A Culinary Journey Through Udupi: Beyond the Usual Dose and Poori

 Hello everyone! After a long break, I’m back with a new post. As many of you know, I tend to take my time when it comes to publishing, but that’s because I need a spark of inspiration to translate my experiences into words.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Udupi—not for a vacation, but for a project. And yes, I will be making frequent trips there in the coming days.

Udupi is widely known for its temples and Ashtamathas, but it is also famous for its distinctive vegetarian cuisine. The Udupi cuisine is primarily Satvik, meaning it follows a simple, wholesome approach with minimal use of vegetables introduced by foreign influences. If you want to experience authentic Satvik food, I highly recommend visiting the Krishna MaTha's dining hall, where you can savor a delicious feast as Prasada.

The Legacy of Udupi Restaurants

Udupi restaurants hold a special place in the hospitality industry, with a history dating back nearly 100 years. One of the pioneers, Sri K. Krishna Rao, who was once a priest at the Krishna MaTha, migrated to Madras (now Chennai) for livelihood. Starting as a junior cook, he later established his own restaurant and eventually took over the renowned Woodlands restaurant, renaming it "New Woodlands." This restaurant became a haven for Brahmins working in Madras, as it was managed by an orthodox family. Even today, dining at an Udupi restaurant gives vegetarians a sense of comfort and authenticity.

A Breakfast Like No Other

During my recent visit, I was lucky enough to enjoy breakfast and evening snacks on different days. Let me take you through my breakfast experience, which included some unique Udupi specialties.

Moode: The cylindrical Idli

1. Moode: The Cylindrical Idli

Moode is a variation of idli, shaped cylindrically and prepared by steaming batter in molds made from screw pine leaves (known as Kedige or Kewda). The challenging part is carefully unwrapping the leaf mold, which is bound by coconut leaf sticks. Before even starting, the aroma of the moode hit my senses, making the wait worthwhile.

The texture was soft yet firm, allowing it to absorb the flavors of the sambhar beautifully. With each bite, the moode soaked up the sambhar, proving that Karnataka sambhar is not just a substitute for dessert! Alternating between chutney and sambhar, I savored each morsel until the last bite.

2. Kotte Kadubu: The Jackfruit Leaf Idli

A close cousin of Moode, Kotte Kadubu is prepared in molds made from jackfruit leaves. Between the two, dissecting the Kadubu is relatively easier. Thanks to the unique leaf wrapping, Kadubu carries a distinct flavor even when eaten plain.

3. Vada-Sambhar (Dip Style)

My all-time favorite! When ordering vada-sambhar, you can opt for either "dip" (where the vada is immersed in sambhar) or "separate" (where the two are served apart). I went for the dip style, where the crunchy vada absorbed all the goodness of the sambhar. It was a perfect match, bringing to mind the classic Mohammed Rafi song: "Taarif karoon kya uski, jisne tumhe banaya!"

4. Mangalore Buns: The Hidden Gem

No Udupi breakfast is complete without Mangalore Buns! These delightful, deep-fried bread are made from ripe bananas, maida (all-purpose flour), cumin, and curd. The batter is fermented for 6-8 hours, resulting in soft, mildly sweet buns with a hint of sourness from the curd and a touch of warmth from the cumin. Served hot with chutney, these buns are a must-try. While they don’t necessarily need an accompaniment, the chutney adds an extra layer of flavor.

       Mangalore Buns: The Hidden Gem

                 

5. Strong Kaapi: The Perfect Finisher

To wash down all the flavors, I ended my meal with a strong filter coffee (kaapi) without sugar. The slight presence of chicory made it even more enjoyable, providing the perfect conclusion to my breakfast adventure.

The Verdict

The breakfast here was satisfying but didn’t leave me feeling overly full—just the way a great meal should be. The best part? It was light on the pocket too! Here’s my quick rating:

• Taste: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (8/10)

• Ambience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (8/10)

• Service: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (8/10 - quick and efficient)

• Value for Money: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (8.5/10)

Final Thoughts

To all my readers, if you ever visit Udupi, make sure you go beyond the usual Masala Dosa and Poori. Indulge in these local delights for a truly authentic experience.

