Udipi Shri Krishna Boarding

The queue often snakes down the staircase of the Lal Bahadur Shastri Market building, a clear sign you’ve found A. Rama Nayak's Udipi Shri Krishna Boarding. Located on the first floor right outside the Matunga Central Railway station, this spot has been serving its specific style of South Indian food since 1942. Upstairs, the dining hall is a simple, non-air-conditioned space designed for one purpose – eating. It has the functional feel of a canteen or mess hall, with a focus on cleanliness so thorough that signs invite you to inspect the kitchen yourself. It’s common to share tables with other diners in the bustling, communal room. The only thing to order is the unlimited vegetarian thali, served on a traditional plantain leaf. Reflecting Gaud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) style cuisine, the menu changes daily but the structure is always the same. You get multiple vegetable preparations, sambar, dal, dahi (curd), pickles, and papadums sourced from the village of Kateel. The meal is built around three servings of rice, each meant to be eaten with a different accompaniment – first the rasam, then dal, and finally dahi. Specialty items include Avial, a mixed vegetable stew, and a dry powder chutney made from dal and spices that’s served with ghee. For dessert, there’s always a payasam, with six different varieties rotating through the week. The first step is to buy a token for your meal at the counter. Service is famously fast and efficient, with servers moving quickly between tables to replenish your leaf. Eating with your hands is the traditional way to do it. Just know that the restaurant is closed on Mondays.