Manis Lunch Home

Annam Parabrahma Swaroopam

“Food is Brahman. Everything that lives was born from Food lives

on Food and in the end, shall merge into Food! Food is verily the

greatest amongst all Creation!"

Aham annam aham annam aham annam!

Aham annādo’ham annādo’ham annādah!

I am the food! I am the food! I am the food!

I am the eater of the food, I am the eater of the food,

 I am the eater of the food

"annAdvai prajA prajAyantE

yAh kAscha pruthiveem srithAh

athO annae-naiva jeevanti

athaina-dapiyan-yant-tathah: 

anna-nagum hi bhUtAnAm jyEshtam... 

annAd bhUtAni jAyantE 

jAtAn annEna vardantE...."

(Taittiriya Upanishad: "Anandavalli")

In Taittiya Upanishad Varuna gives advices to  Bhrigu

(Chapter 3 Bhriguvalli)

“annam vai prānah”                    All life force comes from food

“annam bahu kurveet”               Let food be produced in plenty

"annam na nindhyAth!"             Thou shalt not abuse Food

"annam na pari-chaksheeta”    Thou shalt not discard Food

"annam bahu kurveeta”              Thou shalt grow Food in abundance

In Hinduism, food is so vitally important, that considered being

actual part of God. Hindus before having their food make an

offering to Lord and later partake of it as Prasada (blessed food)

– a holy  gift from the Lord.  According to Hinduism, what we

receive in life as food is really of Lords alone.  Hindu concept is

that “You are what you eat”. When one eats food, the food is

Brahman (God), it is offered to Brahman (God) then the process

is; he is eating himself because food and he are one in the

same.

brahmārpaṇaḿ brahma havir

brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam

brahmaiva tena gantavyaḿ

brahma-karma-samādhinā

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4, verse 24.

The Mahabharata (Book 13: Anusasana Parva Part-2 Section 63) says as:

The giver of food is said to be the giver of life

There has never been, nor be any gift that is equal to the gifts

of food. A man, by making gifts of food in this world, is sure to

attain to an excellent place hereafter. He, who makes gifts of

sweetmeat and all food that is sweet, attains to a residence in

heaven where he is honored by all the deities and other

denizens.  A gift of food is visibly and immediately productive of

the happiness of both the giver and the receiver. All other gifts

produce fruits that are unseen.

On Srimad Bhagavad Gita (chapter 17-7) Lord Krishna advices,

Arjuna, the descendent of Bharata that, food which is dear to

every one impacts the triple qualities; say ‘Sattva’, ‘Rajas’ and

‘Tamas’ in our bodies, which in turn reflects on the balance of

mind in terms of qualities. 

Food that is freshly made, sweaty, juicy, fatty and tasty is

‘Sattvic Food’. It promotes happiness, cheerfulness, purity and

strength are dear to one who is in the quality of goodness.

Foods which are bitter, sour, salty, excessively hot, dry and

burning is ‘Rajastic Food’. It causes pain, grief, sufferings and

disease are liked by one in the quality of passion.

The food that is half cooked, decayed, stored, left over, half

eaten and impure is ‘Tasmic Food’.  It promotes cruelty and evil

nature and is dear to one in the quality of ignorance.

The Hindus are particular in choosing the food they eat and are

also cautious about the source from which the food comes.

Sri. V.S. Mani Iyer

(1911-1978)

owner

Manis Lunch Home

Started and belongs to Sri. V.S. Mani Iyer, Keralite Tamil

Brahmin Iyer a native of Palakkad, the Man who came up hard

way.

Sri. V.S. Mani Iyer lost his parents both in his early childhood. 

And was compelled to move from his home town Palakkad in

his early childhood itself for livelihood. Traveled through out  

India and served with various different dignitaries at their

house kitchens. And finally came to Mumbai and settled with

his own venture in the field of catering by 1920’s. With his

sound skills and vast experience could easily give a very good

introduction to Mumbaikars exemplary exquisite South Indian

delicious delicacies.  He himself as a born cook, cooked himself,

served and delivered at houses & offices, in bicycle.

MANI’S LUNCH HOME

(Since 1937)

Plot. No. 153/C.  Mhaskar Building,

Matunga, Mumbai-400019

Tel.24127188

A peaceful walk down the main

road just in front of the Matunga

C.Rly. Station i.e. Lakhamsey

Napoo Road, past Welingkar

Management Institute, then R.A.

Podar College of Commerce, Ruia

College and opposite Hindu

Colony stands the humble

modest “Mani’s offering every

thing that is good in South

Indian Snacks with homely taste

and atmosphere.

The place opens around 6.30

a.m. and close sharply by 9 p.m.

with a weekly holiday on    

Mondays

The restaurant serves only few

items and never compromise on

quality.  It prides in quality with

modest price. In fact Mani’s is

worth to money.

