We finally managed to visit Malgudi.
Not the town – that’s fictional, yet immortalized by R.K. Narayan, the prolific author who created Malgudi (thought to be an amalgamation of Malleshwaram and Basavangudi) and brother of equally famous R.K. Laxman (the Common Man). Both brothers Padma Vibhushans, both lived to the 90s. As they say – Kaun si chakki ka aata khilaya tha inki pujya mataji ne!
Anyways, this Malgudi has relatively more humble antecedents, but not less famous ones. Backed by Shankar Mahadevan, singer, composer, artist and foodie (may not be in this particular order), the latest addition in this growing restaurant chain had an elephantine pregnancy. Given its close proximity to our house (literally a couple of minutes away, twenty if you count the dismal parking arrangements), we have been seeing the board for well over nine months, and at one point, we did even give up on the thing. Well, until they decided to deliver recently, with a very aggressive PR campaign to back it up.
And so we have been trying to get in ever since they opened a week back. A few false starts later (lets spare the gory details), we found ourselves plonked on nice new chairs, in a setting that had greenery and nostalgia in ample measure, a hyper active kid seated alongside, and a faint hint of Carnatic music that reminded me of weddings back in Bengaluru.
Itadakimasu! We said. (the Japanese version of Bon Appétit, for the uneducated).
I started with a filter coffee – my barometer for all South Indian restaurants, which I can safely say was just right. I would have preferred this after the dosa that I ordered subsequently, but well, maybe I was too taken in to the Filter Kaapi bar-type thing that was quite in front of my line of vision. We ordered a couple of starters – Lotus stem and Water chestnut variations with a South Indian twist, which were good, but well, not recommended to precede an authentic Davangere Benne Dosa. Purists would balk at this attempt for sure, but having committed the crime of finishing my coffee before the dosa, I didn’t mind the drama. Surely, they can’t hang you twice!
My wife had the jaggery and ghee infused filter coffee cold version, which she said was delish (language purists, refer transgressions made above already, and my subsequent nonchalant attitude). The hyper active kid we found next to us ate Tomato Uttapam, with a few yelps of agreement. The aforementioned Dosa was delish as well, and the sambar, while not like Hariprasad, was on point. We chose to skip dessert since we were full already.
Overall, wonderful food, beautiful setting, and stinging prices:) You can only charge as much for a dosa, and Malgudi has chosen to sit close to the far right end of the price spectrum. But worth the experience, I must say.
Whether I go regularly (tempting, given its next door) depends on which of you kind souls are willing to sponsor a hardworking gentleman with a penchant for reading and a knack for the written word. I promise that my worldly wisdom and knowledge gathered from extensive prose will serve you good company!
Any takers?