Until next time—stay safe, take care, and happy eating! 🍽️

Location:
Dr. U. R. RAO Complex, near Udupi Sri Krishna Matha, Thenkapet, Udupi, Karnataka 576101

Rayar's mess

Hello all, & I am back with a new post about one of the oldest institution in Chennai. Functioning from the last 8 decades, this place has been the hot favourite for the localites. In this write up, I am reviewing about an iconic mess namely Rayar's mess in Mylapore, Chennai.

Known for its limited menu which consists of Idly, Vada, Pongal for the breakfast and never miss an opportunity to savour the Spicy "Karam" chutney. Similarly, Rava dosai, onion dosai, Mysore bonda, jamoon for the evening snacks.

I have been visiting this place since 2018 & this has been my favourite place to break the fast or atleast have a light snack along with kaapi before I head to a concert as an audience. 

I make sure that, my visiting time would be quite early. Preferably the first batch of customers of the day. Limited occupancy is the point which makes the place extremely crowded if you visit after 7:15 AM or during the weekends..

Chennai happens to be the most eco friendly city in terms of food. Plantain leaves are the substitute for the steel plates. Plantain leaf was on the table & before serving we must clean the leaf by sprinkling some amount of water and wiping it. Piping hot idly which was just taken out from the steamer after it was converted into a solid from the liquid form. The Idly even though it was soft, but it wasn't fragile as you get it in Bengaluru. There are possibilities of the difference in ratios of the ingredients which made the idly of Rayar's mess not to be extremely fragile. Chutney was out of world, simple chutney which was having coconut as the main ingredient & some small amount of chillies. Also I requested some "Karam" chutney, which has chillies as the main ingredient. The karam chutney is served very little, due to the extreme spicyness.

Cherry on top for the piping hot idly was generous amount of ghee which was lashed (on request)! The next serving was Vada & this vada had its holy bath in a pool of oil to get crispier & make the humans happy. Vada had traces of pepper, coconut which was just finger lickin good.

One can have nearly 4 to 5 idlies along with minimum of 3 vadas. Never miss the Pongal vada combination or else it's termed to be a sin. Pongal with a cup of thick chutney & watery coconut chutney along with piping hot vada is heaven!

To flush out all the oily stuffs from your throat, a cup of coffee is a must & should. I prefer the strong coffee.

Prices are very economical here,

1 idly costs ₹15/-

1 vadai costs ₹10/-

A plate of pongal costs ₹40/-

& A cup of coffee costs ₹20/-

Time to present a report card for the iconic Rayar's mess

Taste - 9

Ambiance - cute little place which can occupy around 16 people at a time & typically old school mess, 9

Service - quickest 10

Quality - 8

Value for money -9

It's advisable not to visit this place during weekends & public holidays for the extreme crowd yet longer queues! 

The OG saagu masalé dosé- Agrahara Myalari

Hello all, after a short break I am here to narrate my experience in the form of words about an institution in Mysore which has been serving the masalé dosé which has saagu instead of the Aloogadde palya (potato curry).

Native Mysurians still have confusion which is the original Mylari hotel! 

Oho! Did I just reveal the name of the institution? What a human I am! Anyway let's time travel to May 2022.

After a long drive from Chennai to Mysore which is about 8.5 to 9 hours we checked in to the holiday home's family suite which was pre-booked. The holiday home is maintained by CPWD or central public works department & the preference for allotment of rooms are for Central government officials & their immediate family. So, being a brat of Central government officer I will be having few more months to enjoy these perks!

Next day, I was waiting for the watch to display 9 AM so that I can meet my friends who are musicians based out in Mysuru & they are also percussionists. We had been mutually sharing some food reels during the lockdown due to the pandemic & we had decided to taste the saagu masalé dosé here in Mylari hotel.

Welcome my dearest friends Nandan and Shamith. Nandan was the one who told about the glorious history of this institution even though I was aware of this institution through my foodie guruji Mr.Kripal Amanna, who gave the visual treat of the greatness of this small restaurant.

Now, there is a small change in the place. We decided not to visit the Vinayaka Mylari which is in Nazarbad, Mysore. But, we decided to meet in this particular Mylari which is located in the area called Agrahara. Anyway I was waiting to play the test match in the form of gulping down these saagu masalé dosé.

