I am not usually a fan of South
Indian fare and breakfast is a meal I rarely venture out to try. But a visit to
Halli Mane definitely changed that for me. We ended up at Halli Mane as we were
on that side of town and needed to finish our breakfast quota for the day.
The name is derived from Kannada
where ‘Halli’ means village and ‘Mane’ means house. The ambience is therefore
is very much like a village house (a little fancy of course!). The Warli
paintings on the walls, some cut tiles turned into splendid art definitely
impress a first-timer. The cleanliness and hygiene surely meets the eye. The
menu is straight and simple – Karnataka ‘tiffin’ varieties. We definitely
feasted on a lot that day leaving no space for lunch.
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| The humble entrance |
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| Sunlight making its way through the roof |
On our plates that day:
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| Idli Vada |
The nothing-can-go-wrong idli
vada. This is a dish that is not just filling but is a must have in any
Karnataka breakfast.
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| Rave idli |
Rave idli – Soft, mildly spiced
yet really high on taste.
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| Poori Saagu |
Poori Saagu - Soft, non-oily pooris complimented with a mixed vegetable curry. The pooris can tell you if the oil the restaurant uses is clean. This place definitely was!
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| Masala Dosa |
Masala Dosa – another staple
among South Indians. The dosa here was impressive – crispy, generous on ghee, ‘bhaji’
tasted great. So that’s a ten on ten right away.
If that was the spicy side of
breakfast, there the sweet side.
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| Chiroti |
First up – Chiroti. This is a
fluffy and flaky ghee baked pastry that is eaten with milk. The milk here had a badam flavor
and took the chiroti several notches higher in taste.
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| Coconut Holige |
Coconut Holige. We usually buy
holige (a sweet roti) from the bakery. But its completely different to taste
something that’s so fresh and just out of the pan.
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| Kesari Bhath |
Kesari bhath or Ksheera. Not one
of my favourites on a regular day. This one was irresistible though with loads
of ghee and dry fruits. Literally a moment on the lips, forever on the hips.
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| Mangalore Buns |
Mangalore Buns – Vinod would have
died if we hadn’t ordered this. This sweet bun was better that the ones I tasted
in Mangalore as well.
With a fresh lime soda and some
teas and coffees, it was tata time for the Halli Mane. Cant wait to go back
again.
While at the Halli Mane, expect
crowds and a little waiting. Explore the area for safe and hassle free parking.
The food is simply superb and the prices are very affordable. We recommend a
fast the previous night.
Pay by : Cash
Restroom : Decent
Average meal for two : Rs 250
(for a lot of food)
Mel’s overall rating : 4.5 out of 5
Location: 3rd Cross, Sampige
Road, Malleshwaram, Bangalore. Ph: 080 65611222