Yesterday was
returning from Mylapore – Arundale Street always attracts me for it houses the
Avathara sthalam of Swami Peyalwar… this itself is not a big Street and
yesterday had occasion to go into a small dusty lane…
Often you read about
Food festivals… recently one was organized in Island grounds where cuisine of
different States of India were specially made and served. One comes across specialized ‘food festivals’
being organized in Star hotels too…………. It would be concepts – extravaganzas –
you will see the ambience, even the waiters and servers would be dressed in
native dresses and you get food ~ of course priced exorbitantly high………
There are so many
Mansions and lodges in the lanes and by-lanes of Triplicane. One reason for
their flourishing business and continued occupancy is Triplicane being well
connected with all business points of Chennai; another important aspect is the
availability of good Hotels – a la ‘Mess’ providing to the taste buds at
reasonable costs. There are so many and
I had recently posted something of the ‘Messes’ [the eateries] – the more
famous ones - Rathna Café, Murali
Café. Sydoji Cafe and Kasi Vinayaka
Mess, Ambal Mess, Bharathi Mess, Neo Mitra Bhavan, Vadivelan mess and there are
so many smaller ones without even name boards…….. all providing quality food
which never affects the stomach of the eaters.
A foodie friend
quipped that one needs to look beyond at least in nearby vicinity ….. some
famous names in Mylapore would sure include
Murudis, Karpagambal, Mami and Rayar mess…. Sure there are more…
In this small dusty
lane otherwise inane lane is a small eatery which people frequent and come out
with happiness writ large………. It is the Rayar Mess which reportedly is 78 years
old… It was founded by Shri. V. Srinivasa Rao in 1935,………. It reportedly was in
Kutchery road for long and thence shifted to the present place. Though not a great ambience, it is just more
than couple of tables and few chairs and some more people dining happily. It is
more of a tiffin hotel and in the evening ‘Mysore Bonda’ Rava dosai, Adai,
Gulab Jamun and jangiri sell hot…. The items are priced very reasonably…. A
plate of mysore bonda is Rs.24/- while it is Rs.20/- for the dosa and
adai. The accompaniments of chutney and
sambar are relishingly good.
In an era where you
have seen some big names not able to survive the flourishing hotel industry in
the hot competition of fast foods… Rayars and some other mess have survived due
to the patronage arising out of quality of food they have been serving. Though generations have changed the menu has
not changed they quip.
They do not have
advertisement / bill boards – they are not on any main street, there are no
arrow marks / location indicators – still people continue to throng to that
narrow lane – speaks of their quality and unstinted patronage they enjoy from
their loyal customers.
Only Tiffin items are
served here due to place and time
constraints. The mess functions from 7.00am to 10.30am in the morning and
reopens at 3 in the evening. In the
morning it will be Idlis, Pongal and vadai – while bonda, dosa and sweet as
also strong Madras filter coffee – are devoured by those regular customers.
So perhaps next time
you have some work in Mylapore, you might take sometime to go to Arundale
Street, Off Kutchery Road and try out some tasty food. I did….
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
16th Nov. 2013.
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