We placed our order for a serving of 2 idlis along with chutney and saagu. Many resturants don't serve saagu with idli, this restaurant is an exception & you don't get Sambhar. We got our first serving of idlis along with chutney and saagu. The idly was topped with a dallop of butter which is the taste enhancer for that piping hot idly which was scrapped out of the moulds, which was steamed for few minutes in the steamer. The idly was extremely fragile & fluffy that it has to carefully handled. Rough handling of idly leads to deformation 🤣.

The butter was royally spread on the 2 idlis and the very first bite of idli along with chutney. Ah! You can just visualise the reaction of Mr. Kripal Ji's reaction when he tastes good food. That was my reaction. The idly being too soft, it started melting in my mouth & the chutney which has coconut as the main ingredient & green chillies as the spicing agent. There were traces of garlic too. Time to dunk a piece of idly in that saagu. Saagu was a very simple yet spicy & delicious accompanist for idly. Saagu had primarily onion, potato, garlic & some other veggies. Saagu was a spicy dish which was balanced when we had it with idly.

Time to order some OG saagu masalé dosé ft.Mylari style! Initially I was reluctant to have 2 dosés, i was convinced by these amigos of mine that "you won't even realise that you had 2 masalé dosés". True to their words these masalé dosés were smaller in size filled with saagu in the inner part of the dose. Gently roasted with extra amount of oil & later topped with butter! 

When I got my first set of saagu masalé dosé, I was pretty curious about the exciting aroma of the dosé. I came to know that they refrain using the LPG & other fuels for cooking these OG saagu masalé dosé. But, they are still dependent on the firewood or soude olé. What more can you expect from the dosé which was gently roasted on the tava which was placed on the stove which is still using the firewood! 

Now you guys will be getting the answer regarding why I christened this blog as OG saagu masalé dosé in Mysuru! The dose being not too extra crispy like the one which you get in many of the darshinis or restaurant, still you could feel that homely yet heavenly taste! Let me just bring the Mysurian Mr. Raghu Dixit sir in the scene. Dear Raghu sir, I have a doubt.. Did you compose the song "TelaDuta.. I am falling in love" while having this Dosé? 

Yes.. you guys will definitely start singing the song as soon as you have your first bite. 

On the other we were gossiping here & there still my mind was here enjoying the masale. I was ready for the second round of another 2 masalé dosés & sing "TelaDuta.... I am falling in love".

Once we had the 4 saagu masale dosés, it was time to flush out the excess fat in the tongue by drinking a glass of straang kaapi sans sugar! One thing about this restaurant is, it's not too pricy. Secondly, don't dare to visit during weekends because you might end up waiting for a longer time.

Honestly I am remembering the prices but I can definitely share the report card for this restaurant.

Taste - 9.5

Ambience - 10

Service - very quick 10

Value for money - 9

As you all see the report card is according to my experience in this restaurant. I request you all to visit this restaurant and savour some saagu masale dosé & those fluffy idlis along with that spicy saagu!

Take care & happy eating.

Raghavendra stores - Malleswara, Bengaluru

Very recently when I had been to Bengaluru once again for few pending works, breking the fast which was observed after the previous dinner was necessary. This time I stayed in a place called Malleswara which is like the heart of Northern Bengaluru. On Saturday, my friend Manikandan who was introduced to you guys in one of my older posts, agreed to join for the breakfast. On that day, weather was cold for me (it happens when you get adjusted to Chennai's weather) and planned to have a hot yet strong kaapi before Manikandan comes to pick me from the hotel.

Phone rang & Manikandan on the other side told, "Rajanna! I reached. Where are you?" I was having the last portion of kaapi, replied "give me a minute, I will come!" We had a brief discussion of our breakfast & which place to be explored. He being the North Bengalurian wanted to visit Vidyarthi bhavan, which is an usual adda for a South Bengalurian like me. After, 5 minutes of disscussion, we finalized to try our breakfast in an old establishment called Raghavendra stores, just outside the Malleswara Railway station. After a crazy riding in Mani's scooter, we reached Raghavendra stores & my tummy was losing patience too. 

