Adieu to filter coffee, scrambled eggs

Adieu to filter coffee, scrambled eggs
Bangalore, DH News Service:
Nostalgia brewed over cups of filter coffee, as regulars thronged the ICH to bid adieu to their "cosy" coffee house, which has been asked to vacate by the owner of the building, after losing a long legal battle.

Around 7.45 pm on Sunday, the Indian Coffee House (ICH) on M G Road was unusually crowded. As it was closing time, there was a mad scramble to place orders for ICH’s famous scrambled eggs and bread-butter toast.

As the restaurant ran out of supplies, only a few customers could get what they asked for. Others may never get to taste their favourite snacks again, as the ICH—after functioning on the same premises for over 50 years—closed for the last time.

Nostalgia brewed over cups of filter coffee, as regulars thronged the ICH to bid adieu to their “cosy” coffee house, which has been asked to vacate by the owner of the building, after losing a long legal battle. On the last day, in the archaic kitchen, “coffee maker” Hanumiah went about making coffee the very same way it has been done for decades.


As he heated decoction, milk and sugar in a kettle over a charcoal stove, he reminisced his 25 years’ service. Peter John, the waiter who has also put in 25 years at the cafe, got sentimental about the customers who have treated him like a friend. “The foreigners are fascinated by our dress and take pictures with us, while many of the regulars have come here for as long as 50 years,” he said. There are people who drive from as far as 40 km to come to their favourite coffee house, he added.

Rajesh and Devi, now married, talked about sharing scrambled eggs and coffee with their meagre pocket money during their dating years.

Gautam Shenoy, a creative director with an ad agency, drove down from Ooty to get a cuppa with his friends.
While Shiva, a marketing strategist based in New York, came to the ICH for dosa and coffee with his dad, a cherished ritual from his school years.While sipping one’s coffee, kittens scrambling around one’s legs have been a common sight at the ICH. Knowing that the ICH would close down, a regular couple came to adopt them. The students of Shishti School of Art and Design armed with water colours and pencils were trying to capture the essence of the ICH. The students said: “It is difficult to put a finger on what exactly this place is.” But they were somehow attached to it. While the ICH was reminiscent of the bygone years for the older crowd, the youngsters said it was a place with a “soul” unlike the bustling and pricey coffee chains dotting the same road.

The ICH employees, who are part of a cooperative society, plan to open a Coffee House at a depot a few blocks away or at the Barton Centre, if the negotiations succeed. But they are still tentative plans and nothing concrete has emerged.