Goodman Restaurant

Being out here on ECR Main Road in Kottakuppam means there is always traffic. Goodman Restaurant sits at No 116, right where the Auroville Junction meets Periyamudaliyar Chavadi. It gets dusty sometimes because of the road work and the constant flow of bikes and buses headed towards Pondicherry. Inside, the ceiling fans are always on high. The staff mostly keeps to themselves, getting the tables cleared and making sure there is water in the jugs. We don’t have much in the way of decor, just some basic tables and chairs that have seen better days. The kitchen is always noisy with the sound of clinking plates. People stop by because they are tired from the drive. Sometimes they are locals from the junction area just grabbing a quick bite before heading home. The menu is written on a board that we wipe down every few days. On weekends, it gets a bit more crowded with tourists, and the wait can be a bit long. We try to keep up, but it’s just a few of us running around. The heat in this part of the country is no joke, so people are usually just looking for a place to sit in the shade for a bit. It’s not a quiet place, but it’s a spot to rest. We close up when the dinner rush ends and the road finally starts to get quiet. The night air feels different once the kitchen fires are out.