What’s the first image that springs to your mind when you hear the words ‘Kodava Samaja’? Let me hazard a few guesses – in your head, it’s a place where over-the-hill members of the Coorgi community catch up on weekends (with the younger ones reluctantly in tow) to let their hair down and network with other natives at 'cultural events' over plates of piping hot ‘Coorg plate-idli’ and tumblers of steaming coffee straight from the hills. Or maybe for you, the Kodava Samaja in your city has so far been the preferred choice of venue for your all of your 3 Coorgi friends’ weddings – where, like at every other wedding, said older members engage in a bit of clandestine matchmaking for their own sons, daughters, nieces and grandnephews-in-law.
Push, if you will for a minute, these images to the back of your head and imagine instead, a Kodava Samaja playing host to a bunch of people who drink beer, listen to jazz music, admire popular art and eat what I believe is some of the best non-vegetarian food I have ever had the fortune of sinking my chompers into. Well boys and girls, such a place does exist – and you need look no further than Windsor Pub, situated on the ground floor of the Kodava Samaja building in Vasanthnagar, Bangalore.
A sucker for ‘old establishments’ (Pecos in Bangalore and Toto’s in Mumbai being my other favourites), I loved the feel of the place the minute I walked in – the place is dark and inviting with muted lighting. Smooth jazz music (the kind I don’t usually get but what sounded pretty good that afternoon), greets you as soon as you walk in and is more or less complemented by the Miles Davis & Dave Brubeck posters on the walls. What’s also on the walls are some cool paintings that have been done by the owner himself – chat him up and he’s pretty willing to explain the meaning behind each of his works and even sell you reprints, if you want. And oh, the dude has the meanest biker handlebar moustache I’ve seen in a while. :)
Seating is comfortable and ‘loungey’ with the place built to accommodate about 50 sitting people at tables of 4 – there are a couple of bar stools at the bar counter and one of those ubiquitous LCD TV screens, with which you can distract your mind from the chatter and the music, if you so wish. The waiters are prompt and come to your table with menus almost as soon as you settle down – though most of them know that the first order will be for a pitcher of the cold stuff – which doesn’t disappoint. That first sip of Kingfisher, straight from their taps and out of a frosted beer mug, feels really good on its way down.
Rubbing my hands together with visible excitement, I dived into the menu and felt my heart soar with every line that I read – what’s on offer is food cooked the traditional Coorgi / Mangalorean / Malayali way and the place is a haven for carnivores like yours truly. I’ve been told the Coorgis are unrivalled in their manner of cooking pork and the ‘Pandhi Curry’ (which literally translates into ‘pig curry’) may sound a trifle uninviting but is a universal recommendation to all who enter here. I wasn’t feeling too ‘porky’ that day and so we decided to start off with ‘Masala Fried Prawns’ – a zingy preparation of prawns tossed in a wickedly good spice paste and shallow-fried with curry leaves. Hats off to the chef for getting the texture of the prawns just right – the flavour of the masala was also brilliant. Already half-full with beer, I couldn’t wait to get to the main course – which turned out to be ‘Ceylon Egg Kheema Parathas’ and WP’s house speciality – shredded beef. We couldn’t have chosen better – the parathas were delicious, wholesome affairs – stuffed thick with an egg and mince mixture, shallow-fried just right and served with a ‘korma’ and salad. The beef dish was excellent too – quite literally, fine shreds of beef fried with plenty of garlic and onions to a crisp texture – and I couldn’t help but reach for fingerfuls of it every now and then. I’d immediately recommend all three of the above that I tried that day. The menu has a great choice of what WP calls ‘Pub Lunches and Dinners’ – with continental and Indian choices for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. There’s also plenty more to choose from in the starters and sides menu – it’d do you well to give about 5 minutes to the menu before you order. The seafood here is another hot favourite – the lady at the next table was completely engrossed in her shell-fried crabs all the time that she was there and like me, looked completely and utterly satisfied by the time she was done.
The place is obviously popular and usually has a waiting period for lunch and from about 8ish in the evening. Smoking is allowed, though I’ve heard that all that cigarette smoke can get a bit stifling after a while, owing to the size and lack of open ventilation in the place. The place is easy on the pocket - a pitcher of draught is about Rs.195 and a starter and main course for 2 (likely to climb if you binge on the seafood) will cost about Rs.500.
As for me, I think I’ve found my temple and frequent visits here on weekends look very likely. And before I forget – to all you Kodavas out there, you people truly rule. May your tribe surge forth and multiply! :)
neverclever
