The Mess with no name

In the quaint streets of George Town, this writer discovers a slice of Kerala, whose taste lingers on

George Town is a Mecca for die-hard shoppers, weary migrant labourers and all those interested in experiencing old Chennai. It is also home to a number of lodges, mansions, hostels, shipping corporations and trade unions, law firms and financial institutions. The buildings of George Town never fail to enchant those who choose to explore the narrow streets and their hidden treasures.

In the labyrinth of these crumbling towers of history, this writer discovered an excellent Malayalee restaurant, which has no name or signboard. Its patrons attract new customers by telling their friends about it. It is located in a sinister looking, soot-caked, old colonial building on Armenian Street and one has to figure out a maze of staircase to locate it. The hallucinating aroma of frying curry leaves, guides the hungry through this maze. GPRS mobile phone maps will not work here. It is the smell of coconut oil and the sound of ladle striking wok, which serves as a beacon. It is popularly known as ‘Mallu Mess.’ The proprietors are reluctant to talk to reporters as their eatery is not properly registered. The eatery is a hit with the residents of the hostels and lodges. Hostel residents of Madras Medical College (MMC ) and the Catholic Centre are its loyal clientele.

The walls are painted with a very bright shade of blue enamel. It is coated with a jagged finish of soot, dust and grease. There is a large exhaust fan, which looks as if it has been salvaged from an oil slick. Cardboards squares decorate the edges of the fan. It is very relaxing to have long conversations in the constant whirr of this fan. The mess is managed by a trio who are known to everyone as Dinesh, Master and Cashier. The old patriarch, Master has a terrific sense of humour. His sarcastic humour is a balm that soothes our fatigue. The mess serves Puttu- Kadala on Sunday mornings. This attracts a large number of Malayalees who live, work or study in the area. The mess’ speciality is the Parotta-Beef, which this writer found to be the best he had come across. Dishes are very reasonably priced and an enormous quantity of rice is served for a meal, available for Rs. 20/-. This eatery works from 8 AM to 10 PM, everyday of the week. It has a seating capacity of eight.