The restaurant serve exotic

perfectly light Idly, mouth

watering Medu wada, Potato

wada, Uppuma, Sheera, Pongal,

in the morning session and in

addition Kela Bajji, Vegetable

Bonda, Dal wada, Rasam wada,

Dahi wada, Onion pakkoda,

Mysore bonda, in the evening

session and vast varieties of

crisp Dosa’s. All these served

with limitless accompaniments

of chutney and spicy delicious

Madras Onion Sambar.  One can

consume as much as chutney

and sambar as desired without

paying any extra cost.  This is

the only restaurant in Mumbai

that serve chutney and sambar

in limitless quantity happily free

of charge.  Mulagapodi the so-

called Powder Chutney really

have a magical taste and it

further enhances the quality and

intake. In addition in the

afternoon session varieties Rice

such as Dahi Rice, Bisibellabath,

Tomatoe Rice, Lemon Rice and

Tamarind Rice also were served

The Restaurant on Sundays

prepares a special South Dosa

called ”ADDAI” in the evening

after 3.30 p.m. served with pure

fresh Butter accompanied by

chutney and sambar which

attracts customers in large from

far and near.

On Sundays to meet the

demands of Gujarati customers

Sambar is prepared with out

onion, Jain type.

Now after the demise of Sri. V.S.

Mani Iyer in 1978 his eldest son

Sri. K.S. Narayanaswamy

assisted by his brothers S.

Venkatesh, & S. Raman took the

charge of the restaurant.

MANI’S LUNCH HOME

Plot. No. 12, Sion- Dharavi Road,

Sion, Mumbai-400022

Tel.24079584

The restaurant have a sister

concern at Sion close to Sion Rly.

Station, opposite to ‘Our Lady

School’ serving exclusive

varieties of Palakkad Kerala

style Lunch and dinner. This

shop opens by 10.30 a.m. to

3.30 p.m. for lunch and by 6.30

p.m. to 10.30 p.m. for dinner,

with a weekly holiday on

Saturdays. 

Now Sri. K.V. Narayanan the

nephew of Late Sri. V.S. Mani

Iyer administers the 

hotel.          

MANI’S

Model Co-Op. Hostel Soc. Ltd.

384, DADBAWALA SADAN,

Opp: Sri Bajan Samaj

Telang Road, Matunga,

Mumbai-400019.

Tel.24021112

Now on May, 2002 Mani’s

have opened one new

additional outlet at Model

Co-Op.Hostel society

(popularly known as

Society), 384, Dadbawala

Sadan, Telang Road, Opp:

Sree Bajan Samaj, next to

Sankar Mattam, Matunga,

Mumbai-40019, serving

with authentic entire

gamut of South Indian

delicious fine cuisine,

breakfast, Lunch,  

snacks and dinner.

This shop opens at

6.30.a.m. and close by

10.30 p.m. with a weekly

holiday on Tuesdays.

Morning breakfast

includes Idli, Meduvada,

Uppuma, Poori-Baji,

Sheera (Kesari),

Pongal and varieties of

Dosa’s. All breakfast items

shall avail up to 12.30

Noon.

Lunch starts by 11.00 a.m.

and includes 2 bowls of

rice, 2 Chapattis, one cup

of solid baji, 2 cups of

liquid baji, Rasam,Sambar,

papad, pickles, butter milk

and curd all at Rs.40.00

The full meals served on

fresh plantain Leaves cost

Rs.80.00 with one sweet

dish/ payasam i.e.

pudding.

On Thursday, Saturday &

Sunday the menu includes

Payasam.

The take away Carrier

meals Costs Rs.45.00 and

Vegetable set, comprises

of Vegetable dishes,

Sambar & Rasam, without

chappathy or rice priced

at  Rs.80.00 per set.

Sundays Lunch menu

includes potato dry baji,

pineapple pachadi (Liquid

Baji), Aviyal, and Madras

onion sambar with pickles

puleenji.

The lunch session ceases

by 3.p.m. and thereafter-

evening snacks session

starts by 3.30p.m.

Evening snacks items over

and above the breakfast

items includes fresh Sevai

coconut/ lemon/plain,

Kela Bajji, Vegetable

Bonda, Mysore Bonda,

onion Bajji/Pokkoda, and

vast varieties of spl. Dosas

Such as Palak Dosa,

Ulundu Dosa, Set Dosa,

Addai Dosa, Neer Dosa,

Tomato omelet, Cheese

Dosa etc. and Semiya

Pulav, Semiya Kitchadi,

Vegetable Pulav, and

much more mouth

watering South Indian

Delicious Delicacies.

During the festive

occasion such as Onam

traditional authentic full

Keralite feast and items

were all prepared

according to custom and

tradition to suit the

respective festive mood.

MANI’S SWEETS & SALTIES

384, Dadbawala Sadan,

Telang Road, Matunga,

Mumbai-400019.

Tel. No. 24021112

Special counter for fresh

pure ghee sweets and

savories were also

introduced with varieties

of sweet dishes such as

Mysorepak, Bhoondi

Laadu, Rava Laadu, Rose

Jangiri, Badusha, Wheat

Halwa, Carrot Halwa,

Badam Halwa, Kaju Barfi,

Kaju katri, Badam pista

Roll, Cocoanut barfi and s

avories such as Mixture,

Kara Sevai, Kara bhoondi,

Omapodi, Ribbon

pakkoda.

Unlike other hotel, in

Mani’s the term Ghee

represents as “Pure

Ghee” and not vegetable

ghee.  In chapatti also

pure ghee is spread and

not oil or vanaspati.

Among the sweets

“Mysorepak” is highly

praised and appreciated

at large from far and

near.