The fascinating childhood fable of 'Paati vadai sutta kadhai' perhaps suits no other city the best than Madurai! Afterall Paatis and vadai kadais are one of the most common sights in the city. Who would disagree that small street-side eateries are characteristic of this ancient trading town and also much discussed for their unique recipes. Among many peculiar aspects of these typically hole-in-the-wall places are the quirky and funny nicknames given by locals to their favourite eateries. Where else would you hear the entire town referring to a roadside joint as Akka kadai (sister’s shop)?
Sample this – a shack opposite the Fatima College is famously known as Meesai kadai , after the owner Thavaraj who sports a bushy moustache twirled up into a murukku meesai . The 70-year-old Jayalivas Sappattu Club is better identified as Sandhu Kadai since it’s tucked inside a bylane or rather a narrow stone-floored alley and the 100-year-old Gopu Iyengar Tiffin Home casually referred to as moola kadai because it is located at the corner where two streets meet.
The earthy Kavanna Parotta Kadai in Natham, better known as Koora kadai
There are numerous such wacky-named eateries spread across roads in Madurai. Some of them don’t even have a name board but have earned an endearing sobriquet over the years. Most of them have survived more than half-a-century creating an identity for themselves. Fond references by regular customers speak of their popularity.
“Many of these eateries are run by families and a standard procedure is followed in which customers are given personal attention. When someone eats the same food at the same place for decades, they develop a bond with the place and the people running it. That’s how ‘ Akka, Anna or Paati kadai’ becomes a common name. That’s also the concept of a mess,” observes V Arul Murugan, food connoisseur.
The thatched roof exterior and plantain leaves at Koora Kadai, Natham
One such haunt is the 65-year-old Chekkanoorani Akka Kadai . Flocked by customers for its unbeatable Kudal curry made with goat intestines, the place sees heavy rush during lunch time. Though the board bears the name Rani Vilas, the loving reference of Akka Kadai has struck a chord with customers. The eatery was started by Bhagyam, a homemaker and she was fondly called as Akka. The title is now passed on to her daughter Kanmani and granddaughter Shantha who run the business at present.
In other cases, a striking element of the eatery becomes a moniker. Some of them may sound bizarre such as Panaimarathu Kadai , Power Kadai, Singam Hotel and Koora Kadai . The 80-year-old Panaimarathu Kadai , characterised by a kitschy palm tree drawn on the yellow name board, has an interesting story behind it. “For a long time since my grandfather Balaiyer started the eatery, we never thought of giving it a name. There was a lone palm tree that stood at our doorstep and people started identifying our shop with the tree. Over decades, we grew popular by the same reference and it became our name,” says N G Vasudevan. The original tree, however, is now a dead stump by the street-side but the name lives on.
Jeyavilas Sappattu Club also known as ‘Sandhu Kadai’
Similar is the history of 60-year-old Kavanna Parotta Kadai in Natham. Best known as Koora Kadai , ‘shop with a thatched roof’, it’s not just the crispy ennai parottas and piquant mutton chukka selling here that became a hit but also the exterior that remains unchanged for many decades. There are no tables or chairs in this 10X10 eatery but only a thinnai with a mattress on which customers sit cross-legged to enjoy a heavy meal of mutton chops and chukka from 7 am to 11 am. A pair of plantain leaves is pinned to the roof to announce that the place is open. “It’s like a green signal for customers. We remove the leaves when the food is over,” says Mohammed Yusuf, the second generation who runs the eatery. “There are people who come all the way from neighbouring districts to eat here. Those flying to Singapore and Malaysia from Tiruchi airport, stop by Natham and pack the parottas in thermocol boxes,” says A. Fahad, a regular customer.
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Some names border on weirdness yet have sustained popularity. But none knows the context in which they came about. Power Kadai in Arasaradi, sought after for Aatukkal paya and vengaya kudal , is one such example, in which the ‘power’ prefix remains unexplained.
The uncanny names and the unfading fame of these eateries adds drama to the experience of eating. It also reflects how Madurai has retained a rustic rural culture in many ways.
Names that shot to fame
Melmadi club (the first floor restaurant)
Kezhavi kadai or Aaya Kadai (shop run by an old woman)
Bun parotta kadai (named after the bun-like parottas)
Amma Mess (named after Ammathaayi, who curated the recipes)
Thambi Atho Kadai (thambi means younger brother)
