FPJ 96th Anniversary: A Rama Nayak’s Legacy And The Prince Of Payasam In Mumbai’s Iconic Udipi Restaurants

FPJ 96th Anniversary: A Rama Nayak’s Legacy And The Prince Of Payasam In Mumbai’s Iconic Udipi Restaurants

When only 11 years old, A. Rama Nayak, was required to take an important decision. He had lost his father and he had an aged mother and a sister to support. It was then he decided to sail to Mumbai from his village Akkar in Mangalore in a small boat and disembarked at Bhaucha Dhakka.

S BalakrishnanUpdated: Friday, July 19, 2024, 03:20 AM IST
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FPJ 96th Anniversary: A Rama Nayak’s Legacy And The Prince Of Payasam In Mumbai’s Iconic Udipi Restaurants |

When only 11 years old, A. Rama Nayak, was required to take an important decision. He had lost his father and he had an aged mother and a sister to support. It was then he decided to sail to Mumbai from his village Akkar in Mangalore in a small boat and disembarked at Bhaucha Dhakka. This was in 1913. He was not educated, but that was more than compensated by his culinary skills. He found a job as a helper to a woman cook who ran a mess in Santa Cruz for bachelors who had come to Mumbai in search of jobs.

Soon enough he got a job as a cook at Gopalashram, the venerable hotel at Pitha Street, Fort, which was known for its simple vegetarian meals. Rama Nayak used to wake up at 4.00 a.m. and go to the Byculla market for vegetable shopping. On his return, he cooked meals for hundreds of people, which included freedom fighters. One of them was Sane Guruji, a noted social reformer, who encouraged him to look at catering as a mission.

Rama Nayak then took on rent premises on the first floor of a chawl just outside Matunga railway station on the Central Railway side and started Udipi Shri Krishna Boarding. It was inaugurated in 1942 by Sane Guruji. It was an instant hit because Rama Nayak was one of the few hoteliers who spent more time in the kitchen ensuring quality than sitting at the cash counter.

For thousands of bachelors, the boarding house was God sent. The vegetarian meals, which cost a princely two annas, reminded them of their homes back in south India. Rama Nayak personally selected the vegetables and made the masalas himself. His philosophy was that people should get to eat healthy. Well before Vijay Mallya referred to his airline passengers as ‘guests’, Rama Nayak had started calling his customers as guests.

Now, the high tradition set by Rama Nayak is being ably carried on by his son Satish Nayak (70). If Rama Nayak was the ‘Raja of Rasam’, Satish easily qualifies to be the ‘Prince of Payasam’. With a trademark tilak of sandalwood paste, Satish has been running the boarding house since 1981 when his father passed away.

While the late Nagesh used to run Cafe Mysore in front of King’s Circle Garden, the Udipi air-conditioned restaurant near Cafe Mysore is being looked after by Sai Prakash. Satish religiously attends to his business with a team of loyal workers. Like his father, he keeps a close tab on the kitchen.

The boarding house, which serves only meals six days a week, has 79 seats which are forever occupied. The food is typically Mangalorean with items like ‘batatache song’, ‘tendli upkari’, ‘dalitoya’ and an array of ‘payasams’. The pickles are made with fiery mustard masala. The limited meals served on stainless steel thalis cost Rs 120 (with curd) and unlimited meals on plantain leaf Rs 275 for lunch and Rs 250 for dinner.

In 2005, Satish started Mumbai’s first only idlis restaurant called Idli House near King’s Circle. It offered exotic varieties of idlis like ‘khoto’ (wrapped in jackfruit leaves), ‘muddo’, etc, with unlimited coconut chutney, sambar, ‘mulgapodi’ and til oil. Little wonder it became an instant hit. The outlet is now relocated near Matunga station since the building where it was originally situated has been demolished for redevelopment.

In 1993, Satish opened a stall near the entrance of Matunga station selling mouth-watering boondi ladoos, badushas, rava ladoos, mysore paks, jalebis, masala chaklis etc. The stall next to it sells hot vada pav which is a big hit with college students. Satish is now handing over the baton to his son Shashank (44), who has hospitality in his veins.

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