Iyer Mess - One which Stood Mess of Time

(By Jayaprakash)

My rating: Taste - 4/5, Service - 4/5, Ambience - 4/5, Value for money - 4/5

Prelude

When I last visited Iyer mess, it was way back in 2004, nearly 13 years back, since then it has stood the test of time and umpteen other eateries that has mushroomed. Malleswaram is the home of many legendary vegetarian restaurants and Iyer mess is no less legendary. It is located in one of the non-descript residential buildings Near Devi Prasad Home Appliances at 7^th cross near the market road. It is can be easily missed if you are not looking for it. Enter the Iyer mess, it gives you feeling of home. It is actually a residential house with the hall serving as the dining area. It does not have much of ambience to offer, but I really liked the place since it gives the feeling of eating at home or marriage hall. I am fond of places were food is served on banana / Plantain leaf like in south Indian marriages. Hence I have rated the Ambience as 4/5. It has steel tables just like in marriages as well.

Service - 4/5

Let me talk about the service, we were two people myself and my dad. I choose a table for two, it had two long banana leaves placed and steel tumbler. The service started by first serving water, service is quick. It is handled by one elderly gentleman, the owner lady and two service boys. This elderly gentleman usually comes and pokes you on the shoulder and asks if I need anything…now don’t you think that is how you are served at home… I liked it, I like these places where people serve with love and not just because they want to make money.

Food / Taste - 4/5

About the food, pickle was served followed by beans and cabbage palya, curd, veg curry and chapathi is optional, paruppu vadai, big appalam, white rice is served like shape of cake and kumbalkayi iyer sambar (pumpkin)..now that is the typical tamil iyer meals. After sambar you are served with iyer rasam. You can ask for extra servings of palya, veg curry, sambar etc if you want extra vada/curry i think it is charged extra. It was sumptuous meal. I felt contended.

Banana leaf ready for serving....

Iyer Veg meals - vada, rice, veg curry, beans cabbage poriyal and appalam

Rice and kumkumbalkayi sambar

Value for money - 4/5

Each meal cost me about 70 rupees that was 140 rupees for two wholesome meal. I would any day go for this traditional Iyer meals served on banana leaf then the usual, the heavily commercialized south and north Indian meals. I wish we have more such places like Iyer mess, which not only preserves the culture of Tamil meals, but served with love. I am not sure how long Iyer mess would survive the urbanization demon. I wish there is really some effort made to create such an atmosphere. Our next generation is definitely going to miss this.