For those of you who can't make it Kerala this Onam, wend your way to these south Mumbai restaurants for a Malayalee food fix
In a wee lane just off D N Road sits 'Hotel Deluxe', a no-frills, hole-in-the-wall joint serving delicious Malayalee food. At any given time, Deluxe is packed with homesick Malayalees digging into their prawn roast and crisply-fried karimeen. On Onam, the crowd swells to a deluge, with everyone cramming into the tiny restaurant for its lavish sadhya—a vegetarian spread served on banana leaves.
Eva Pavithran, a Navy Nagar resident, says, "I've been away from home for almost a decade and I've missed several Onams. On such occasions, I've always head to Deluxe. I've had to wait in long queues (well, not really, the Mallu card works!) and sit close to people I don't know. But it's always worth the trip because their meal reminds me of home."
This Onam, Deluxe is offering 29 dishes, including the coconut-infused avial, piping hot sambhar and kaalan (a yam or plantain curry), served with fluffy red Kerala rice—and all for a sum of Rs 350 or Rs 370 for takeaway. If you can't make it to Fort on Sunday, Deluxe will offer a watered-down version of their sadhya on the September 6 and 8.
Just a few steps ahead of Deluxe is the relatively posher 'Taste of Kerala'. On Onam, swarthy uniformed waiters will swiftly serve rows of hungry diners between 11 am to 4 pm. Taste of Kerala goes the whole hog with 33 dishes that include the delicious peppery rasam and payasam along with a wide range of pickles. In a sadhya, each dish has its specific place on the leaf and is served only in a particular order and it's all yours for Rs 350. Of course, meat lovers can always indulge in a side order of rabbit or duck.
Avani Dedhia likes Manis Lunch Home in Matunga for its friendly, personalised service. A Matunga resident herself, she says, "They serve a wholehearted meal and the owner attends to you personally; he tells you about the meal and how their payasam is traditional and not a pre-mixed one." On Onam, the queues spill out onto the road, with everyone eager to dig into the 16-dish sadhya, with its kitchadi chutney, parippu curry and palada payasam to sweeten the taste buds, all for a meagre price of Rs 250.
Head over to Manis (24021112, 24127188), Hotel Deluxe (22042351, 66559914) and Taste of Kerala ( 22044545)
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