Matunga’s Culinary Experience – it's not about the food; it's an emotion!

When I moved to Powai in May 2021, I knew one thing I was going to miss is the easy access to South Indian breakfast at Matunga, having lived at Sion in our family home for over 3 decades. For those of you who may not know, Matunga is a place in central Mumbai that serves the most delicious South Indian breakfasts. Over the years, I have heard stories of friends, father son duos, mother daughter duos, siblings; travel for long hours from different parts of Mumbai, even the outskirts of the city, to catch that piping hot Rasam Vada at Ramashray or the Mysore Masala Dosa at Arya Bhavan, the Podi Idli at Café Madras or the Dilkhush Dosa at Mysore Café (an urban take on the traditional south Indian delicacy - Dosa).

It used to amaze me why the working class would spend their Sunday morning after an entire week’s work to travel all the way to Matunga, rather than just rest it out or go someplace local. The answer was obvious – Matunga and its south Indian delicacies is not just about the food, it is an emotion. Emotion of a hearty morning out with family, or a catchup with your college friends, emotion of a conversation over filter coffee with your childhood sweetheart; or a slow Sunday with people you love, emotion of having a free morning and not having to cook, emotion of just being out on a day off doing nothing substantial.

At our family home at Sion, an impromptu tradition was to wake up on a Sunday morning and dash out to Matunga. It was with my mom, or my brother, or both and have an ‘oh so awesome’ morning at Ramashray, Cafe Mysore, Madras Cafe or Arya Bhavan. I remember the three of us going to Arya Bhavan on so many occasions, ordering one dish after another, being in food coma and then out of it with the filter coffee, and then packing some for my dad back home who is a late and lazy riser on Sundays. My brother and I have had endless conversations on life and love during our drives to Matunga on Sundays. We have sat outside Manis, another South Indian joint, ordered cup after cup of coffee, no track of time, nowhere to be, and then drive around five gardens before our way back home. It always used to be a Sunday well spent! A friend of mine from college, who has now moved to Ireland, calls me up even today when he visits India, and the moment I would say Hello, I would be responded with ‘Ramashray chalen aaj? Rasam vada khane ka mann hai.’ (Shall we go to Ramashay, I am craving for the rasam vada).

The beauty of these trips was surrounded by the spontaneity around it. No planning, no decision making, no checking if someone was available... It was like 'Chal let's go to Matunga for breakfast.’ It was probably the same for whoever who visited these joints. All the restaurant goers at Matunga, will be in their Sunday shorts and overnight t shirt, probably just out of bed... it is just a #mumbaivibe or a Mumbai thing to do, I guess.

In 2021, after spending a couple of weeks in my new abode at Powai, I remember making a frantic call to Seema, an old friend from yesteryears and a resident of Powai, 'Are you telling me, there is not one place where I can get hot medu vadas with really fresh chatni in Powai, this is unreal’. She suggested a few places but they were either cloud kitchens or gourmet Kerela food. I just wanted to go to a good old Udipi joint around, someplace I could just wake up on Sunday and go to in my shorts, without a plan. Like can't I just get a cup of traditional, good old, filter coffee round the corner? I put a strong intention out into the universe and forgot about it completely.

3 years later, in 2024, I was looking up Instagram for Onam Sadya and this place pops up in my recommendations. It is called Santhosham, which was a 5-minute drive, 15-minute walk from my place at Powai. We went for Onam Sadya and it was nothing short of phenomenal. Because it was Onam, the owner and the head chef – a mother son duo – were also present at the restaurant hosting the entire Sadya experience. They went from table to table and interacted with the guests.

The head chef’s story was heartwarming. She spoke of how she was always fascinated about cooking and running a restaurant and finally embarked upon fulfilling her dream just 5 years ago. She is now 70. Her son, the restaurant owner, was beaming with pride as he introduced his mother as the chef to the guests. He said they have 5 branches across Mumbai.

I asked them how old this restaurant was, surprised I had never visited it, in spite of it being just minutes away. They said 2 years, which was just a few months after I had put out the strong intention into the universe. A bulb went off in my head. I immediately asked ‘Do you serve south Indian breakfast too, by any chance’. The chef herself replied, “Of course, every single morning, and its more authentic than you can imagine.’

I came by for breakfast the very next morning, and yes, it took me back to the same taste of sambar and fresh coconut chatni, and the texture of hot vadas and crisp dosas at Matunga… 😊

(This is part of a Sunday Stories series that I've launches on the first Sunday of 2025, cause I believe as adults we need bedtime stories too. Hoping to get your stories from personal experiences, every Sunday, one Sunday at a time :)

#storytime

#sundaystories

#storiesforadults

#adultatorybooks