It is 8 am, and Esha and Sudha Kumar, a couple from Bengaluru who married in 1994, arrive at Mavalli Tiffin Rooms for their regular morning coffee. They will come back again at 5 for coffee and some food. One of the most iconic places for a South Indian meal, MTR has retained its quality and popularity since its inception in Bengaluru in 1924. It now sees old city folk like the Kumars visiting every day and opens its doors to a plethora of tourists, newcomers to the city and residents alike.
MTR specialises in South Canara food and boasts a lavish spread of masala dosas, vadas, idlis, khara baath, halwas, barfis and juices among other delicacies. Owner Hemamalini Maiya talks about the popular items on the menu. “People swear by the coffee. And visitors in the city always try our rava idli. This signature dish was invented by us and people know that history. They definitely feel that it’s something they should have every time they visit.”
Serving tradition
She adds: “We have maintained our food style and recipes as they were in the beginning. That is our strength. Our old customers, for whom the morning idli, sambar and coffee is almost a ritual, recognise that.”
Esha and Sudha Kumar share that despite the heavy rush that causes customers to wait almost an hour to get a seat and dig into the food at MTR, people continue to throng the eatery because the food quality is unparalleled. NR Nandish, a trustee of the RV institution, who makes daily visits to the place as a practice since childhood, says the coffee here has always been stronger and more flavourful than any other place.
Going back in time
Parameshwara Maiya, who arrived in Bengaluru in search of employment with his brothers Ganappayya and Yagnanarayana, from Parampalli, a small village in South Canara, passed his recipes down the Maiya family. He received his first trickle of MTR customers at a tiny place on Lal Bagh Fort Road. “It really wasn’t the full-fledged restaurant that we have today. But it became popular and people used to come in their cars and stop outside and we had a car service for them. It was all very basic food. In the beginning, we had only two types of dosas — the masala dosa and the khali dosa,” recalls Hemamalini. “We’ve added to the menu as we’ve grown. Now we have rava dosa, pudi dosa, ragi dosa, benne dosa, thatte idli, Mangalore buns and a lot of authentic Karnataka specials.”
The landmark MTR near Lal Bagh opened in 1959 when the popular park was quieter, greener and surrounded by lakes. “I am told that the drive was very pleasurable,” says Hemamalini. “We lost the parking space we had after a few years. The surroundings changed. But our buildings maintain the minimalistic old-world charm. Even in the new branches, we try to keep it authentic with a few contemporary features.”
Despite the now-crowded and noisy area outside, the original MTR has retained its time-worn marble entrance and interiors.
Historic connections
“In every period, people have always come to MTR,” Hemamalini says. She mentions that the place was used as a rendezvous for freedom fighters and political leaders in the pre-Independence era, and in the early post-Independence time as well, meetings were held over cups of coffee. The darshini also catered for political events taking place in the Glass House at Lal Bagh. “We’ve always had a lot of politicians,” she says. “The current Chief Minister came often and a lot of other famous people too. Sheikh Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah, and more recently, Shashi Kapoor was here, reminiscing about family trips. MF Hussain was also quite a regular when he visited India.”
Descendants of the old crowd still come to catch up with friends. Senior citizen Ananth S Ramesh, who has hovered around the place since 1967, says he comes here even now because he is in the habit of meeting friends. “And of course, newer people moving into Bengaluru have also started to visit,” says Hemamalini. “A lot of NRIs who come back to India, bring big groups because they all have memories of the place. The expanding population in the city is reflected by MTR.”
According to Hemamalini, strolling into a darshini and having a bite is unique to Bengaluru. “I wouldn’t say we were the pioneers of food service,” she says, “But we were one of the first to serve idlis and dosas. And maybe what we’ve contributed to is creating this special darshini culture.”
In this weekly column, we peek into the histories of some of the most iconic restaurants