Brahmins Coffee Bar – Single Idly, Unlimited Chutney

The place must be about 20 feet long and less than 10 feet wide. The fare, Idly, Vade, Kharabhath, Kesaribhath, and Coffee. That is it !!

Brahmins as it is known among locals has been around for ages. In fact Radhakrishna Adiga who runs the place now has been behind the counter ever since he grew taller than the counter. What hits you at Brahmins is the simplicity of their menu. Over the years restaurants have sprung up all around offering all kinds of alternatives. Brahmins has stuck to its traditional “5 item” offering.

The idly comes with watery chutney all over it. There is no sambar. The Kharabhath has just the right amount of “stickiness” (if thats the term that can be used)… and for those of us who want to ignore diet restrictions there is benne (butter) that he will put on the idlies for a small extra charge. Coffee is still served piping hot in a glass tumbler. You have to have Kharabhath and cofee together (makes a great combination).

For me Brahmins is a throwback to the old times, starting with when we were in high school, through college and of course the present. Only the prices have changed. Used to be 10 paisa for an idly in 1976… unlimited chutney of course.

Its only recently that Brahmins introduced a token system. Until then Radhi would look at you and tell you exactly what you ate and how much you owed… regardless of how crowded the place was he could reel off what each party had. Sources tell me that they introduced the token system when a few enterprising souls started disappearing without paying their bills.