Munna Ka Dhaba: Dhaba LÓriginal

Once in a rural hinterland close to one of the eastern borders of India, a middle aged man, a total stranger to the place ,in white shirt and mundu (Kerala Dhothi) , after relishing a heavy dinner at a dhaba, wiped his hand on a piece of newspaper and asked the cashier “Kitna Hua”?”(How much for the dinner). To his surprise, the man at the counter replied “ Aaap se kaise paisa lenge Munna Bhai? How could I take money from you, Brother Munna).

From a seventeen year boy who ran away from his village in Malappuarm, to explore the world, Saithalavi knew that he had grown rich in his life experience and world view. But it was news to him that he had become so famous, to be well know to a random dhaba owner in the extreme other corner of the country. 

Munnabhai is a name so dear to almost all truck drivers in the country.  And how does this name connect to Saithalavi? Saithalavi is popularly known as Munnabhai amongst the truck drivers, after his dhaba, Munna Tandoori Dhaba. 

Munna Tandoori Dhaba is at Kolappuram, almost 30 kilometers away from Calicut City, towards Trichur. It is one amongst the only two genuine dhabhas in Kerala, the other being Geetha Dhaba in the northern border of Kerala. The two essentials of any dhaba– inclusiveness and authenticity, makes these two quite different from the other umpteen number of eateries in Kerala, by the title dhaba. 

Saithalavi has been running this eatery for the last eighteen years. He explains that the food experience at ‘Munna ka Dhaba’, is an amalgamation of his own life experiences. His quest for the unseen, which led him on his journey across the country, has helped him understand the needs of a traveler. 

What you would experience at his dhaba in terms of the food, the ambience and the experience as such is an emulation of Saithalavi’s perception of the world, food, most importantly his understanding on how people connect to food. In simpler words he understands what does it take for one to connect to a particular food as ‘’my kind of food’’, and this is exactly what he recreates at his dhaba. And that’s why it’s not a surprise that more than hundred truck drivers make it a point to drive upto Munna ka Dhaba everyday, on their long drive across the country.

And the best part is, sitting in the middle of a packed house of foodies, at his commercially successful venture,   he tells me and my friend Albert, “”By the way, this is just a side business. My real business is there in the village. I am a farmer. I cultivate some acres of paddy””. And that’s him, in the quest of himself, beyond him. 

If you want to have genuine Tandoor Rotis, this is the place for you. And how about some Tandoori Chicken. If you are in for the real smoky flavor, this is the only place, anywhere close.  And don’t miss out the veggies. Now, the cost..Two Tandoori Chicken, Two Bengan (Brinjal) Masala,  Gobi (Cauliflower) Masala, 13 tandoori rotis,   a pet bottle of pepsi…..See it to believe it.

Goli..The Vada Pav Experience

The most popular tummy-filler of Mumbai has made its way to Calicut. A Franchise of Goli, the Vada Pav Chain has opened opposite to Tagore Hall. They have 7 different versions of Vada Pav and we tried Mix Veg Vada Pav, Aloo Tikki Vada Pav and Masala Vada Pav . All the three tasted really good. The Garlic Chatni adds a lot of life to the dishes. The cost of all the dishes varies from 35 to 45. For a Cheese- add on, they charge an extra 15. Pretty expensive compared to what ‘Vada Pav’ stands for. The dish is pretty well known as a tummy filler with the least money spent.  

(Picture Courtesy:  www.golivadapav.com, www. brandkahani.com,www. rediff.com)

For a takeaway, they charge an extra 2 rupees for a cheap plastic carry bag, which is highly off the standard for such a restaurant chain.  The whole idea of charging for a carry bag is reducing the use of plastic, which fails here in this case.

So Goli…Paper Bags please…..

Getting addicted; the ‘fooding’ experience

The first time that I tried, rather was forced to try this place was three days ago as I and Vinodettan went in search of some food parcels with our Gond artist friends (Everything else was closed by that time). Then after, Nanma, I and Jinu went for dinner there, day before yesterday. I had lunch and dinner here yesterday. If not addiction, what else do you call it?

‘Fooding’ here is an experience. It gives you a feeling of community eating. They have large round tables around which at least ten can sit. For me, a stranger intruding into your dining table (this often happens in small hotels) is uncomfortable. But here, for reasons unknown I was very comfortable with nine strangers around me. May be it was the night, the crowd, the ambiance, the highway alongside, the bright lights, the sharp smell that the place smells of, or may be all of it, I don’t know what.     There were conversations, jokes and much more, which brought us all to a common ground. The ‘ritual’ of an old man (that’s the case almost everywhere) trying to get the attention of the vehicles on the highway with a hotel signage in his hand is followed here as well. However, the difference is that it’s an easy job for him as he gets unnoticed against the bright light, life and energy of the place which automatically drag people in.

Dont go by this picture. Its from my phone which does not have a flash

On the first attempt, we parceled some chicken 65. However, the ‘fooding’ here is incomplete without the ambiance. So sorry, ‘chicken 65’!, you are not being reviewed. After all, there is bird flu in the air.  With Jinu and Nanma, we tried Chicken Sukka and Porotta. ‘Correction, Jinu had Baji and Porotta! Its Advent.’ All these dishes appeared to be wrong choices to me as they somehow didn’t fit to the setting. (The air smelled fried and more fried). Moreover, it was a good excuse for a revisit. And to top it up, our friend Kiran, who visited us during dinner was curious about our review.  

It was new information for me that the place is open for lunch. The lunch as such is on a low key, but the specials, as they call it, adds flavor, a lot. Mantha (Sole Fish) which was the add-on was a lunch in itself. It reminded me of the classic fish and chips. I went back for dinner at the same place despite the distance (Anything for ‘fooding’). All highway joints have certain similar dishes to offer, all fried with fried marinade topping. This joint also offers almost all of them. However, a vegetarian innovation that I found here is ‘Pavakka Masala’ (Bittergourd Masala). I got a portion parceled to be tried at home. On a second thought, to confirm the taste, I asked for a morsel. The end result; two portions were parceled. Koonthal (Squid) masala also tasted great.

By the way, this place is on the Trissur Highway ,a few meters further ahead from Thondayad junction. Trust me, you won’t miss it and if you do, you really are missing an experience.

Brunch at Brown Town

Every once in a while who doesn't like catching up with their colleagues for a light brunch. Heavens know I do. A late morning chatting and catching up session is essential for our sanity.

Saturdays when we have early morning Staff Meetings, is perfect opportunity for such outings. Hena, my colleague and I, use this time to rant and unwind. It's a great stress buster. What has been adding to our experience is the great fare at Brown Town, Paragon Group's new bakery.

Let 's start with dessert. So the Cappuccino Mudpie is like an all time favorite but we have also recently added their Chocolate Ganache and Apple Pie to our list. Their pastry chef is out of this world, you need to try it to believe it.

While they don't have much choice with main courses I do vouch for their Chicken Club Sandwiches which is accompanied by Potato Chips and a Salsa Salad. Their regular Cappuccino and Fresh Lime Mint Juice are perfect accompaniment to this dish.

We wait each Saturday to splurge at Brown Town and am sure after this post you would too.