Bengaluru Bites

The problem with the mixed cultures in Bangalore is that the middle-class restaurants don't know whether to serve South Indian or North. Instead of asking for the preference, they end up mixing it quite a bit. 

For someone who has lived in Kerala or Tamil Nadu his entire life, sambhar is an integral part of his food habits. The unique thing about sambhar is that it goes with any kind of food. But what happens when sambhar has lots of sugar or jaggery or whatever that can be sweet? Welcome to Bangalore. Here it is difficult to use it with any food!!

Now that sambhar is gone, it is difficult to enjoy the food without that too. Types of idli and dosa are served without sambhar. Well its not because even they realized that sambhar tastes sweet. But that north-south combination ends up by kuruma getting served with dosa's and idli's. The coconut chutney for some reason survives, but there's no point. Now if you don't like any of these and order upma, you are in for a bigger surprise as then you get neither chutney, sambhar or kuruma. Instead it is kesari. Now eat that!!

So after you are done with your meal, you have to pay. But there's no bill. It is just a verbally said amount. Reason? No record for the income and thus lesser tax. And the waiter can increase his tip by telling a lesser amount to the cashier. Poor India. One guy is fasting in Delhi against corruption and another is getting corrupt using food!