On my way to R.K. Puram for a social engagement, I realised I hadn’t eaten all day (which is a rare thing for me) and popped into the first shop I saw in the Sector 1, R.K. Puram market – which turned out to be Madras Coffee House.

A little more than a hole in the wall, with chairs outside, would you believe Madras Coffee House has been around for the better part of 45 years? Started by a chap called V. Mahalingam Naidu in 1964, it is now being run by his son M. Chandrashekharan. Apparently Naidu came from Madurai to Delhi about 50 years back seeking to better his fortunes and worked at the Madras Hotel in Connaught Place for a while before putting together the funds and guts to open Madras Coffee House.

The menu is predictable for most part, with standard offerings like Idlis, Vadas, Pongal, Upma, Tomato Rice, Curd Rice, Lemon Rice, Dosas, Uttappams and limited Thalis. They also have some North Indian and ‘Chinese’ food on offer. I tried their Masala Dosa and a portion of their Idlis. The dosa was nice, used very little oil and stuffed with well flavored potatoes. They serve it with small portions of coconut chutney, tomato chutney and sambar. Everything is refilled whether you ask or not. The Idlis had obviously been stored for a while in a cold environment, so they weren’t as soft as I would like. Having said that, they weren’t as hard as I’ve found in many places. The coconut chutney was nice and the sambar was full of veggies, though it could have tasted better.

The USP: Their tomato chutney. Brilliant. Full of flavor. Delicious!

Verdict: Don’t visit if you want to eat out… but if you’re around, don’t think twice, just pop in and don’t forget to have that lovely chutney.

Contact Numbers: 011-26177126, 98102-86902, 98717-01294

- Sid