Bite into Bangalore's food history

They say nothing lingers as long as the memory of good food. Popular culture, too, is built, according to by most historians, by pinpointing certain restaurants that have stood the test of time. Bangalore, a heaven for foodies, has its own little must-see-must-eat places that’ve become legendary…

Dosa the days
Being a South Indian city, what people love most are the idli and dosa joints. The popular ones are Vidhyarti Bhavan, CTR, MTR and Brahmin’s Coffee Bar. Bollywood actor-film-maker Farhan Akhtar says, “For me, Bangalore is synonymous with MTR. I remember frequenting that place often, right from childhood through my college days. There’s something so warm and inviting about every meal there.” CTR and Vidhyarti Bhavan have equally good fanfare.

Social entrepreneur Sudha Murty says, “I am not a big fan of eating out. But the dosas in Vidhyarti Bhavan are my favourite. I also love the way the restaurant upholds Kannada culture, with portraits of Jnanapith Award winners on the walls.”

Brit, of course
Alongside the South Indian heart, Bangalore has still retained the soul of the British food. Model Jackie Shetty says, “My vote for the must check out in Bangalore obviously goes to Koshy’s. The Fish ‘N’ Chips there is something that I swear by. I’d put it up on top of my list, if I were to guide anyone.”

Alongside Koshy’s, certain sections of the erstwhile Cantonment area hold the British charm. “I love the way places like Thom’s Bakery still allow us to order hot cross buns if we want to,” says theatreperson Mahesh Dattani.

Spice it up
As the city grew, through the ’80s and ’90s, two diverse sets of palates made their presence felt. This included Continental restaurants like Casa Picola and Sunny’s on one hand and Andhra food joints like Nandini and Amaravathi on the other. “I love good Andhra style biryani, chilli chicken and meals. And you get them best in Bangalore restaurants like Nagarjuna and Nandini,” says actress-dancer Shubhi Mehta.

Equally popular are the Continental fare. Marketing guru Jessie Paul says, “There isn’t a soul who doesn’t get recommendations for Casa Picola and Sunny’s. These were Bangalore’s first handshake with Continental fare. And people still swear by them.” The Marble Cake at Casa Picola and the cheesecakes at Sunny’s remain eternal favourites.

Street smart
There’s never anything as quintessential as street food. Although Bangalore still retains the eternal favourites like churmuri, masala puri and nippatu masala, there have never been more interesting additions, which include American Corn and Indian Chinese dishes like Gobi Manchurian.

“The Food Street in VV Puram is one place that every person visiting Bangalore must try. It best represents everything that this city is,” says actor-producer Rakshitha Prem.

The next time you decide to set out to grab some food, remember that you might just be biting into a little piece of history.