The Dying Dosa

Satish Nayak keeps a watchful eye over a couple of boys peeling gourds in his restaurant in Matunga. He points to a used plantain leaf and reprimands the waiter, who hurriedly clears it out of sight.

With its mouthwatering aroma of freshly ground masalas and coffee, A. Rama Nayak in Matunga is one of the most popular Udipi restaurants in Mumbai. Lunch at this no-frills joint is always a house-full affair — with a big queue of customers waiting patiently outside, sometimes for over anhour.

But Nayak is not smiling. He thinks the queues won’t be around for much longer. “Udipi hotels in Mumbai are fading out. I do not see my hotel surviving for more than a decade.”

Paying a price for excellence

Ironically, the once-revered virtues of simplicity and affordability of Udipi fare are contributing to its decline. The irony is manifold. Renowned for their stringent hygiene standards, Udipi hotels are now facing a crunch on costs incurred in maintaining the same.

“Much goes into the making of the humble South Indian thali priced at Rs23,” says Bhandarkar, manager of Gopalashram near Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. “The items served need as many utensils, and labour is needed to clean them through the day — that doesn’t come cheap. We are paying a price for maintaining this quality.”

Then there is the dreaded VAT (value-added tax).  In 2005, 31 Udipis in the Fort area were forced to shut shop because of the high 12.5 per cent tax which was imposed in the beginning of the year.

Repeated requests to withdraw VAT by the Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHAR) to the then secretary of finance had fallen on deaf ears. “Udipis cater to the middle and lower middle-class,” says Nayak.

“How can one maintain the price with the exorbitant VAT charges slapped on us? Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala have all subsidised VAT rates, but Maharashtra still refuses to do that.”

“The government is killing Udipis,” reiterates Vithal Kamat, owner of the ubiquitous chain of Kamat Hotels (he also owns Orchid Hotel in Mumbai) “I may be forced to close down my chain of Udipis soon.”

Not glam enough

Another factor contributing to the fading out of Udipis is the attitute towards the cuisine. It’s always been perceived as the common man’s fare. While other regional cuisine thalis can easily be priced as high as Rs 275, an Udipi thali won’t get any takers if they hike up the price.

“Most Udipi hotels have stopped serving the thali,” rues Nayak. “Also, idlis and dosas do not share the same platform as pizzas. Paying Rs100 for a pizza is okay but a Mysore dosa priced beyond Rs50 is sure to pinch.”

Udipis also face a manpower crunch in the kitchen which is no longer overseen by Mangaloreans but by locals. “Udipi cooks do not migrate to Mumbai any more. We have to make do with cooks from northern states like Orissa and Bihar, and even Nepal,” says Suresh Kamat, owner of the Madras Café in Matunga.

Most Udipi owners are apprehensive about the future since the third generation is unwilling to run the restaurants. “My son studies in New Zealand and I do not expect him to oversee the kitchens and serve patrons,” says Rao.

Only Kamat seems to be fortunate as his nephew Jagdish willingly assists him at Madras Café. “My nephew is proud to be able to carry on our tradition and has allayed my fears for the restaurant’s future.” he beams.

Changing stripes

In a bid to survive, many Udipis are on a ‘modernising’ trip. If you are having a mouthful of spaghetti and ice-cream arrives with dollops of chocolate sauce, chances are that you may be in a modern-day Udipi hotel.

For instance, DP’s in Matunga which began life as Shri Durga Parmeshwari Bhawan at Dadar in 1966, had to introduce the Chinese dosa (alongwith sundaes and sodas) in the 80s to retain its customers.

“I tried hard to preserve the South Indian feel. But being strictly Udipi would have been disastrous as most of my customers are college-goers. Connoisseurs may accuse me of messing around with Udipi when I introduced the Chinese dosa, but I had no choice,” says owner Hari Kotiyan.

Then there is the transformation of Hanuman Coffee House in Sion to Hanuman Veg Restaurant. “It is only in Matunga that the pure Udipi hotels are still around. In any other area in Mumbai, they will risk losing business if they do not diversify,” says owner Rajgopal Nayak.

Last men standing
Urban historian Rafique Baghdadi thinks it is high time all Udipis reinvented themselves in these competitive times. “Every other cuisine  form is trying to keep up with the competition. Udipis, too, need to innovate or they will fade away.”

But there still remain some last Udipi men standing. Like Sundar Rao, owner of Sharada Bhawan in Matunga. “I will always serve Udipi,” says Rao. “I do not believe in trading originality for profits.”

This sentiment is echoed by other Udipi owners like Nayak who hasn’t changed his menu since 1942. Then there is Kamat whose firm belief in Madras Café’s future is reassuring.

“As long as we maintain our quality, we will not go the Irani café way.” Overhearing this, a nearby patron leans over and says, “I am a Parsi. My wife has mastered every cuisine except theirs. I fervently hope Udipis do not dwindle.”

Another fan 24-year-old Aditya Kandala, who works with a web-based software company, believes the Udipis can be saved. “It needs prompt attention by way of subsidies or special status. Mumbai cannot afford to mourn the loss of this delightful cuisine.”