Cafe Zaika

Cafe Zaika is sitting right there on the Mumbai Pune Road in Viman Nagar. If you know that stretch, you know how loud it gets with all the trucks and the honking. We’ve been here at this location for a bit, and honestly, the dust from the road is a constant battle. I spend half my morning with a rag wiping down the tables. We get a mix of people—some students from the nearby colleges, some drivers who are tired of the highway, and locals who just want a quick bite. The kitchen isn't very big, so things can get pretty tight when we have four people working back there at once. We don't have any of those fancy coffee machines; we just make it the old way. The menu is written on a chalkboard because we change things based on what’s available at the market. It’s a simple setup. We’ve got some fans that creak a bit, but they keep the air moving. I wouldn't say it's the quietest place for a chat, but it's got a roof and the food is hot. Sometimes the regulars come in and stay for hours talking, and that’s fine. We just keep the tea flowing. It’s a living, and it keeps us busy from morning until the shutters go down at night. Not much more to it than that.