Top 5 dishes to eat at Matunga’s iconic Ram Ashraya restaurant

This 84-year-old restaurant in South Mumbai made it to Taste Atlas’ Top 150 Legendary Restaurants worldwide. mid-day spoke to foodies around the city and tasted the best dishes they recommended

Matunga’s iconic Ram Ashraya restaurant is one of the seven Indian restaurants that made it to the Taste Atlas’ list. It was their upma that secured them this spot—and not surprisingly, the dish was sold out when we went to try it out last week. Here are our top five picks, tried and tested.

Bisbele bhath

This tangy, rice-based dish has its origins in Karnataka. “It’s like dal-chawal, but with sambhar,” Shubham Shah, a tax consultant based in Malad shares. The dish comes mixed into the rice, and contains green peas, French beans, tomatoes, and capsicums, in a spicy, tangy, rasam-style curry. Served with bright orange fryums, it’s an essential comfort food.

Butter idli

“We generally go once a month for breakfast, all of us friends,” says Parshwa Mehta, a US tax consultant. “The best items, according to me, are the ghee upma and the butter idli.” He says every bite is delicious and melts in your mouth. He also adds that the green coconut chutney that they serve goes well not only with the dosa and idli but also with the upma and other dishes.  “It’s a different combination, but it works.”

Kadi wada

Andrea Joseph, a PR professional from Mulund, recalls having the kadi vada and kadi idli, which combines the unique flavours of North and South—an amalgamation of Dahi wada and idli. “It’s tangy-tasting and very unique,” she says. “As a South Indian myself, I’d never come across this dish anywhere before.” Her other picks from the menu include the pudi or ‘gunpowder dosa,’, the neer dosa, and of course, the filter coffee.

Pineapple sheera

Sweet, bright yellow and like a dollop of icecream, but much healthier, the pineapple sheera comes served in a stainless steel bowl, like all the other dishes we had. “It’s my go-to place for any snack, lunch, or just to hang out at any time of the day,” says Adishri Amladi, founder of Bakery Eight. “My top picks are the sheeras here; I love the chickoo sheera, pineapple sheera, and butterscotch sheera, and the strawberry one, when it is in season,” she gushes.

Ghee podi dosa

Ushma Khetan, a resident of Matunga, swears by the ghee podi dosa served here—crunchy, crispy, and melts in one’s mouth. It is served in a conical tunnel shape. “I love going regularly; I have my regular six items I eat there,” she says. The ghee podi dosa is warm, flavourful, and has sprinkles of gunpowder chutney embedded into it.

Also Watch: Ram Ashraya Restaurant: A Culinary Gem since 1939

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