On Tuesday, those who ate Brindavan Hotel did so like there was no tomorrow. As far as Brindavan is concerned, there is indeed no tomorrow, as this landmark destination on M.G. Road for classy south Indian meals and tindi s closed down on Tuesday.
As the property — measuring three-quarters of an acre — changes hands to the Shubh Jewellers group, diehard foodies are sad over the loss of this charming place that had retained its identity despite the dizzying changes around it.
Solemn air
There was a solemn air in the long dining hall during the ele oota (unlimited meal served on plantain leaves) lunch hour on Tuesday, as people bent their heads over the “last meal” of chapattis, rice, papad and a host of side dishes.
R.C. Shekar and Venkabu Narayana Swamy, along with a bunch of friends, had their breakfast, lunch and evening snack at the Brindavan. Mr. Shekar has been a regular here for 30 years. “We live near Ulsoor lake, and those days, there were not too many south Indian restaurants in the Cantonment area,” he said.
He liked their cuisine, which was a combination of Madrasi and Udupi styles. “Their dosa dough is typically Madrasi and their Pongal too has a distinct Madrasi consistency, which is not too watery.”
Opened in 1967
This culinary marriage is not surprising, as the eatery was established by the late Ramakrishna Rao, who hailed from coastal Karnataka, but had settled in Chennai (then Madras) and ran a restaurant there for many years. He set up the Brindavan in Bangalore in 1967 and moved here with his family.
Since then, their meals and tindi specialities, like mini-idlis dunked in sambar, have been a big draw.
Old-world feel
Till its closure on Tuesday, the restaurant retained its old-world feel, with rows of marble top tables and waiters reeling out the day's specialities like in a signature Udupi restaurant.
There were regulars from outstation who chose to stay in its modestly furnished rooms too. The location was central but well away from the clamour of M.G. Road.
Metro work
“When we started, a meal cost Rs. 2.50,” recalled A. Mohan Rao, the owner. Business dropped after work on the metro rail began on M.G Road, and the family took a collective decision to sell this prime property.
His brother Shankar Rao, who helped run the place, is saddened to shut Brindavan and part ways with its 60-odd employees, many of whom have served there for decades.
Most of the staff are not sure of their next destination. “I will first go to my native place Udupi, visit temples and then decide what to do next,” said Srinivasa Murthy, who has put in 20 years here. Some plan to start their own business with the compensation money, while others will seek work elsewhere.
The family, as of now, has no specific plans for the future.
“All our regulars have given us their phone numbers and told us they will come back if at all we start a restaurant elsewhere,” says Mr. Mohan Rao.
