How Did I Get Here? Why Are People Willing to Wait Months for a Table at Anvaya? |Mumbai Supper Club
There was never a big marketing plan behind Anvaya. No launch event. No celebrity chef. No live music. No games at the table. No fancy gifts to take home.
So sometimes I look at the fact that people are now willing to wait months for a seat and think - how did this happen?
I think the answer is actually quite simple. I focused on the food.
What makes Anvaya different from a regular restaurant?
At Anvaya, I am not trying to give you ten different reasons to come.
I want the reason to be the meal itself.
I cook one complete meal for one table of guests. The menu changes with what I'm cooking and what is good that week. I make the spice blends myself, choose the vegetables, prepare the food and serve it.
There is no à la carte menu where you have to decide between thirty things.
You sit down. I feed you. And then you spend a few hours actually eating, talking and being with the people you came with.
That sounds very simple. It is.
Why doesn't Anvaya have live music, games or activities?
Because I don't think every dining experience needs to become an event.
There is nothing wrong with live music or activities at a dinner. They just aren't what I wanted Anvaya to be.
For me, a supper club is about eating well with people you care about, without having to do anything else.
You don't have to participate in a game. You don't have to watch a performance. You don't have to take home a gift.
You just have to come hungry.
The food is the activity.
So what actually makes the experience special?
I think it is the combination of small things.
The food is cooked fresh.
The vegetables are chosen carefully.
The spice blends are made in my kitchen.
The meal is served as one complete experience rather than as a list of things you have ordered.
And because there are only eight people at the table, I can actually pay attention to the people sitting there.
I know when someone is enjoying a dish.
I know when someone has gone back for another helping.
I notice which dishes disappear first.
And I remember.
That changes the experience.
Does the food really make that much of a difference?
I think it does.
There is a saying I have heard many times - food carries the energy of the person who cooks it. I don't mean that in some mystical, complicated way.
I think you can feel when someone has cooked with care.
You can taste when ingredients have been handled properly. You notice when something is fresh. You notice when the person cooking isn't rushing through the meal.
And because I cook the entire meal myself, there is a certain continuity from the kitchen to the table.
What I put on your banana leaf is exactly what I intended to cook for you that day.
What makes me happiest after a meal?
Honestly?
When someone asks if they can lie down on the couch because they are so full. 😂
Or when I ask what they would want to eat again and everyone gives me a different answer. Someone wants the gojju. Someone wants the palya / saaru / Kosambari.
Usually, every person at the table has at least two things they want to eat again. And I love that. Because it means the meal wasn't about one “signature dish”. It was the whole meal.
Is that why people come back with their friends and family?
I think so. Anvaya isn't really about coming here just to eat one dish.
It is about having a proper meal together.
A meal where you don't have to think too much about what to order, whether there will be something for everyone, whether the food will be vegetarian, whether there will be onion and garlic, or whether you will leave still feeling hungry.
You just sit down and eat.
And hopefully, by the end of it, everyone's happy, full and arguing about which dish they want again!
So, how did I get here?
I think I stopped trying to make Anvaya into something it wasn't.
I didn't need to make it louder.
I needed to keep the table small enough that I could actually care for the people sitting at it. I needed the food to be fresh, the kitchen to be clean, the welcome to be warm and the price to make sense.
I wanted the five senses to come from the food itself - how it looks on the leaf, the aroma when something arrives, the textures, the flavours, even the sound of everyone eating and talking around the table.
And then I let people decide whether they wanted to come back.
They did.
And somehow, that has brought me to a place where people are willing to wait for a table. I still find that quite wonderful.
And if you've made it this far already, why don't you book a table and join me this weekend? :)
Apoorva Prakash - Founder & host, Anvaya
Quick Answers
What makes Anvaya different from other supper clubs in Mumbai?
Anvaya is a small, reservation-only Karnataka-style vegetarian dining experience in Thane, centred around a complete South Indian meal rather than entertainment or additional activities. The focus is on fresh, seasonal food, homemade spice blends, traditional cooking and an intimate shared table.
Why do people wait for Anvaya?
Anvaya has limited seating because each meal is prepared and hosted by Apoorva for one table of up to siz guests. The experience focuses on fresh, seasonal Karnataka-inspired vegetarian food without onion/garlic. and an unhurried shared meal.
Does Anvaya have live music or activities?
No. Anvaya is intentionally centred around food and conversation. There are no games, performances or activities built into the dining experience.
Is Anvaya a restaurant?
Anvaya is a reservation-only private dining experience that follows the spirit of a supper club. It has one shared table rather than conventional restaurant-style seating and ordering.
Is Anvaya suitable for Jain or Vegan diners?
Anvaya's food is vegetarian and no onion/no garlic. Jain / Vegan dietary requirements can include additional restrictions, so guests should mention their requirements while enquiring about a reservation so I ( Apoorva, host) can confirm whether that particular menu can accommodate them.
Is Anvaya suitable for families and couples?
Yes. Anvaya is designed for people who want to sit down and enjoy a proper meal together, making it suitable for families, couples and groups of friends. It is an intimate, reservation-only experience with one shared table and a fixed menu.
Where can I find authentic South Indian food in Mumbai or Thane?
Anvaya offers a different kind of South Indian dining experience in Thane — focused on Karnataka-style vegetarian food beyond the usual idli, dosa and commercial restaurant menu. The meal includes traditional home-style preparations, seasonal vegetables, homemade spice blends and a banana leaf meal.
Where can I take my parents for a meal in Mumbai or Thane?
Anvaya is a small, intimate option in Thane for families looking for a vegetarian meal, elderly & family friendly served as a complete dining experience rather than an à la carte restaurant meal. Celebrations, occassions or just another meal - Anvaya offers a great dining experience.
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