Food Review: This South Indian Style Cafe In Suburban Mumbai Serves Authentic Dosa, Dal Vada, Gunpowder Idli & Filter Kaapi

At first glance, the exteriors of Porvai don't reveal much about the story that unveils once you step into the eatery, which has grown out of Advaith Nayar's love to showcase the food he ate at home in his childhood and also during his travels to South India.

Tucked away in Mahavir Nagar, Kandivali West, this place has an understated, unfussy vibe with a relaxed opulence that screams South Indian even from a distance.

Advaith's grandmother's 70-year-old charming vilakku (lamp) graces the entrance. A 50-year-old refurbished wooden bench in the waiting area, teak wood and cane chairs, terra-cotta flooring, brass plates... all elements you'd find in a typical South Indian home, you'll find here.

The restaurant is really close to Advaith's heart and that's why he named it Porvai (translates to bed sheet or comforter in Tamil). It is built on the hope that it would turn out to be a cozy, comfy, homely place away from home for its patrons.

The menu looks simple, but the flavours are anything but ordinary. There are no frills attached, and the food is served the way it is meant to be. Unsweetened sambar, dosas that are not oozing with ghee or butter, chutneys that are made fresh, and curries that get their flavour from freshly ground masalas.

The food in Porvai is uncomplicated and straightforward, yet each bite will give you a masterclass on how authentic South Indian food should be. It has recipes that Advaith has grown up eating at home, whipped up by his mother, aunts, and grandmother. Brass plates, glasses, steel straws, and cloth coasters reveal Advaith's love for sustainability.

Advaith's father is a Malayalee, his mom is from Tamil Nadu, and Porvai brings the best of both worlds. "South Indian food is stereotyped as idli and dosa. I wanted people to know that it is much more than that. I hope to bring a small pinch of that onto people's plates."

Several of the recipes you'll find at Porvai have been passed down over the generations -- there are heirloom recipes from Advaith's mom and grandmother's kitchens. It's those flavour profiles that he wanted to introduce to people.

The podis are all freshly ground in kitchens in South India -- sambar podi comes from Chennai, rasam podi from Kerala. "My aunt grinds it at her home and couriers it to us. Raw materials sourced down South are way more authentic and hence irreplaceable for us."

I started off with the quintessential filter coffee that was served in the traditional brass tumbler. Interestingly, I wrapped up my meal with a Filter Coffee Softy (ice cream) that was served in the same golden cup set. While the former was as authentic as filter coffee can get, the rich, creamy, mild brown, coffee-flavoured dessert was not overly sweet but had a slightly bitter taste and strong hints of chicory.

Instead of filter coffee, opt for the Iced Filter Coffee Black (that is served without milk, more like a cold version of Kerala's kattan kappi) or the bestseller Coconut Milk Vietnamese Filter Coffee, with condensed milk and coconut milk.

The best accompaniment to the filter coffee is the Chips and Chutney Platter, in which you'll get an assortment of banana, jackfruit, and tapioca chips served with any three chutneys of your choice. You can choose from the kara chutney (made with red chillies), thenga (coconut) chutney, manga chammanthi (raw mango chutney), Amma's tomato chutney, coriander-mint chutney, kariveppila (curry leaves) chutney, puli inji (tamarind pickle), and peanut chutney. The Papadum Platter offers you the excellent excuse to munch on an assortment of crispy, deep-fried papadums, including the traditional Kerala pappadum, appalam, and tapioca papad as you wait for your food to arrive.

Garlic Ghee Roast Dosa is a must-try, and so is the Podi Masala Dosa which, is a spicy take on the original. Advaith recommends the Gunpowder Idlis and the Podi Ghee Thatte Idli. They have plenty of classic dishes like Thatte Idli, Medu Vada, Onion Uttapam, and Sada Dosa.

Their puff pastry is an ode to the Chennai puff, but with interesting variations like Podi and Curry Leaves and Sambal and Shallots on Toast. The best being Amma's Tomato Chutney on Toast featuring classic sourdough, topped with cream cheese and homemade chutney. 

Advaith makes sure he drops by at each table to make guests feel comfortable, while lending a very personal touch to their experience. "I want them to take a tour of the South when they come here and experience flavours you won't get daily. Fresh flavours come across in our chutneys. The compliments that keep pouring in are that we haven't cheated on the coconut in the chutneys, nor have we watered it down. We spent three days on the chutney trials as we wanted to perfect it."

On his suggestion, I tried their dal vada or lentil fritters with a spinach and shallot filling, which came with a spectacular coriander-mint chutney.

Next on my list was the coconut rice with a tadka of curry leaves and rai. The dish can be enjoyed by itself or with a curry.

Clueless about which curry would go well with it, I was informed by the staff that Porvai has a curry tester (free of cost), for patrons to choose the curry of their choice. The list of curries is exhaustive, with Malabar Curry, Madras Railway Curry (goes well with the Kothu Parotha, as it mellows down the spices), Korma, Chettinad Curry, Vegetable Stew (pairs well with the string hoppers or iddiyappam), Tomato Pepper Rasam, Drumstick Sambar, etc. Have these curries with lemon rice, puliyogare, Malabar parotha or regular steamed rice. Among the vegetable offerings, there is Beetroot Poriyal, Cabbage Thoran and Avial.

For people who can't decide on the pairing, you can always settle for a one-plate meal of Theeyal (i.e. steamed rice, theeyal or the roasted coconut curry, raw mango chutney and papadum)

Enjoy your main course with neer moru, Badam Milk, Panakam (a jaggery flavoured cooler with lemon, green elaichi or cardamom and ginger), or try Kombucha, the fermented black tea drink. The Iced Bournvita will take you back to your childhood.

I ended my meal with semiya payasam, which was thicker than usual but perfect in taste and sweetness. You can always skip the traditional rice kheer and opt for Rava Kesari, Jigarthanda or Mysore Pak. 

Address: 16/158, Pragati Society, Siddhivinayak Nagar, MHB Colony Road, Near Petrol Pump Lane, Kandivali West, Mumbai

Cost: ₹1500 (meal for two)