It is 55 years since the Brahmins’ Coffee Bar was established at Ranga Rao Road at Shankarapuram adjoining Chamarajpete. People throng the restaurant for its Idli-Vada, Kaarabath-Chutney combos, apart from coffee. The eatery is recognised by the postal Department to commemorate the occasion with a Special Cover released recently. The cover has the picture of the iconic eatery’s Idli-vada-chutney, bearing the date 27-01-2020 of its release, the day Brahmins’ Coffee Bar was set up in 1965.
Ask Radhakrishna Adiga, one of the sons of KV Nagesh Rao and KN Saraswathi, about how he feels and he says, “We had started the eatery in a car garage for making both ends meet more than five decades ago. We have come a long way, with passion and determination. I am indeed grateful to the Postal Department for considering to release a Special Cover for Brahmins’ Coffee Bar to mark the year. We are proud, as well as modest, just as our restaurant.”
Postmaster General, Bengaluru HQ Region, S Rajendra Kumar says, “When we got the request for the release of the Special Cover from Brahmins’ Coffee Bar, we helped in the processing of the proposal and the design of the Special Cover and got it approved by the Chief Post Master General. Certainly it is an honour bestowed upon the eatery by the Postal Department.”
Radhakrishna goes on to say that his 89-year-old mother and septuagenarian brother Shankaranarayana Adiga watch the recipes, measurement and preparation time with a hawk’s eye. “They both are always in the kitchen monitoring the cooks. Fifty five years ago, my mother gave the recipe for Uppittu (kaara bath) and Chutney and people lapped it up. We need nothing more than people’s love and connect,” says Radhakrishna.
Uppittu and chutney or Idli and chutney are the staples. “It is the right ingredients in the right measure with the right cooking time that gives it the special zing. In the world of gourmet-kitchens and food chains, this space is considered iconic for its simplicity and local delicacies. We don’t even serve sambar with Idli. It’s only been Idli-Uppittu-chutney. Vade and Kesaribath was added from 1971,” he says.
Ask Radhakrishna about the footfalls per day and he says, “Actually that is not important to us. Even the most busy people as film and theatre personalities, writers, doctors, lawyers and IT professionals come here and wait for their plate to arrive. Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa was here after his swearing in ceremony. Idli-vada is his favourite,” he says adding that they send food to the party head-quarters often.
Radhakrishna says, of the 2000 covers released, one will be framed at the restaurant.
