Aug 28, 2009 07:27 AM
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Maiya's – MTR resurrected
MTR(Mavalli Tiffin Rooms) is one of the legendary restaurants in Bangalore and is well known for its authentic Karnataka special cuisine. Customers queue up for hours to eat here. One of the original founders of the group Sadanand Mayya, had sold off MTR foods to a Norway based firm. He now has started Maiya’s, a restaurant which combines the authenticity of MTR with the ambience and comforts of a modern restaurant.
Location
Mayya’s is a restaurant located in Jayanagar 4th block, opposite to Ganesha temple, just near the Jayanagar bus stand. The location is a prime one and can be reached easily from any part of Bangalore.
The Restaurant
The restaurant is spread across three floors. On the ground floor is a sweet and savoury shop, where you can buy traditional sweets and snacks. There is also a coffee counter for those in a hurry. Each of the restaurants serve traditional South Indian food. On the third floor is a special restaurant, where you get a silver thali priced at Rs.350/- with 35 different items on the menu. Try it if you haven’t eaten for many days.
Ambience
The ambience is good and comparable to any other restaurant. The restaurant is spacious and chairs are comfortable. An open kitchen is an attraction and you can see your food being prepared under hygienic conditions.
The Menu
There are different menus for different times. If you go in the mornings or early evenings, you get only the snacks menus. If you go at lunch/dinner time, there is a separate menu available. The start attractions are the Rava Idli and the Dosas – there is a different dosa for different days of the week. All items on the menu are reasonably priced. We tried almost all the snacks on the menu (except the bonda soup) and the bill was just around Rs.200 - definitely reasonable.
The Food
Without doubt, it is the Rava idlithat is the star attraction. The taste is, to borrow a phrase, finger licking good. The rava idli is served with deliciouspudina (mint) chutneyand a sagu(potato, tomato curry). With the idli is a micro mini cup of ghee, which you can spread on the idli. It was MTR which founded the rava idli and at Maiya’s the MTR taste is carried over.
The dosas are equally delicious. The masala dosa is like home food, rich in ghee, the outer part crisp, the inner succulent and laced with chutney. A true treat for dosa lovers. The onion dosa, Vada, plain dosa and Khara bath(Upma or Uppitu) are also very tasty and well prepared.
And you have to round off your meal with the coffee. The coffee is another special carried over from the MTR legacy. Piping hot (sugarless) coffee is served in silver cups with a pot of sugar. And since spoons would damage the silver, an extra cup is provided to mix the sugar and coffee (traditional South Indian style). The coffee is strong and tasty, drink it only if you like strong coffee… not for those who like instant coffee.
Service
Service is fairly good. The waiters are efficient and helpful. But service time is a bit slow. But this also seems to be carried over from MTR. The rush of orders probably creates some delay, which is bearable. But this is an area for Maiya's for improvement.
The Negatives
Parking is an issue. There is no separate parking lot and you have to park on the street opposite or the side streets. Weekends will see lots of traffic and as a result getting a parking slot is a Herculean effort.
The absence of Rava dosa and Set dosa on the menu is surprising.
Mixing the sugar and the coffee is a small problem. You get only extra cup, which everyone has to share. The sugar and coffee doesn’t mix well and the coffee ends up too strong.
Recommendation
For those love South Indian food and for those who have been to MTR – Maiya’s is the perfect place to go. You can experience the MTR quality without the rush and extraordinary waiting time.
Bangaloreans and visitors to Bangalore – add this restaurant to your list, it is one place where you will enjoy going again and again.
