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The colossal cauldron
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Never mind if there's a bit of bisibelebath powder in Shanghai noodles or a dash of asafoetida in that Italian platter. Bangalore is the melting pot of all kinds of cuisines, of course with a local flavour, discovers ROHINI MOHAN
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From ragi mudde to risotto, you can have a bite from every part of the world in our own city. Today is World Food Day. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.
TICK-TOCK. Tick-tock. Got 10 minutes before the next meeting and a rumble in the tummy? That food court at the end of the road with its winding queues doesn't hold much promise. Think fast, grab that wallet, and walk two steps. Tadaa! You're sure to find the distinct rice-and-spice aroma of Thailand. Or the sharp smell of Arabian curry. Or the sizzle of bamboo shoots and shallots being sautéed. Or the heavenly whiff of freshly baked bread.
No, this isn't the fantasy world of a foodie. It's any street in our own Bengalooru.
I'd like to believe that people still set out of their homes every morning with the idli or raagi mudde breakfast sitting in their stomach like a rock. But that's probably too much to expect, when, thanks to erratic working hours in this tech-city, dinner is downed only at 7:30 a.m! The owner of the darshini next to your office notices your lifestyle and tries to double as your discerning mother. "Idli beka? Vonly upto 11 o'clock, saar," the fellow at the cash counter says, killing your plan to make do with some tiffin at lunchtime. Looking behind your shoulder at the next customer already, he rattles off what you should be ideally eating at that time of day: "Palav idhe, vaangi bath idhe, meals idhe. Lunch items vonly, saar."
Jasmine-like idlis
Devaki Sukumaran, a software professional who has moved in from Chennai, gushes: "I used to yap that nobody can make better south Indian food than Chennaiites. But I frequent the dosa camps at Jayanagar, Indiranagar, and Commercial Street and they're superb! Except for the sweetish sambar, I love the food here." For an outsider, Bangalore is food heaven, she says.
As the city bursts at its seams with job-seeking youngsters from all over the country, eating out is not a one-time affair coinciding with the arrival of the pay cheque. Reasons Prabhat, a techie from Mumbai who's settled here: "I know I should be cooking at home, but with so many paisa vasool restaurants and street-side vendors, why bother? I'm ready to spend Rs. 50 per meal and according to most 25-year-olds, that's actually on the high side."
Flavoured chais and corner coffee joints are perfect for little breaks, especially for those who are constantly on the road.
"I'll tell you my mental calculation," offers a self-proclaimed coffee-addict. "Parking fee, Rs. 1.50, (OK, OK, Rs. 2. Like the parking guy ever has change!) coffee, Rs.3, and priceless satisfaction. Now isn't that a bargain?"
Now if you're turning your nose up at local food, know that Bangalore can even bring the world to your plate.
Any self-respecting Bangalorean will tell you that just because the modest Irani restaurants off Hosur Road and Russell market are lit up only by 60 watt bulbs doesn't mean they don't serve the best chai and biryanis in the world.
Winnie Seth, a PR executive, says her single meals are always quick and cheap. But when she has to meet a client over lunch, she can't possibly do business standing beside a Chinease/ Chinise/ Chainees/ Chinese food pushcart. It is in situations like this that the global face of Bangalore surfaces.
Name a country and Bangalore has mastered its cooking. For those who think eating French fries and doing popularly French deeds is the closest you can get to knowing Le Land, savouring Ebony's (M.G. Road) risotto and fricassee will give you hope. And don't worry that you'll stumble over the menu. Here's the trick: look all suave, point finger at the chosen dish, and nod importantly at the steward. Wait. You'll love whatever arrives at your table.
Now think Indonesian. Café Mozaic (Taj Residency, M.G. Road), Civet (Whitefield) and 1912 The Living Room (St. Marks Road) are the places to be. If you thought that Korean was one cuisine the city forgot, eat your words! Soo Ra Sang in Koramangala fits the bill. Far East foodies also can sigh over lettuce or rice paper wraps, specialities of the Vietnamese palate, dished out at Blue Ginger at Taj West End.
Spiga (Vittal Mallya Road) and Spinn (off Residency Road) offer superb Mexican tacos and enchiladas that will leave your lips burning, and your heart on fire for more. And no one should miss the kababs and Aroz Mofalfal (Arabian rice) at Biryani Merchant (Ashok Nagar) and Arabian Nights (Brigade Road). Zakf (Coles Road) and Savoury (Frazer Town) might not be your ideal candlelight-dinner place, but who cares when the tongue doth demand?
Coorgi, European, Hyderabadi, Japanese, Kashmiri, Bengali, Punjabi, Lucknowi, Singaporean, Udupi, Andhra, Turkish, Spanish, Italian, Mediterranean, Awadhi, Chettinad, coastal, Keralite, chaat... Travel the world in a few nibbles (for those overworked techies out there, this is about bites, not bytes).
What is it about Bangalore and its mania for food? Says Divakara Shetty, restaurateur: "Bangalore's income level has definitely shot up, not just because of high-paying IT jobs, but because it is a huge business centre. Lots of families from around the country move here for educating their children better. Another simple explanation would be that this dry and cool weather makes you hungry. Any average Bangalorean is a foodie. And s/he will be proud of it too!"
Admittedlythe chow mein sometimes smells of garam masala and the German potato salad has a hint of dhaniya, but these are but little forgivable deviations. Think of it this way... whatever you eat, you can be sure of getting a dash of Bangalore in it.
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DIG IN HERE
100 Ft (Mediterranean), 100 Ft Road, Indiranagar - Uppity; Hypnos (Mediterranean), Infantry Road - Fair; Papdiwalas (Lucknavi), Basavanagudi - Wallet-friendly; 24 Carat (Iranian), Gandhinagar - For big appetites; Shiok (Indonesian), Indiranagar - Fair for one-off meals; Dahlia (Japanese), Church Street - Jaw drops, but trial-worthy; Coorg, Opp. Golf Course - Joyfully just; Chillies (seafood), Opp. Bangalore Club - Comfortable; Konkan (Goan, Mangalore), Koramangala - Worth it; Karavalli (coastal), Gateway Hotel, Residency Road - Expensive; Aachi (Chettinad), Indiranagar - Comfy.
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Delhi
Hyderabad
Madurai
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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