Initially, we ordered a plate of single Idly-vade which had to be dipped in chutney, which is completely  different from the Sambhar dip of Idly-Vade. Mani ordered a plate of Bisi Bele Hulianna or Bisi Bele Bhaath which acts as the heavy breakfast & is a must need to withstand the Bengaluru's winter. We got our plates which had the art called idly-vade dipped in chutney for me & the Bisi Bele Bhaath for Mani. Finding a place to enjoy as well as savour the breakfast is too difficult especially during weekends. 

Finally, we got a place to stand which was considerably less crowded.

Idly was extremely fragile that it was already high because it had drunk nearly 60% of the coconut chutney or in other words it had absorbed the chutney. Hence proved, that the Idly available in Raghavendra stores is excellent in terms of quality. The idly was extremely hot or piping hot, which was just taken out from the Idly steamer & served along with the double fried uddina vade. Vade(s) are usually double fried before it is served. Uddina Vade was extremely crispy & it too started getting high due to chutney. Idly was too fragile that it almost got deformed when it came into contact with the spoon & a small portion of idlly which had absorbed chutney was given complete bath of chutney before it went into my mouth. Ah! the expression came from my mouth due to the texture of idly, the taste of chutney & the hotness of the idly.

Now, the vade was asking for the same & I had to give bath to the vade before I started munching in my mouth & the burst of flavors can be experienced in your mouth. Initially, the coconut as well as the chilly's flavor of chutney which will be trying to suppress the flavor of vade will be futile, as you get the flavor of ginger which would be hidden in the vade. Ultimately, you will be getting the flavor of uddina beLe or urad dal, by the time you would have minced the small piece of vade using your teeth.

Every establishment has a specific ratio of ingredients while preparing the idly, vade as well as Dose. That might be the primary reason of these dishes becoming unique to certain establishments. 

On the other hand, Mani was enjoying the Bisi Bele Bhaath or Bisi bele Hulianna, which is like having a part of meal during breakfast. Bisi Bele Bhaath ususally consists of mix veggies, Dal & Rice which will be cooked together. A special masala is usually prepared with spices which is prepared with a prescribed ratio which has been passed through generations in that particular establishment. Once the masala is mixed with the cooked veggies, dal & rice mixture, it is tempered with seasoning of mustards, Jeera & asafoetida or hing which is usually spluttered in the oil or rare chances in ghee & mixed with the Bisi Bele Bhaath before serving it with the khara boondi for the customers.

Now, I was in need of a masale dose & I ordered a plate of Benne masale, sans the red chutney. Benne masale was served with chutney & a curry which had its main ingredient was potato, a scoop of the curry was topped inside the dose & folded before plating. Dose was roasted to an unique colour which made it to resemble the Moon (Dark colour) on the day of full moon. The first to last bite of the dose was extremely delicate as well as crispy due to the lashes of oil which happened while getting roasted, which ultimately makes the customer like me to settle for one dose & finish off the breakfast with a cup of kaapi. The curry was delicious which had minimal traces of onion & dominated by the boiled potatoes & was seasoned with mustards, jeera & hing along with the seasoning of corriander leaves.

Before, completing the breakfast I had a cup of strong kaapi for two reasons, to wash away the oily food remains from my throat as well as to withstand the Bengaluru's weather. This was the brief report about an age old establishment in Malleswara, Bengaluru.

Time to present the report card :

Taste- 8.5

ambiance- 9

service - 10, self service

Value for money- 9

Time to sign off from this post & will keep posted about an establishment which I had visited in the upcoming posts. Take care, stay safe & healthy.

Rotti oota @ Sri Basaveshwara Khanavali, Malleswara 8th cross

Chance of finding an authentic North Karnataka food in Chennai is impossible & if it exists it won't be that authentic! After having an authentic satvik Uttara Karnataka Bhakri (synonym of jolada rotti) oota prepared by my mother in my house (staple food of our house), i was craving for the Khanavali version of Uttara Karnataka oota. 

Recently I was in Bengaluru and had some important works that had to be done. Hours before boarding Vande Bharat express for the return journey to Chennai, I made up my mind that Uttara Karnataka oota is must.

I headed to Malleswara, a locality in Bengaluru which is a one stop shop for the north Bengalurians. After shopping, my stomach was asking me to go get some food as well as life! So, I decided to walk down the 8th cross of Malleswara which is a crowded street & a place where micro to large businesses happen throughout the year. After walking several meters, I arrived at Sri Basaveshwara khanavali. This is the branch of Sri Basaveshwara khanavali of Hubbali, which is serving the people for the last few decades.

