Naming your new business after yourself might seem to some to be rather unimaginative. But, I believe, Dhyanchand Coelho aka Dinoo knew exactly what he was doing. Dinoo’s was and is everything he is; warm, friendly and almost always there when you need some comforting. The décor was simple and elegant and the ambience always welcoming.
Next month marks the 10th anniversary of this little bistro in Mangalore that so many of us love. But when he first opened, it was a quiet little place not really advertised. Most of the first loyal patrons at Dinoo’s were born and bred Mangaloreans who either knew the man or the city really well. But Dinoo’s grew slowly but surely through word of mouth. A form of free publicity by people who were charmed by the man behind the counter and blown away by the lip-smacking food he served. For someone like me, an outsider to the city and an unknown to most of the people who frequented Dinoo’s, the place was a reflection of everything Mangalore was; open and welcoming. Soon after our first meeting, there I was sitting on the chair opposite Dinoo’s counter and telling him stuff that I’d have thought was more appropriate on a shrink’s couch. Those talks with Dinoo combined with an almost daily dosage of his strawberry cheesecake were almost therapeutic. Dinoo’s soon became the place go to when we wanted to sit and discuss events at college, or the petty little incidents that loomed large then; or when we had a new date who had to be impressed, something Dinoo always provided a helping hand with, or on a lonely weekend (Talk about comfort eating eh?). Dinoo’s was also the place where I first met and hung out with some of people who made my time in Mangalore the most memorable of my life. For a city its size, Mangalore has a lot of places to eat out but none have the charm and character that Dinoo’s has. It was always as much about the person as it was about the delicious food he served.
Happy 10th Dinoo!!! Here’s wishing you and your family all the success and good health that you deserve. God bless.
