[addyhemmige]

Originally Posted by DCEite

Guys,

Any good place or restaurant chain serving authentic Tamil Nadu/Andhra style south indian food in Bangalore?

I have been in Bangalore for a year now, but most of the restaurants and take aways serving south Indian food don't have that *distinct* flavour of south India as we know it back in North.

As an example, consider the staple dish Sambhar - which is for some reason sweet in taste all over Bangalore. Not the spicy and *hot* like generally expected of by a North Indian .

Any pointers to authentic Tamil Nadu style south indian food (Dosa/Idli etc.) in Bangalore - specifically North Bangalore?

How is Vasudeva Adigas (Opening in my locality North bangalore in a couple of days) ?

For Tamil Nadu style food, you can try Adyar Ananda Bhavan. That is the only place I know. Maybe others can help out with other places. For Andhra style, you have the Nandinis and the Nagarjunas and plenty of small Andhra messes and restaurants all over Bangalore. It would help if you can specify where exactly you are located as North Bangalore is too big an area to mention any places.

Coming to the sweet sambhar, usually the 'sweet' sambhar is mostly served with breakfast. More or less, the sambhar served for lunch (i.e. with rice) would be closer what you are looking for. There are different varieties of South Indian food and this 'sweet' sambhar is one of them. This type of sambhar is served mostly in South Karnataka with different regions having their own style.

I guess you should expect the Karnataka type cuisine in most south Indian food outlets in Bangalore unless the joint specializes in Tamil Nadu or Andhra cuisine.

Vasudev Adigas is a typical Karnataka food joint and you will be disappointed if you are looking for Tamil Nadu style food.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by DCEite

Guys,

Any good place or restaurant chain serving authentic Tamil Nadu/Andhra style south indian food in Bangalore?

Easy peezy. Head over to Indiranagar to a place called Annapoorni. Really good Tamil Nadu style food. Sambhar is not at all sweet.

http://www.zomato.com/bangalore/anna...an-indiranagar

Ignore the reviews, the place is GOOD. I take all guests visiting bangalore here.

Another awesome find was the super duper soft idlis at Sai Skanda Dosa camp in Cambridge layout. The place is just after the Sai Baba temple next to famous bengali sweet store Bancharams.

http://www.zomato.com/bangalore/om-s...sa-camp-ulsoor

[Recompose]

Originally Posted by DCEite

How is Vasudeva Adigas (Opening in my locality North bangalore in a couple of days) ?

Where is this new Adiga's opening?

[DCEite]

Thanks for all those suggestions guys..

Have tried A2B (Adya Ananda Bhavan's) south indian food and it is indeed good. I think its Andhra style.

Originally Posted by Recompose

Where is this new Adiga's opening?

Sahakar Nagar.

Inaugurating this Wednesday.

[Vid6639]

Absolute Barbeque - Marthahalli

http://www.zomato.com/bangalore/abs-...s-marathahalli

Took my entire team for dinner there and have to say it is the perfect place for a team outing.

Non vegeterians will love it. Veggies will not love it but won't mind it.

They are similar to BBQ nation as in same charcoal grill on the table but they have an additional wish grill. The wish grill is a stir fry counter where you go select your meat or vegetables, then noodles or rice along with sauces and spics. Hand it over to the chef who makes it in front of you on the stir fry grill.

Non veg guys get met options like Octopus, Quail, Emu, Rabbit. Veggies are only brocollis, mushrooms and other greens.

Main course is full fare buffet. Dessert is again unique. Select the ice creams you want, along with toppings like oreos, brownies, dry fruits and the dessert chef will mix them in front of you on a iced table. Amazing stuff along with Ghaver, gulabjamun, ras malai, pastries, souffles.

Pricing: Again unique. I went for dinner and they have 2 different rates. Between Wed-Sunday if you reach there before 7PM the rates are 475+tax (Rs.587 inc tax) for veg and 575+tax (Rs.711 inc tax) for non veg. After 7PM it is 625+tax veg and 725+tax non veg. Note that you cannot arrive at 6:45 and block your table for your group. The guys in your group who arrive after 7PM will be charged the higher rate.

http://www.absolute-barbecue.com/Ban..._rate_card.pdf

[JMaruru]

Originally Posted by DCEite

As an example, consider the staple dish Sambhar - which is for some reason sweet in taste all over Bangalore. Not the spicy and *hot* like generally expected of by a North Indian .