Even though the branch in Malleswara is less than a decade old, it has earned a fame for serving the authentic Uttara Karnataka rotti oota. 

Usually, rotti oota is served on a thaat or thali in northern Karnataka. Here, to attract the people as well as to save water they have replaced the thali with plantain leaf. Plantain leaf was placed on the table & which was gently washed by sprinkling some water & wiping it thoroughly so that there won't be any dust on the leaf. 

Servers started serving the oota on the leaf, starting with a chutney made of radish & coconut. Then came jhunka, some raw vegetables, eggplant (brinjal) or badnekayi enne gayi, kaaLu palya, next a curry in which the main ingredient is sprouts & a salad which is also called as mosaru bhajji. They also served a cup of thick yoghurt and a glass of buttermilk or majjige. Uttara Karnataka oota is incomplete if you don't serve some of the pudis like shenga chutney pudi, gurreLLu pudi also the Ranjaka (chutney made by the chilly fruit). 

Now, Bhakri or jolada rotti announced "may I come in?" Just the way Rocky Bhai roared in KGF!! Piping hot jolada rotti landed on the organic plate where all the curries, salad, pudis & Ranjaka were served. Also 2 small cubes of butter were served, for a special purpose.

One cube of butter was thoroughly smeared on either sides of the rotti & a small Portion was delicately torn and took some gurreLLu pudi, a small portion of jhunka, some raw onions & greens, a pinch of Ranjaka & was rolled to savour the uttara Karnataka version of rolls or frankie! Burst of flavours filled inside the mouth, the spiciness of Ranjaka was being reduced by the jhunka as well as the butter. Also, the gram flour flavour from the jhunka made me feel that these people are not dependent on the readymade flour. Then comes the flavour of the raw veggies making this as the most healthy frankie in the earth.

Now, it's time to taste some badnekayi enne gayi along with rotti. The groundnut flavour which will be hiding in the enne gayi will be trying to open up but the brinjal tries to supress as well as try to distract us by showcasing it's extremely soft texture, and a burst of onion flavour also tries to suppress the groundnut flavour. After few moments you start feeling that roasty flavour but it will be overtaken by the spicy flavour of chillies. I can claim that this is one of the best enne gayi which i had in my life.

Time to taste some kaaLu palya, today the kaaLu palya had channa. Palya was not very spicy to me but well balanced in terms of spice and salt. On the other hand molake kaaLu palya, curry whose hero is sprouts was too simple with respect to ingredients, but it had all the potential to be a show stealer. I had to refrain from the second serving of all the curries, as I am not supposed to consume more than 100 grams of protein (in any form). Mosaru bhajji, Ranjaka & gurreLLu pudi came to rescue for the subsequent servings of the rotti. I also requested for the khadak rotti from the serving staffs and it was also served.  

After 3 soft rotti & 1 khadak rotti smeared with good amount of butter, time to have some anna or rice. Before Sambhar was served I made sure that, small portion of rice is dedicated for mixing with chutney & pudis along with some ghee. 

Time to have some Sambhar rice, on this particular day they had prepared the drumsticks sambar which was bit spicy, yet it was being reduced by the ghee. Drumsticks, tomatoes & toor dal were the main ingredients. Papad along with Sambar rice is like "what a combination, sir ji!"

Before ending a South Indian meal, curd rice is a must & i was surprised by the staffs. They served me a very special lemon pickle which is sweet, yet sour & also reminds you that I (pickle) am not a sweet pickle by showing it spicy side. I can easily give a verdict that curd rice and this pickle is like the couple who's wedding was decided in the heaven. 

No need of dessert after having that spicy rotti oota & Sambhar rice, this curd rice along with lemon pickle will not even make you feel of not having a dessert. Finally, I requested for a refill of majjige or buttermilk which helps in digestion as well as the one which helps our body to cool down. 

Hands were washed after the oota & they gave me a file along with a packet of paan. This file consists of the bill which I owe for having the delicious rotti oota at this establishment. ₹290/- including GST was the amount for an individual. One can have unlimited number of rottis along with unlimited servings of curries & pudis also unlimited servings of rice too. I refrained from the unlimited servings as I had to travel in sometime. 

