Double Post. Post No. 1: The Chai at Nilofer

You’d have to be one totally dumb Hyderabadi if you do not stop at Nilofer café whenever you are in the vicinity of Red Hill and Lakdi ka pul. And you’d have to be an even dumber Hyderbadi than that if you have no idea what Nilofer is and where it is. If you are a Hyderabadi and do not know about Nilofer Café most likely you are a) one of those snooty JH/BH types or b) one of those clueless Hyderabadis who has no idea where you get the good stuff. Either way, you are to be pitied. It is a pretty sad life if you haven’t yet tasted the chai at Nilofer. To tell you the truth, if you haven’t had it till now then you better pack your bags and leave because you do not deserve to live in Hyderabad for another moment. Okay, I am exaggerating but there are probably many asli Hyderabadis who haven’t tasted the chai at Nilofer. If I were you I’d drop whatever I am doing at the moment and right away rush to Nilofer from wherever I am and have the chai there before taking another breath.

For those uninitiated Nilofer café is an Irani chai joint that every true-blue Hyderbadi knows about. The chai here is something people from as far as Adilabad come here to taste not to mention those living in far flung places in Hyderabad. This nectar like chai is so good that it is worth crawling on one’s elbows to Nilofer from wherever you live. Once you drink it you are hooked so much that it keeps you going on for very long, sometimes upto a year without being aware of it at all.

It isn’t difficult to spot Nilofer café when you are on the road to Nilofer Hospital in Red Hills. You’ll find a large crowd spilling on to the middle of the road at a small joint beside a temple. Bikes and other two wheelers are haphazardly parked like the owners couldn’t wait to park properly. Anyway, Nilofer cafe is such a small joint that it has only four tables inside. These tables are always full but not many wait for their turn to sit and prefer picking up the chai from a self-service counter, and stand outside to sip it. The tea costs ten rupees a cup and Special is eleven rupees, the last time I was there. It’d probably be worth more than that if what the chai does to you is anything to go by.

The last time I had the chai at Nilofer was sometime in May when someone I knew asked me to meet him. The moment he told me he lived at Masab Tank I decided I’d drop in at Nilofer for a chai before meeting my friend. Even if you do not have a friend who lives in Masab Tank you can go to Nilofer anytime, any day.