The wooden beams above the tables are from 200 years ago. The tables themselves are from a time when decorative iron furniture with marble tops was readily available. The Belgian glass mirrors had been installed using a mercury technique for which experts are hard to come by, so there has been no renovation.
Vaidya Uphar Gruha in Budhwar Peth is, in fact, a portal to another era. The last time its menu was tweaked was in the 1960s. The misal, which is the chief attraction, was introduced when the restaurant began in 1912. “On weekdays, I serve more than 500 plates of misal and, on Sundays, it is 1,200 plates,” says Deepak Joshi, the fourth-generation owner at the counter.
The last time its menu was tweaked was in the 1960s. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)
“I have not changed anything, and I will keep running the place as it has been because everybody who comes here likes it. Whenever our landlord will work on the building, I will try to maintain the authenticity of Vaidya Uphar Gruha,” he adds. Above the counter are two photographs – of Raghunath Ramchandra Vaidya and his son Trimbak Raghunath Vaidya.
Raghunath was a young boy when he left his village in the Konkan and came to earn a livelihood in Pune. He performed pujas, but failed to earn enough. In a short period, he saw an opportunity in starting a restaurant at its current location, near Phadke Haud Road Chowk. “He hired people and rented the place called Phadke Wada. The wada was originally built by Sardar Vishnu Phadke, the chief of gunners during the Peshwa rule. Records show that a housewarming was held in 1799. The wada was big and had four chowks. It was among the few three-storeyed buildings at the time,” says Deepak.
On Bagade Road, which runs past Vaidya Uphar Gruha, trade of various kinds went on. There was Kumbhar Wada at one end, followed by Tambat Ali from where Raghunath purchased copper vessels that are used in the kitchen to this day, and Phadke Houd Chowk, popularly known as Sugandhi Chowk for the thriving business of perfumes, incense sticks and other scented products.
“On the other end are the hubs of goldsmiths, milk and groceries, among others,” says Deepak. It was a place that bustled through at all hours and Vaidya Uphar Gruha was open from 5 am to 10 pm, with milkmen generally being among the first customers and goldsmiths the last. A lot of students were also coming from out of the city and there were few restaurants, such as Joglekar Uphar Gruha, opposite Lal Mahal, to cater to them.
“Many farmers and tradesmen would start their journey from home to come to Pune around 3 am. They would reach here around 6 am, sell their products and start to go back at 3 pm. They required food that was filling. Misal was the answer as it is nutritious, with potato, poha and sprouts, among others, and also not a complete lunch or dinner,” says Deepak. Vaidya Uphar Gruha’s misal was made with green chillies and is still green rather than red from the tomato and spices. The souring agent was tamarind, which is why lemon slices are not served with the misal. “We purchased the first tomato in 1932. Though it is used, we prefer green tomato,” says Deepak.
Misal has a close cultural relationship with different regions of Maharashtra, though its origins have been lost. Historically, it is said to have been prepared in homes and eaten with rotis or by itself. Misal was also the food of choice for workers. At Vaidya Uphar Gruha, misal was served with puri till it was replaced by slices of bread in 1943. While misal has now come to be accompanied by pav, most old eateries in Pune still serve it with bread. Vaidya Uphar Gruha also served other delicacies from Maharashtra, from thalipeeth and dadpe poh to laadu, many of which are offered even now.
Raghunath passed away 16 years later and was succeeded by his son, who was 16 or 17. Trimbak passed away in 1987 and was succeeded by his daughter Geeta Joshi, who made changes to the menu and the timings of the restaurant (7 am – 11.30 am, and 3 pm to 7 pm). “My mother and her family were living away from Pune, but my grandfather wanted us to handle the business. He was concerned about the staff, most of whom were generational,” adds Deepak, who came on board in 1987.
A steady stream of people, and families, ensure that the tables are always occupied. But, the clientele has changed — from the tangawallahs, who once frequented Vaidya Uphar Gruha to Instagram-friendly youth today. “I remember that in the late eighties there would be very few women coming in. They came once or twice. That changed after 1990,” Deepak shares. To this day, a certain kind of customer brings tears to his eyes — young people who come for a misal takeaway to offer during the last rites of a grandparent.