Brahmin’s Coffee Bar
Brahmin’s Coffee Bar – The lifesaver of morning birds like me.
Many times on weekends I like to get up really early and go out. If it is not a ride with a group then I just get up and go ride around the city. One key requirement at this hour is coffee and food. I am talking of 6 to 6-30 in the morning.
Many a times I have headed out at 5 a.m., riding around for an hour and then struggled to find good coffee.
The one place where I can reliably find excellent coffee is Brahmin’s. Really good filter coffee. The kind that leaves a lingering taste long after the coffee is over. Ahhhhh!!!
What is even more amazing is the fact that at 6 a.m. they have idli, vada, khara bath (upma) and chutney fully ready to serve to hungry souls. I have never yet gone there and been told it is too early to get food. Too late yes, they do run out of stuff, esp. in the evenings but at 6 a.m. you can reliably find succour.
Let’s talk about that idli and vada for a minute. Super fresh, super soft idli freshly taken out of the cooker served immediately. No other food can beat fresh idlis in the area of fast & fresh food. I know there are plenty of people with many polarized opinions on which is the best idli south of the Vindhyas but as a package of idlis vada and coffee I put Brahmin’s right up there.
Talking of vada, these are among the crispest and freshest I have found. Seriously good vadas.
The quirk with Brahmin’s is they don’t make sambar, I mean seriously there is no sambar on offer here. Their chutney is a little more liquid than what you get in other places but super tasty. It is the chutney of course which quite defines the place. There is an unlimited supply of chutney to keep refilling your plates with as you savor the idli and vada.
There is a person who sits separate from the food counter whose sole purpose in life is to ladl
e out chutney in to dishes where it has been mopped up. The chutney-chap is a classic, if you are there I would recommend spending a few moments observing him. He dispassionately dispenses chutney in to dishes, giving everyone the same amount in each serving irrespective of their station in life and notwithstanding any pleas for special favors. Chutney-chap, the great social leveler.
Once you are done with idli, vada and chutney that is when you have set the stage for the grand performance of the filter coffee. There is of course the usual options of badam milk etc. but really it is the coffee that makes the real grand entrance. Of course here too the coffee server is a classic. Anyone who can elicit a smile from this guy will get a we
ek’s worth of idlis from me. If the chutney-chap was dispassionate this guy knows he is dispensing the world’s best coffee and you are nothing but a mere mortal waiting for a taste of the nectar. if ever there was anyone who poured down coffee at you it is this gentleman. He stands on top of the coffee mountain and pours out small portions of the nectar for mortals. But it is worth it, great coffee needs a little sacrifice.
Just to complete the list, the chap who serves you idli/vada/khara bath is the most friendly of the lot and actually talks and chats with customers, the anarchist.
Having had this dose of brilliant food, coffee and anthropology you can ride on with the lingering taste of good coffee all set to have a smashing day.
Ride Safe !