I don't know how much spicy you would like your sambar to be, but believe me the hot and fiery sambar you would get for idlies in b'lore would be at 'shankaranarayana refreshments' in JP Nagar. The 'bhatru' as the owner/promoter is called has his own secret recipe, which you would not find anywhere else in b'lore. Try once, and let us know if this meets your 'spicy' expectations.

[girimajiananth]

Originally Posted by DCEite

Guys,

How is Vasudeva Adigas (Opening in my locality North bangalore in a couple of days) ?

Vasudev Adiga was good once upon a time , now I feel they are over priced and there is no feel good factor anymore. I have started avoiding this place now.

I heard some rumors that the original owner has sold the entire chain to some Mumbai based business man . Not sure if this is true.

[hamster]

Would vouch for Annapoorni , 12th Main, IndiraNagar anytime for Pure South Indian lunch. Try it especially on weekends.
Heard good reviews about in Arusuvai Arasu Madhuram in HSR Layout. Havent personally tried it though.
Went once to Junior Kuppanna in Kormangala and became a fan of their elaborate meal.
I am not sure about North Bangalore, but whenever I am in Malleshwaram, I would prefer my lunch at Iyer Mess. Its between 7th and 8th cross. DOnt mind the interiors and their policy of waiting. Just go focused on the lunch alone. BTW, they are closed on Saturdays.
All the above said are "Full Meals" type.
If you are looking at "tiffin" items, then Adyar Ananda Bhavan is one and Krishna Cafe in Koramangala is another, wherein I relish the TN style sambar.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by DCEite

Thanks for all those suggestions guys..

Have tried A2B (Adya Ananda Bhavan's) south indian food and it is indeed good. I think its Andhra style.

It's Tamil Nadu! Andhra style and you probably would have sunk a fire extinguisher in your mouth after your meal.

[aravind.anand]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

It's Tamil Nadu! Andhra style and you probably would have sunk a fire extinguisher in your mouth after your meal.

Ha ha ha Nice, light, sense of humour there! I tried breakfast at the A2B at the Marathahalli bridge on Saturday. The food was really good, the coffee was just the way it is meant to be, with a mild tinge of bitterness! would rate the coffee there very highly. But since it is largely dependant on the person making it, don't blame me if it is not up to the mark when you go there :P

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by DCEite

As an example, consider the staple dish Sambhar - which is for some reason sweet in taste all over Bangalore. Not the spicy and *hot* like generally expected of by a North Indian .

The sambar is a very unique dish. There are so many variations and each of them taste different. At high level you have a version of sambar for each of the 4 southern states. The Karnataka one typically always has a tinge of sweetness. The Andhra one is high on spice. The tamilnadu sambar typical has a good amount of dal and the Kerala one typically has coconut in it. I am from Kerala and hence know that within Kerala also there are a number of variations. Pretty sure that will be the case across the other states also. In fact the there is a variation in what my mother makes and what my mother in law makes . so when my wife or I make it we make it we alternate on the recipe. And I have never seen these versions in any hotel or restaurant. Pretty sure one can do a doctoral thesis on the dish called sambar

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by DCEite

... Any good place or restaurant chain serving authentic Tamil Nadu/Andhra style south indian food in Bangalore?

I have been in Bangalore for a year now, but most of the restaurants and take aways serving south Indian food don't have that *distinct* flavour of south India as we know it back in North. ...

: Huh? You are expecting the Delhi "South Indian" flavour in Bangalore? Lahaul vila quwwat!

