Matunga (Mumbai) | Placed a banana leaf, thumbapu rice was served and all the desired dishes were laid out. For the metropolis of Mumbai, this is not just the lyrics of a song. As in the lyrics, there is a place that literally feasts on the taste of Kerala. Manis Hotel offers Malayalee delicacies in Chembur, Sion and Matunga. Except during festivals, those who want to have a meal can go to Manis without hesitation.
You can fill your mind and stomach by having a sumptuous meal with Ginger, Lemon, Mango curry, Pachadi, Thoran, Avial, Koottukari, Dal, Sambar, Pulisseri, Rasam and curd in banana leaf. Manis is a favorite hotel not only for the Malayalees but also for everyone who comes to the city of Mumbai.
Manis has captured the hearts of Mumbai as a brand that maintains quality and taste in food.
The inquiring foodies
The main attraction of Manis is the midday meal itself. There is no other place in Mumbai where you can eat Kerala's sadya with so many dishes. That's why many people are looking for this hotel. The rice is served in a banana leaf. Pouring Sambar and Pulisseri in hot rice, adding Avial, Thoran and Koottukkari, topping with a pinch of pickle, any food lover's heart will be filled as soon as a roll is put in the mouth.
Stomach will be filled when you put the last trace of the mixture prepared, after emptied the leaf, from payasam, papad and banana on the tongue.
Manis Hotel is the place to go for delicious pure vegetarian food at an affordable price. Always busy but never lacking in hospitality and cleanliness. The behavior of the staff is also an asset to Manis Hotel.
Not only sadya, this hotel also has a variety of food such as dosa (available in the morning and evening), idli, oothappam and masala dosa.
A life mission cherished by generations
Manis Hotel has more than 75 years of service history. It started in 1937 near Ruya College in Matunga, Mumbai. The hotel was started by VS Mani Iyer, a Brahmin of Palakkad Tamil descent. Later, his son Narayana Swami and his younger brothers took up the life mission of providing good food.
After Narayanaswamy's death, his younger brother Venkatesh alias Rajamani, Raman and his brothers, and Narayanaswamy's son Subramani run the hotel. Manis Hotel, Sion started operations in 1948 and the Chembur branch started its operation in 2016.
In a city like Mumbai, it is only Rs 110 for a meal and Rs 200 for unlimited meals. Payasam is available on Saturday and Sunday. On other days sweets made in pure ghee will be served. Ghee brought from Coimbatore is used for cooking. Even from far away people come to buy sweets at Manis. These sweets are also loved by many people. Working hours are from 7.30 am to 10 pm. Lunch time is from 11 am to 3 pm. Monday is a holiday.
The gift of food is the great gift
Rajamani and his brother Raman, who have been here for thirty-three years, mainly run the day-to-day operations of the hotel. When their father VS Mani Iyer died, the youngest Rajamani was eleven years old. After losing his father, Rajamani was brought up and taught like a son by his elder brother Narayanaswamy. There are several things that Narayanaswami taught Rajamani. Rajamani is running the hotel with reliability and without breaking those ideals learned.
‘Food should be available to all sections of the society. That's why we don't overcharge even with so much price increase; Narayanaswami taught me that Annadanam (gift of food) is Mahadanam (great gift). It goes forward with those ideals even today. It will continue to be the same', says Rajamani. Apart from providing food, Rajamani has also been able to do great services during the Covid era. Rajamani, who is also a singer and art connoisseur, says that he was very fortunate to have helped many artists during that period. An Ayyappa devotee, he has been going to Sabarimala for 40 years and is a CWC member of the Akhil Bharat Ayyappa Seva Sangh there.
A variety of tastes without border
Many celebrities of the city are regular visitors to Manis. Cricketers like Ravi Shastri, Vengsarkar, Sandeep Patil, singer Shankar Mahadevan and prominent personalities of Bollywood have tasted Mani's Hotel. Although Manis is the only vegetarian hotel for Malayalees in the city, many people flock to this hotel, attracted by the taste served without distinction of language or caste.
Manis Hotel had a helping hand even during the Covid pandemic. Mani’s strength and inspiration is the cooperation of the people, and is moving forward by absorbing the love they give. That is why it is always possible to go ahead with mind-blowing tastes.
Matunga Manis lunch home-02224127188, 9820334887.
Chembur Manis lunch home- 02225200201.
Sion Manis lunch home-02224079584.
