SI Bharathan, Sambavam, Volvo - a quick glance at the menu and these are some of the names that pop up. We were at ‘Pai Brothers’ in Kadavanthara and from the names, we realized that we were going to experience a jolt to the concept of the common breakfast dish – the dosa.
Pai Brothers and their 36 varieties of dosas had been a favorite joint for the night snackers in Kochi for past two decades. Probably, it is the first name that comes to your mind when the tummy rumbles while you are on a drive back from a movie or a late night outing.
Though the Pai eatery had a humble beginning, they have a loyal clientele. The interiors are quite modest. A touch of the typical Udupi eatery - but each a treat for the gourmet lovers. From plain dosas to the ones stuffed with luscious chocolate, the eatery proves that much can happen over a simple dosa.
The menu is an attractive hardbound booklet that takes you through the different categories of dosas (with a description of ingredients too), curries, hot and cold beverages and desserts, with mind-boggling illustrations.
The price ranges between Rs50 for a set of four ‘thattil kutty’ dosas and Rs270 for Family Masala. Bheeman Roast or the dosa as big as 50cm is yet another attraction.
Pai Brothers offers both veg and non-veg varieties of this south Indian staple. The non-veg section includes the experiments with different kinds of egg and not meat, unfortunately!
Kanchipuram dosa is a must try from the veg section. It’s light- with a generous helping of grated carrot, beetroot, onion, masala and lot more. If you want to try the whole essence of every variety in the shop, ‘Dundu dosa’ is a perfect choice; a bigger and a richer dosa and that’s enough to serve two medium eaters. A potpourri in itself, it has portions of potato masala, special chutneys, chutney podi and a strip of melted chocolate, topped with cashews and cheese.
They serve breakfast from 7 am to 11 am. Poori Masala combo, Chapathi combo and Puttu combo are worth Rs70. Vegetarian Meals for Rs 70 is also reasonable. They provide free home delivery on all orders above Rs 300, within 3 km radius.
The joint is open from 7 am in the morning till 1 am, catering the taste buds. Don't forget to drop in at ‘Pai Dosa’ when in Kochi and try out the mouth-watering dosas.
