Sunday Morning Air …Oooo ! The Aroma of the Filter Coffee at Cafe Madras at Matunga,Mumbai drifts across town !

Sunday Morning…Oooo ! The Aroma of the Filter Coffee at Cafe Madras at Matunga,Mumbai drifts across town from early morning ! seducing us successfully

….and as we leave for the central suburbs for Cafe Madras,we are provided our Sunday Chuckle…..come across a Chihuahua,the smallest breed of a dog…to confirm,we ask it’s employed minder the breed…”Chua” was the prompt and proud reply !….”Chua” is the Indian Lingo for a Rat !…had us grinning    

Now Just back from a super Sunday South Indian Breakfast at,where else, Cafe Madras in Matunga,Mumbai…carried parcels back for friends and family…would you believe there was waiting even as early as 8 am !….no reservations…its first come first served…seats @ 75 at a time…and on a regular Sunday there would be probably 750 wanting to have their morning breakfast here ! …it opens at 7 am…pardon any exageration….but get the point…easier to get seating quicker at other known South Indian Eateries around the corner….but Cafe Madras is Cafe Madras !

Hot Piping Rasam Vada,Idlis and Super Crisp Vadas with Awesome Sambhar,Chutney and the famous Mulga Pudi….Followed by Neer Dosa and Strong Filter Coffee….parceled the usual  Idlis,Vadas and Masala Dosa with Masala seperate + Pongal Avial + Sheera + Raagi Dosa  

Cafe Madras…Matunga Cirlcle…established in 1940 by Kamath Bros…opens at 7 am till 2.30 pm and 4 pm to 10.30 pm …closed on Monday….no item on the menu is above Rs 45 except the Appam with Stew at Rs 70 or Rice with Stew at Rs 50..both available only on weekdays…Idli is Rs 25,single idli is Rs 17, Mini Paper Dosa I think is Rs 28 and Sada Dosa is Rs 35….The famous Mulga Pudi,that’s powder in oil, is Rs 8,their own inhouse white butter is Rs 10…All Dosa Varieties are between Rs 35 and Rs 45…there’s Set,Neer,Peseretta,Raagi and Tuppa….try all…Neer is made from Rice 

Waiters appear to be old hands…. are very knowledgable about the Menu,roam barefoot,tackle complex orders as if born to it…ours was a bespectacled guy who told us be relaxed and take our time to order….we were sharing a table with someone else…tables and benches are functional bereft of any aesthetics and are packed close to each other on the ground + mezzanine and service is brisk as is the customer turnover too…our waiter got us paper chits and a pen to write down our parcel orders too…with dexterity he even fed the data on to a computer tucked away in a corner near the small wash basin which is alongside the kitchen service counter  

…and guess what !…when I asked for the Bills for Parcel + what we tucked in at the Popular Eatery itself I was told it has been taken care of !….someone had paid for it all !….A person waiting for seating speculates by telling me that perhaps it was a kind guy who must have seen me wait for the parcels !…but a little prodding of the Kamath’s Sons, who,I must add, personally and quite skillfully and pleasantly manage the eatery, Dev in particular,I found out who was the kind guy….when we were seated we met a couple,we know very well,who stay in that area too and  who were just leaving…they are Cafe Madras regulars and have an account there…they had given the instructions …what a lovely Sunday Gesture !….Thanks Guys….we shall reciprocate warmly too and soon !…and when we thanked him for the gesture and in the same breath saying he should not have done so,he replied that Cafe Madras was his restaurant !…that’s how most regulars must be feeling too !….and he went on to add that once the Kamaths knew that we were friends or family they will simply not charge them  and will write it to his account,even if he was not with them !….That’s relationship  goodwill of years speaking for you !…and that’s how it should be in all aspects of Life and Business too ! 

Life,Living  & Loving is +…Always…so will the Sensex be this coming RBI & Budget week !…up from 17500

…and one final word…the difference between Wisdom and Knowledge…… Wisdom is Cafe Madras  and Knowledge is that there are other South Indian Eateries too  around Matunga Cirlce….and we are wise !  

Cafe Madras…High on Value,Variety and Taste….no body bothers about the no frills and fancy and non a/c  ambience…neither should you…just tuck in and enjoy ! 

A Friend just called for some Market Positional Advice for the coming RBI & Budget week…told him was just back from Cafe Madras….a month or two ago,we had gone there together one late weekday night(there was waiting then too!) after a Zakir Hussain Fusion Concert at Shanmukhananda Hall in that area and tucked in Bisibele and Raagi Dosa…..he inquired if I had got back any parcel…he is coming over for the Idlis and Vadas and Mulga Pudi !  

Oooooo!  That Taste of the Strong Filter Coffee I had at Cafe Madras lingers…..

Cheers !