Rasa Bojun is a new buth kade in a familiar place, the little lane off Havelock Road where JU Udumbara used to be. They serve up an average rice-and- curry in a place where you can dine in some comfort.
The Food
Why do you go to a buth kade? For the rice and curry. Rasa Bojun has the usual spread served from metal trays. You can choose from chicken
(Rs. 200), fish (Rs. 200), vegetable (Rs. 160) or specialities like yellow rice and fried rice (Rs. 300). They have traditional desserts like chocolate biscuit pudding (Rs. 120), wattalappan (Rs. 100), etc.
I went for the classic combo of chicken, parippu, pol sambol and pappadum, with the addition of a potato curry and green beans. I am fiercely loyal to my usual buth kade (Lantheruma), but I tried to give this a shot. I'd say the rice and curry here is basically average. It's a satisfying and relatively healthy lunch, but they're not pushing the envelope with different proteins (such as seafood, pork or beef) or with the sides. However, I assume the sides keep changing, so maybe you do get some bitter gourd and / or gotukola in there sometimes.
It's strange, but the more upscale buth kades tend to actually have less selection. There were maybe nine or ten curries on offer here, whereas a streetside joint can sometimes have over 15.
What I had was good, if not great.
Location/Ambience
Rasa Bojun is down a nice little lane near Thumulla. There are actually a few spots of parking here (sometimes, not always) and there's a nice outdoor area to wash your hands. What sets Rasa Bojun apart is not their rice and curry per se, but the fact that you can eat at a proper table and drink filtered water in general comfort. At a streetside joint, eating is treated as a purely functional thing. Here, the experience is closer to a restaurant.
Service
Another thing that sets a place like Rasa Bojun apart is the professional service. It's a simple thing, but one person takes your order and the other person serves it. At other spots, one person does both, and you have huge lines as a result. This place is more efficient, plus they have printed menus and a chalkboard and everything. Fancy.
That said, it's still not very busy at all. Perhaps because no one quite knows about it yet. I should also note that they do free delivery for orders of ten or more, provided you call before 11 AM. They also undertake an active catering business for private functions.
Conclusion
Rasa Bojun is a slightly upscale buth kade in a central location near Thumulla. The rice and curry is average, but you get to sit at a nice table and drink filtered water, which is a bonus.
