The Foodie’s Guide To Matunga East
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A. P. Ramalingam
26 Baldota House, Bhandarkar Road. 2402 6021.
This farsan store sells sweets like Mysore pak, boondi ladoo and wheat halwa, snacks like chakli and chivda and also pickles, pulses, spices, jaggery, sambhar powder, Madras rasam powder and molaga podi (a kind of dry chutney powder eaten with idlis and other South Indian fare). They also sell their own brand of ghee.
B. Shree Sunders
Near the exit of Matunga station, Bhandarkar Road. 2416 9216.
This South Indian restaurant is best known for its curd-rice, pesarattu (a moong dal dosa stuffed with chopped onions), nachini dosa and idlis. Their idlis are made with hand-ground rice, which makes them fluffier than those served at most other establishments, where they are made with rava. Shree Sunders also serves a mean pav bhaji dosa.
C. Ram Ashray
Near Matunga station, Lakhamsi Nappu Road. 2414 2623.
A large variety of dosas, uttapams and wadas. Their upma comes highly recommended and they are happy to replenish your chutney and sambhar at no extra cost.
D. Rama Nayak’s Udipi Sri Krishna Boarding
First Floor, LBS Market Building, Lakhamsi Nappu Road. 2414 2422.
At this Udipi, founded in 1942, a typical meal comprises rice, puris or chapatis, curry, raita, pappad, buttermilk, rasam, dal, pickle and curd. You can choose to eat your meal on a banana leaf or on a plate. A sign in the restaurant urges you towards the former; “Try eating in leaf in Indian way, without spoon”, it reads. The advantage: unlike the plate section, in the banana leaf section, you get unlimited servings of each item.
E. Café Gulshan
Balkrishna Nivas, near Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research, opposite Matunga Gymkhana, Lakhamsi Nappu Road. 2414 3449.
This Irani café is the popular hangout of college students who attend one of three colleges in the vicinity (Podar, Ruia and Welingkar). Their bestsellers include mutton kheema (served plain or with eggs), Maggi masala, chicken roll, chicken dum biryani and bun-omelette sandwich.
F. DP’s Fast Food Centre
Near Ruia College, Lakhamsi Nappu Road. 2414 5326.
This student favourite serves street snacks and treats like pav bhaji, chaat, grilled sandwiches, paranthas, ice cream sundaes, falooda, kulfi, milkshakes and ice cream sodas.
G. Mani’s Lunch Home
153/C Mhaskar Building, behind DP’s Fast Food Centre, near Ruia College. 2412 7188.
This landmark restaurant is loved for South Indian staples like idli, medu vada, pongal, sheera, dal wada, rasam wada, kela baji, vegetable bonda, curd rice, and bisi bele bhath—all served with unlimited coconut chutney and sambhar. Unless you go for breakfast, it’s likely that they will be out of upma as it’s their most popular dish.
H. Ayyappa’s
384 Dadhabawala Sadan, opposite Nalli Silks, Telang Road. 98923 43326.
This roadside dosa, idli and wada stall does roaring business. You can expect to find a crowd of suits, college students and aunties holding Nalli bags clamouring for fresh plates of medu wada and chutney, the Ayyappan special dosa and sabudana wada. They don’t stick to one spelling of their name but are thankfully more consistent with their food.
I. Amba Bhavan
Next to Guruvayoorappan Temple, opposite Milap store, Bhandarkar Road.
Both Amba Bhavan and Anand Bhavan (See N.) have fiercely loyal patrons. Members belonging to the Amba Bhavan camp make daily trips for wada, sambhar, masala dosa, dahi bhath, coconut sevai, wheat halwa, kela baji and rava dosa. No onions are used in the food as it is a Jain establishment. Closed on Thursdays.
J. Café Madras
38/II Circle House, Bhaudaji Road, King’s Circle. 2401 4419.
It’s where Matunga residents flock for breakfast. Fresh, fluffy idlis, even fluffier set dosas served with white butter, and steaming filter coffee served in steel bowls are part of the allure. Closed on Mondays.
K. Nayaks Sweets and Snacks
Opposite Café Madras, Bhaudaji Road, King’s Circle. 2401 2651.
This sweet mart is owned by the proprietors of Café Mysore (see L.). They sell dry fruit barfis, snacks like chaklis, baked chips and chivda, and MTR masalas.
L. Café Mysore
Durlabh Nivas, Bhaudaji Road, King’s Circle. 2402 1230.
