Indeed, any person who visits this beautiful coastal town of Karnataka must try some authentic Tulu and Konkani dishes to savor their taste buds without becoming conscious of calories. I'm one of those people who constantly worry about gaining weight but I ended up giving no damn and happily gained two kilos in just a week of my vacation which is way too much for me.
Fortunately, I was blessed to have my closest pals from Mangalore who hosted me, took me around places, and fed me full till I complained. Mangaloreans are typically foodies. They know and can judge any recipe that comes on their plates because they are quite aware of every ingredient, especially the authentic Mangalore food.
One can find a fine variety of places to eat and the finest variety of restaurants to step in just to taste all kinds of food including authentic veg to coastal fish food. Being a person from Visakhapatnam which is, again a coastal region in Andhra Pradesh, I didn't find it difficult in adjusting myself to the unpredictable weather and humidity of Mangalore. Also, as I mentioned earlier I was lucky enough to crash at many places of my Kudla people.
Food plays an important role in any traveler's life regardless of one's appetite. Even though my stomach capacity is less, I'd still prefer to try and explore various types of food in fewer quantities. So here I got you this blog to tease your taste buds with the pictures and details of recipes I embraced and restaurants I visited during my stay in Mangalore.
You will find it almost everywhere in Karnataka because it's mostly a breakfast item typically on Mangalore side and you can only find the authenticity of the recipe over here. I had it while traveling towards Mangalore before hitting the crazy ghat roads all the way. And it was a very early breakfast at 5 in the morning and it was quite refreshing and tummy filling too.
And soon after I reached Mangalore city with my pals driving for almost 8 hours straight from Bangalore, we thought of having another breakfast at this popular place called Tajmahal hotel where my pals claimed that they make the best buns. Yes, buns are one of the Mangalorean special dishes made out of bananas. So I had buns and a strong cup of filter coffee which is another specialty at this place.
And then I went to stay at my friends' place who are from the city itself. It's the coziest Konkani family I have ever met and I loved staying over there. At first, they were shocked to witness my poor eating habits, and then they decided to boost them by delivering authentic vegetarian Konkani recipes on my plate throughout my whole stay. I must say I was a blessed guest at their house.
These are the snacks they got just before I left their place just to make me taste the best street food recipes in and around. By looking at the quantity itself my stomach was filled. I have only tasted a few but looking at their faces when they eat the food, gave me happiness for sure.
The next day it was our gang reunion in Udupi which is near Mangalore and the actual reason for my visit. But on the way, I was sloshed out with beers, calming myself down because of the messy schedule I had during the day. But all the four cars we were traveling halted at a tiny unnamed restaurant in Udupi where a family was serving food to the people who were visiting the place. It was all a vibe to witness but I was protesting not to eat any more food
But my pals didn't listen to me and placed this small baby banana leaf so that I could taste at least some food and there they placed fish, jackfruit curry, brown rice, and pickle. I was high but I could still remember the taste of the food I had from that banana leaf placed right in front of me.
And the next day was my fasting due to Shiva Vrat on Monday but I had to meet another girl pal of mine. So my other friends came to pick me up after my pooja and broke the fast. They took me to this restaurant that befits my traditional Hindu day because the interiors are completely made out of Hindu Mythological art and Mandalas. And there I had nothing but sandwiches but one must try pizzas over here as they are delicious enough. One can find this place near Mangalore called Suratkal.
The next day, I went for a late breakfast as I was craving delicious buns and golibaje which are popular breakfast recipes and one can find at almost all places but some places are good enough to sit, relax and eat by enjoying the mornings of Mangalore city. Well, I had a plate each with tea and smoke at this place.
And the same day when I was at my bestie's place, my brother got these various dishes from his home as aunty prepared typical Mangalorean fish food. The quantity is too much and around 7 people had it together as a lunch feast. I didn't get the names of the fish but they were yummy.
And then we all went to have evening snacks at this nearest and most affordable café space where mostly Mangalorean students come and hang out. We were all 8 again and spent around 2 hours thereby ordering food and drinks to fill the already filled tummies. God, it was too much to handle and at the same time irresistible to the core.
This is the best Non-veg recipe I had so far in Mangalore and it was quite affordable and truly delicious. This always stays my favorite as it is made of sausages with barbecue sauce and cheese on top. For the first time in my life I have repeated the order and if you ever visit Bejai road in angalore, don't forget to drag a chair at this hotel city canteen to taste this recipe!
That day was completely different for me as it involved food, spa, and wine. On the same night, my other pal got 4 types of fish food from another famous restaurant called "Foodlands". I was like I couldn't handle it anymore and I hardly had a whole fish but I have tasted bits and pieces of them. I must say Mangalroeans have this good taste, appetite, and digestion capabilities for handling that much food almost every single day
And then comes the top most popular food any tourist would love to taste soon after landing in Mangalore which is Ice-cream of various flavors from this well-renowned brand called Ideal Café Pabbas. Mangalore is famous for its icecreams and this flavor called 'Gudbud' made of fruits, dry fruits, and thick creamy textured ice cream is even more famous.
My pals have created this hype in my mind to taste this ice cream and after tasting I realized that it was exactly how they elevated the image of it. It's better to order online through food delivery apps rather than visiting the pabbas parlor as you end up waiting in queues to get it and also there's always a rush at this place because of the popularity. My pals have ordered this famous Gudbud and I had it for more than an hour and still, the texture of the cream hasn't changed a bit.
The quality of Mangalore Ideal Cafe ice creams is outstanding.
And finally, it was time for me to move back to Bangalore after one week of vacation but someone mentioned to me the "Mango beer" that's giving a good kick in Mangalorean summers. So I thought why wouldn't I try it before leaving hence, I went on a date with a guy (which was adventurous enough for a gay person to go out on a date publicly in Mangalore) and over a few intense conversations, I have tasted this Mango beer which was again exactly the way it was described to me by my Tulu pals.
These are the various recipes I have tried, eaten, digested, appreciated, embraced , and enjoyed at various restaurants and various homes in Mangalore. Altogether it was like a food trip for me with all my closest people who love and takes good care of me. Can't wait to visit again and get pampered. Meanwhile, you must check out all these places whenever you plan for Mangalore!