Report card :

Taste : 9

Ambience: 8

Service: very quick, 10

Value for money: if you are having the capacity to belt full meals you can easily give 10

If you are in & around Malleswara 8th cross, Sri Basaveshwara Khanavali is just a few steps from where you are standing, which reminds me of a song, onde koogaLate composed by Sri Purandaradaasaru. 

Time to sign off from this post, please do share your thoughts in the feedback along with your name. These days I am unable to see who's pouring their valuable feedback in the comments section, because it's showing Anonymous uvacha!! Also, stay safe and healthy by having good food.

Badakillaya hotel Hebri

After Gulping down the breakfast at Maruthi tiffin centre in Sringeri, I went to the Sharada peetha premises to collect the seva prasadam. Once it was done, my avatar had to be Changed from the traditional Dhoti and angavastra to the modern avatar of T shirt with a faded jeans pant. 

Collected my luggage from the locker & proceeded towards the parking lot. Kick started the bike & proceeded to descend the terrain so that I reach Udupi. After descending the Agumbe ghat, the first major town we pass while driving to Udupi is Hebri. Hebri is a small town very famous for this particular hotel especially for the one's whom "Soru daan mukhyam" is the motto in their life or the adda for the bhojanapriya. Who doesn't know about the fame of  Badakillaya's hotel of Hebri!

Yes the time was around 1:45 PM & my body  was craving for a small rest before I drive further. Even though I had heard about the fame of  Badakillaya's hotel, never I had got chance to savour their meal. I parked the bike outside their hotel & went inside which reminds me of that small restaurant in the rural India which doesn't care about fancy furnitures, fake ambiance & fancy cutlery. A very very simple hotel which has some rows of table & bench. Now, don't get confused with the "oota" scene from the very famous kannada movie "Bhootayyan maga Ayyu". 

I had to wash my face as well as hands before  settling down to savour some Ooridu oota since I had a tiresome riding. One best thing about this place is they serve meals on plantain leaf. Initially, they served salt, pickle, curry, saagu,a papad & a chapathi. It was followed by a cup of Saaru, yoghurt & buttermilk. Chapathi along with the saagu tasted so good, saagu was of mix vegetable & mildly spiced. Once chapathi was done you will be asked for white rice or boiled rice. My choice was boiled rice, there's a saying be a Roman while you are in Rome! Boiled rice is rare in Chennai & I love boiled rice over white rice. 

Boiled rice was served & initially, I had the tili saaru which you can see in the pic which was then     mixed with rice & the taste was too delicious and I had to ask for 2 refills! Well balanced taste with right amount of tanginess, also mildly spiced which made my meal even more special! A round of Saaru-anna  in this restaurant which should not be missed. Time for some extra refill of boiled rice, for the Udupi styled Sambhar. Hero of today in the movie called Sambhar was Mangalore cucumber & one can't resist the taste of the sambhar along with the boiled rice.

Back in my house, when Mangalore cucumber sambhar is prepared, I make sure that 2 full spoons of ghee is added on top of the rice & sambhar. In this restaurant, the cucumber was cooked to the right amount of softness & the strong flavor of coconut made the sambar to prove it's Udupi sambar & hint of jaggery gave that sweetness now & then like a cameo actor.

Time to have the Curd rice, some amount of rice, which was kept aside for the climax of lunch was now mixed with the thick yoghurt & the yoghurt which they served didn't seem to be the one which we get in supermarkets! thicker in consistency & when mixed with rice, pickle as a supporting actor for this part of lunch will start cooling down our body. Post curd rice, I had a glass of Majjige (buttermilk), which had ginger for easing the digestion of the feast we had here. 

Best part of this place is I paid Rs 50/- for this feast in this restaurant called Badakillaya's hotel in Hebri town of Udupi district.

Time to give the report card :
Taste - 9

ambiance - 8 (antique restaurants feels)

service- 8, very quick

Value for money -10 (very economical)

Not a very lengthy post though, but when you guys are in Udupi do try having lunch in this hotel which serves Mrushtanna Bhojana at a price which everyone can afford! Post paying the cash, I started the classic 350 & throttled towards Manipal where I had to return the bike to the Royal brothers ( rental company).

