The kathi roll, a flaky paratha wrap with meaty goodness, shot Dal Roti to fame. Customers flocked on its wings to this small eatery on Lilly Street in Fort Kochi. The young and old, locals and tourists who came to taste the fast food were pleasantly introduced to Awadhi cuisine of Lucknow and to a new variety in vegetarian dishes from the plains of Central India and rural Eastern India.
Offering a novel menu, wholesome food and being pocket-friendly, cooked by chefs who knew the cuisine, served in good time and garnished by the hospitality of a genial owner Ramesh Menon, the eatery built an attractive reputation in a short span of 12 years. It social media fandom was huge.
When it shut shop last week its fans were there, in large numbers, to bid goodbye.
“I am certainly going to miss this whole journey. I am going to miss meeting people, the great friends I made on the way. But in all seriousness it is time to go,” says Menon who credits its success to hard work and good luck.
A former shipping management executive, Menon forayed into hospitality per chance. After initial leg work he found a gap in the city for authentic North Indian cuisine. He sourced cooks specialising in the cuisine and established a connect in its first instance.
If the food met expectations, the large-hearted and warm owner soon became popular for giving his customers personal attention. “My restaurant may be one of the rare ones where the owner is also the waiter,” he says with a guffaw adding that for the years that the kitchen ran, 11 of its 14 start-up staff remained with him. Incidentally, he shopped for the provisions and grocery.
“I made a conscious choice that I would personally purchase provisions and grocery from the market, for which I bought a scooter. I was never the mudalali (owner), always the common man.”
The popularity of Dal Roti’s non-vegetarian fare —the Awadhi samosa paratha, murg musallam, chicken kathi roll and Mughalai paratha—meant buying 140 kilos of chicken, 15 kilos of mutton and prawns during season time; 100 eggs were consumed daily.
The kids who ate the kathi roll, says Menon, became the advertisers for the joint which made an impact with its deep red walls and minimal traditional décor. The kids came back with their parents and the circle grew larger and became a family place. Tourists and naval personnel formed a large clientèle. Many famous personalities – authors and politicians –dropped in for a bite. It turned into a hangout as customers were regaled by Menon’s personalised service.
As the cooks return, now for their summer break, and with a hope that if and when Dal Roti changes hands and reopens, their services may once again be required.
Can the fans be without the kathi roll till then? Maybe not, may be yes.
But till the void is filled and the fans hope... Menon plans to put his feet up, take up his hobby of photography seriously, write a book and perhaps make a documentary.
