Oh man, I’m afraid this post might get me in some trouble with some of my Tamil friends. You see, I’ve always said the best masala dosas I’ve ever had were in Tamil Nadu, the state where I live. However, my friends from Bangalore have always talked a big game saying that Bangalore masala dosas were way better. I never believed them, thinking this talk was all about hometown pride/bias. Welp, I stand corrected, I had the best masala dosa EVER this weekend in Bangalore.
The place is called Vidyarthi Bhavan, in the Gandhi Bazar area in Bangalore. It is one of B-lore’s oldest neighborhoods and you can feel it- it has none of the glitz of “new” Bangalore and ten times the charm. The restaurant is really old, founded between the early 20’s to the early 40’s depending who you ask and is renowned for having the best masala dosa anywhere.
There are several charming things about the place- it is very small and feels old, and there are pictures of poets and politicians all over the walls- you can tell this place has serious history. Because it is so small, there are always people standing and waiting next to your table, waiting for you to leave so they can snag your seat. That doesn’t ruin the ambience at all though, cause you are too busy enjoying your dosa. It creates quite a hussle-bussle feel for the place though, with waiters walking around with freshly made dosas stacked sometimes over 10 high and moving quickly. Finally, the bazar outside is full of fresh flowers, and the scent of them wafts into the restaurant, between the smells of dosas and flowers, my nose was in heaven!
As for the masala dosa itself, it won’t do it justice, but here's my best description... they are thicker than any dosa I’ve had, and being thick allows them to be very crispy on the outside and very soft on the inside. The masala (potatoes and onions) is very good and well spiced, but not spicy. Another unusual thing about the place is that they put ghee on top of the dosa, which might not be good for you, but certainly is delicious! Finally, you usually get served a dosa with several kinds of chutney and sambar- here they keep it simple- just coconut chutney. Hey, they know what they do well and keep it simple! All I can really say is try it for yourself- it was the highlight of my trip to Bangalore, by far!
That said, the dosas in Tamil Nadu are still great and way better than any you can get stateside. Also, I still think TN has better sambar and chutney, it’s just the actual dosa was soooooo good at Vidyarthi Bhavan.
I thought I was going to lose some weight this go around in India, but at this rate, I’m gonna pack on a few pounds before I come back!
The flowers in Gandhi Bazaar, right outside Vidyarthi Bhavan
The Main Attraction! That's coconut chutney on the left. Via http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in (my hands were too messy to take a pic)
Dosas a Mile High! Via http://www.mybangalore.com
No comments:
Post a Comment