Maruthi tiffin center Sringeri

 Riding in a 2 lane road is a thrill. Woke up at 5:30 AM & freshened up, did some daily rituals & I was set to travel to Sringeri. I had already hired a Royal Enfield Previous evening. As the watch showed 6 AM, I kick started the bike & went to fuel station to refuel some amount petrol which works as the energy. Throttling towards Hebri, I turned on the spotify in my cell phone to listen to some melodious songs which will distract the sleep & keeps me entertained. After a roller coaster ride in the Agumbe ghats, I finally reached Sringeri around 9:30 AM. 

After taking darshanam of Sharadambe, & other dieties in the premises. It was time to gulp down some breakfast & I was recommended Sri Maruthi tiffin center, which is popularly known as Holla's hotel which is hardly few yards from the main entrance of the Sringeri Sharada peetha. I was recommended by my guru to have my breakfast in this resturant.

It was around 10:45 AM, no hopes regarding what I would even get in this place. I was welcomed by Sri Anand Holla with a broad smile & guided me to wash my legs as well as hands before settling down to have the breakfast. I felt this is a house rather than any restaurant. Here, breakfast is served on plantain leaf & you can either choose to sit on the floor or you will be provided a chair & table.

I opted for the first option, it made me feel as if I am having breakfast in my house. Plantain leaf was given & we have to do some cleaning work by sprinkling some water & wiping it thoroughly so that there is no dirt. Initially I had 2 idly along with a vadé served with chutney and sambar (not mandatory in my case). If idly starts absorbing chutney  or sambar quickly, then the idly batter has some right amount of ingredients in proper ratio. Idly was extremely fluffy & was too fragile that I felt bad when the idly got deformed due to the overgrown nails of my index finger of right hand. By now, most of you guys would have figured out why idly is too famous in this place. On the other hand, vade was extremely crunchy yet soft inside. The ingredients that were hidden in the vade were coconut, pepper, chopped green chillies & a hint of ginger. The first bite of vade sans chutney was delicious & it made me feel that ah! should we really need chutney as an accompaniment in the kutchery called Breakfast. My assumption became wrong once the second bite was on its way to my stomach. The chutney had traces of some chillies, ginger along with the hero called grated coconut & some hint of tamrind which didn't spoil the taste of chutney & it was tempered with mustards, cumin & curry leaves which was bathed in the coconut oil. Now, a game for you guys. How many Idly as well was vade was consumed by me?

The next hero of this place is Poori along with saagu (mixed vegetable curry), Sri Anand Holla won't stock the poori which was fried in the morning. He makes sure that the poori is freshly fried according to the customers need & served piping hot. Initially, I ordered 2 pooris which I thought it's more than enough but the steamy poori which took form from the wheat flour mixed with water & made it into a dough. Which was then rolled into a shape which one could get confused whether the chef is preparing Chapathi or Roti, but our chef makes sure that it takes a holy dip in the oil to get a form called poori which will be served with saagu & savoured by thousands of connoisseur like me.

Saagu was served after the poori was served & the poori was too hot to even break a small piece. I had to wait for few moments before I could have my bite. Saagu had some mix vegetables like potato, beans, carrot, tomato & some capsicum. Note, Onion & garlic is not at all used in this place too. Saagu was a bit spicy, which made me to request Sri Holla to prepare 2 more pooris so that I could savour some more saagu & he readily agreed. Finally I was done with 4 pooris & there's a system in this place. You have take the leaf in which you had savoured the breakfast & throw it in the garbage bin of that place. 

Time to have some malnaadu kaapi & I had a delicious kaapi with absolutely no sugar but had more quantity decoction. While having coffee, I got some moments of conversation with Shri Anand Holla & he asked my whereabouts casually & how I came to know about his place. We had a wonderful conversation about food & music. It was time to pay & the total amount didn't cross Rs200/-.

Now let me share the price of the tiffin items available :

Idly, vade, poori - Rs10/- per piece

Coffee, Tea, Milk & Kashaya - Rs15/-

Time to give the report card :

Taste-9

Ambience - 10, homely feels

Service - 9.5, serves with a broad smile makes you feel that elderly family member of yours is serving you

value for money- 10/10 for this Rs10/- hotel