There are Udipi restaurants. And there are Udipi restaurants. And then there’s Vaishali, the quintessential hangout place for any true-blood Punekar.

Centrally located on Fergusson College Road, it would be easy to mistake Vaishali as a place for youngsters. But walk into the restaurant on any day, at any time, and trust me, you’ll bump into people of all age groups thronging its door.

After multiple ‘Excuse Me’, when you’re finally inside, you’ll realise it’s just the beginning. On any ordinary day getting a table at Vaishali takes between ten minutes and and an hour wait. Such is the attraction of this restaurant that has been pulling crowds since forever!

A Fergusson pass-out myself, I’ve lost count of the number of time I’ve been to Vaishali. And I wouldn’t even begin to get into my mother’s college tales. That’s how long this place has been catering to the South Indian cuisine cravings of Punekars. Succulent medu vadas, perfectly-steaming idlis, crisp dosas, an assortment of uttapas, all accompanied by bowls of piping hot sambhar and dollops of chutney. Every masala is specially crafted to get the unmistakable ‘Vaishali’ taste. I’ve had sambhar at many Udipi restaurants, good sambhar that too. But nothing compares to Vaishali’s.

The most anticipated dishes arrive in the evening. After 5 pm, the chaat corner opens. What a fantastic spread. Everybody’s favourite is the SPDP - Shev Puri Dahi Batata, for the lesser informed. Four commonplace ingredients, but when brought together in Vaishali, what a magical spin they give.

But enough about the food. What makes Vaishali really tick? Sit indoors or in the terrace. Call a few friends over, exchange pleasantries with the waiters (if you’re a regular, you would know their names and the names of their children), place your order and you can be sure to have a good time.

Some of the friendships at Vaishali go back decades. College friends who’ve kept in touch over the years, now have get-togethers with their spouse and kids, and much later, even with their grandkids. Every new generation progressively discovers its own tastes, and Vaishali builds its new fan following - of loyal taste buds.