Picks include the tomato omelette, khotto idli (steamed in a jackfruit leaf shaped like a cup) and the filter coffee.
M. Just Chill 7
Shop No. 4, Ram Niwas Building, Bhaudaji Road, King’s Circle.
Sells softies in flavours of vanilla, strawberry, chocolate and butterscotch, and slushies in flavours of orange, kalakhatta and lemon. Best-known for the Blossom, a kalakhatta or orange slushie float.
N. Anand Bhavan
461/A Ram Niwas, Maheshwari Udyan, Dr. Ambedkar Road, King’s Circle. 2401 5745.
This lunch home serves excellent home-style upma, set dosa, Mysore onion rava dosa, sambhar bhath, bisi bele bhath, pesarattu and coffee. Ask for the molaga podi to add a kick to your meal.
O. Idli House
462, Ram Bhavan, opposite Jain Temple, Dr. Ambedkar Road, King’s Circle. 3246 0111.
The idlis-only restaurant is owned by the proprietors of Rama Nayak’s Udipi Shri Krishna Boarding. They serve about 13 varieties, including khotto, masala, mudho (idli steamed in kedki leaves), pepper and Mysore rava idli, each of which comes with a host of coconut chutneys flavoured with either chillies, garlic, ginger or mustard seeds. They offer home delivery within Matunga.
P. Nanumal Bhojraj
Shops No. 3 and 4, Gani Mansion, behind Aurora Cinema, near Sahakari Bhandar. 2408 0704.
It’s the one place with no idli, dosa and wada on the menu. They serve authentic Punjabi and Sindhi fare like Sindhi curry, dal palak, rajma masala, dahi curry and besan kofta. Their menu boasts a long list of whole wheat parathas. Home delivery between Lower Parel and Bandra.
Q. Classic Fast Food
466 Mehta Building, Nathalal Parekh Road, opposite Don Bosco Church. 2409 3204.
This is Matunga’s equivalent of a Shiv Sagar. They serve a mix of idlis, dosas, sandwiches, pav bhaji, Punjabi and Chinese fare.
R. Koolar & Co.
541 Noor Mahal, on the junction of Dr. Ambedkar Road and H. Adenwala Road. 2412 5062.
This Irani café was set up in 1932. The proprietor, Ali, is given to using profanities (when talking to the staff) and is known to talk nineteen to the dozen with customers, both old and new. Gorge on their “Wrestler omelette”, made using five eggs. Other must-haves are kheema pav, chicken omelette, burji pav and Irani tea.
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Awesome guide.Its like its a hub of restaurants and cafes around that circle, a real good depiction on the map.
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You forgot Garnish. I have been going there practically once a week for the last 4 years.
And which of all these sell banana chips fried in coconut oil? Those are rare!
Also, you missed the famous Chedda stores. What methi dhoklas they have (among other things)!
nice list. chedda not really a restaurant. though one of the first kirana shops to turn into a desi deli
Lovely lovely guide. I do have my very own personal guide to the area, but I’m not entirely sure he’d be quite as comprehensive as this.
An idea, how about a follow up post with a recommendation to the ones that we must hit up (with a specific recommendation); best idlis, most innovative thing to try out. I think my guide has recommended Anand Bhavan, though I haven’t been there yet.
this is huuuuge- been dying to hit up matunga for dosa- wanna join me?
Interesting, but there’s no such thing as Matunga East. Matunga East is King’s Circle or just Matunga. (Matunga West is Mahim.)
i was dissapoited…not well written to bring the salive onto my mouth..i dunnno think its written by a real foodie…sorry guyz
Each small eatery in Matunga has its very own speciality and somehow that is lacking in this article.This seems to have been written by someone with a very basic knowledge of South Indian food. I so badly want to write “A South Indian Culinary journey in Matunga”. Site mods, interested?
Nice concept, but it would have been better if the editors had chosen a writer who has eaten around the area/ the reporter had made rounds of the area. That way, your story would have made readers drool over specific items of particular food-shops of this area.
For example, Rabadi-falooda-Kulfi of Himalaya, or its chana bhatura, (Never touch Samosa of this place), or 5 types of dosas in Cafe Mysore, or A-1 samosa in Koolar & Co, which is THE best Irani cafe in this area. ( They are very particular about calling their Samosas “A-1 Samosa”, never make the mistake of calling it a Punjabi samosa:-)))
Hope to see some more interesting small/ roadside eatery guides here.
good luck.
good survey do so for places like ghatkopar/parle /malad.