my haunt during my bachelor days decades ago - the Rama Nayak "Boarding" restaurant in a dilapidated building overlooking Matunga East station. It was still the same - very crowded, big queues, with the same delicious limited thali on offer, and with the same quaint notice boards advising its patrons to wash their hands before eating, to maintain silence, and to take rest after the meal.
The basic limited thali cost Rs 64, and they give coupons of Rs 12 each - with each coupon you can buy "extras" i.e. extra rice cup or 2 chappatis or a cup of curds.
It was heavenly. And the green rasam was marvelous - and I kept asking for refills (that is one of the only items that is unlimited). I of course kept a wary eye on the big notice in front of me that pointed out that if I wasted the rasam then I will be fined Rs 13.
In the meantime the thali in front of me quickly vanished - the best restaurant meal I have had in a long time - and that too for only Rs 100 with all the extras.
Considering the queues at this place, it is a mystery to me as to why all the other restaurants have stopped offering the thali. It is very unfair - especially on guys like me who are big fans of the Thali - we can't keep traveling all the way to Matunga just to have a thali.
Anyway, I am grateful for small mercies - long may the Ram Nayak Thali live.
Today I felt very hungry and wanted to have a Thali (a platter offering a variety of dishes). I went hunting at all the Udupi restaurants all over Mumbai for a thali - but everywhere I got the same response. "Sorry sir, we don't offer the thali anymore - we stopped it years ago. You can have dosas, or roti-sabjis" was the standard response everywhere. Apparently the changing tastes of the Mumbai consumer, and the lower margins on the thali for the restaurateur (I suspect more the latter) have been the reasons for the thali vanishing from the Mumbai restaurant menu.
Desperate for a thali I traveled for an hour, and went to the place that was my haunt during my bachelor days decades ago - the Rama Nayak "Boarding" restaurant in a dilapidated building overlooking Matunga East station. It was still the same - very crowded, big queues, with the same delicious limited thali on offer, and with the same quaint notice boards advising its patrons to wash their hands before eating, to maintain silence, and to take rest after the meal.The basic limited thali cost Rs 64, and they give coupons of Rs 12 each - with each coupon you can buy "extras" i.e. extra rice cup or 2 chappatis or a cup of curds.
It was heavenly. And the green rasam was marvelous - and I kept asking for refills (that is one of the only items that is unlimited). I of course kept a wary eye on the big notice in front of me that pointed out that if I wasted the rasam then I will be fined Rs 13.
In the meantime the thali in front of me quickly vanished - the best restaurant meal I have had in a long time - and that too for only Rs 100 with all the extras.
Considering the queues at this place, it is a mystery to me as to why all the other restaurants have stopped offering the thali. It is very unfair - especially on guys like me who are big fans of the Thali - we can't keep traveling all the way to Matunga just to have a thali.