1. The water is different (the electrolyte content; it matters a lot)
2. The chillies used are different (50% of the difference)
3. The spice mix is different (they don't use premixed powders here - not in most places)
4. The recipe is different. Well, at least half of it!
5. The vegetables are different, and they taste different. No one uses Cauliflower, Turnips (Shalgam), Bottle Gourd (Lauki) or Pumpkin (sitaphal, kashiphal) here in Sambhar
6. Cooks here don't wear banians (at least not those whose color reflects the cook's experience)

Sambhar is not the same everywhere - there are as many variants as districts in the 4 South Indian states. The sickly-sweet sambhar you have had in Bangalore so far is the variety dished out by cooks that came from Dakshina Kannada district. Over 90% of the eateries in Bangalore are run by people from there - even most of the so-called "Andhra" restaurants. Funnily, the stuff they make back home is quite different (it is called HuLi or Koddel, and is spicier and much more sour).

Try the Sambhar at the ubiquitous A2B (Tamil Nadu style), or Nandhini (Andhra style), or Kamat Bugle Rock (North Karnataka style), or any of the Kerala restaurants. I am sure you will be able to tell the difference. one of these is likely to be the closest to what you are used to. Do try the Rasam too - it will be also very uniquely diverse.

Even I felt the same as you did when I came here 35 years back. Over the years I have learnt to relish the differences.

EDIT: Just realized you threw a stone into a hornet's nest by asking that question

[hamster]

Adding another stone into the hornet's nest.

Coming to the "hot" topic sambar, there are varieties of sambar. Predominantly, if you observe very closely, the sambar served in TN especially, the ones which are served with the tiffin items are different from the ones which are served with Meals.

Having been brought up in the border region in TN/Kerala, there is a different confusion altogether.

There is something called "kozhambu" in TN, which has a lot of variants(Vatha Kozhambu, Mor Kozhambu to name a few). You get this kozhambu varieties only along with meals and not with tiffin items.

In Kerala, the same term is used mostly in ayurvedic medical terms and not as a food item.
Sorry to confuse you DCEite, but thats the way it is

[SILVERWOOD]

Originally Posted by DCEite

Guys,

Any good place or restaurant chain serving authentic Tamil Nadu/Andhra style south indian food in Bangalore?

I have been in Bangalore for a year now, but most of the restaurants and take aways serving south Indian food don't have that *distinct* flavour of south India as we know it back in North.

As an example, consider the staple dish Sambhar - which is for some reason sweet in taste all over Bangalore. Not the spicy and *hot* like generally expected of by a North Indian .

Any pointers to authentic Tamil Nadu style south indian food (Dosa/Idli etc.) in Bangalore - specifically North Bangalore?

It is high time that one should understand that South Indian food is more than Dosa/Idli/Wada and Sambar, Not SambHar.

I am not sure how this notion has spread that South Indian food is spicy or hot.Apart from Chettinad and coastal andhra cuisine which is spicy due to usage of fresh grounded spices and Chilly, none of the south Indian cuisine is spicy and hot.

Waseem

Originally Posted by DerAlte

Huh? You are expecting the Delhi "South Indian" flavour in Bangalore? Lahaul vila quwwat!

EDIT: Just realized you threw a stone into a hornet's nest by asking that question

+1 on your detailed reply on Sambar.

Waseem.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by hamster

... the ones which are served with the tiffin items are different from the ones which are served with Meals. ...

Understandable, since the one served with meals is supposed to be ... err ... a heavy meal. Less dense, more veggies, spicier - can't muddle rice properly with thick Kozhambu. The one served with Dose, for example, can't be runny - has to be denser. Less dense stuff (I hate restaurants serving that) ruins the Dosa-eating experience.

Originally Posted by hamster

... Having been brought up in the border region in TN/Kerala, there is a different confusion altogether. ...

That reminds of the old Tamil movie Michael Madana Kama Rajan, where a fish falls in the Sambar being cooked by Kamalahasan, and all the guests (pucca vegetarian Palakkad Iyers, no less) slurp appreciatively on the 'fresh new taste' of the Sambar!!!

Originally Posted by SILVERWOOD

... Sambar, Not SambHar ...

Thanks. I came back and corrected the spelling.

I thought that transliteration follows the South Indian rule for differentiating soft consonants from hard consonants, like 'त' and 'ट', or 'द' and 'ड'! Otherwise "Pet bhar khana khaya" becomes "Ped par gana gaya".