mahabalipuram

Idlis served with joy Kalaimathy, the idli lady of the Fisherman’s Colony in Mamallapuram 

She makes sambar and chutney at home. Three idlies, chutney and sambar for Rs 20.

A sandy bottom by the ocean

When you walk into Sandy Bottom cafe you cannot but notice the art work and the funky decor of the cafe. It screams the personality of Anna, a German tourist who first came to Mamallapuram four years back and not only fell in love with this town but also in love with Mumu, a surfer and the founder of Mumu Surf School

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Today Mumu and Anna (now married) run this quaint, soulful little cafe adjacent to the surf school on Othavadai Street. Anna, an environmentally conscious person, decided to decorate her cafe by using material from a scrap dealer. Every piece of wood work, tables and chairs or the little window on a wall is re-modified. With oodles of patience only she could have done the intricate graffiti, or the designs on her walls

    The cafe is filled with a variety of flora and, of course, many stray dogs always find room to lounge here. Every dish is decorated in detail and she often uses the ingredients as a bowl too. For example, if you order a papaya-based salad, she prefers to serve it in the papaya shell, which she thinks is not only pleasing to the eye, but in a small way saves water.

Recently in a drive to avoid the use of plastic whenever possible, Mumu and Anna introduced steel straws. Anna says, “I hope that more people will be inspired to use steel straws when they know its an option.” Germany is known for its breads and Sandy Bottom serves its own breads.

Her cafe can seat a maximum of 10 people at a time. It’s a good option if you want a cup of hot chai, fresh juice and a good time by the sea. Look out for it at the end of Othavadi Street.