ARUN PADAKI writes: Sometime back, the Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) announced a tie-up with famed dining outlets operating at many international airports the world over, and a few Indian new-age restaurants that sell burgers, pizzas, cappuccinos and choco-chip with sundaes on vanilla. That’s one too many to satiate any appetite.
As we all know, it is in Karnataka where the famous masala dosa originated. And, again, as we all know, it is on the hills of Karnataka in Coorg and Chickmagalur that the best coffee beans in this part of the world are grown, from which the most aromatic filter kaapi of South India is brewed.
Ironically, neither of these two and a host of other local delicacies seemingly have any place in the food courts at the upcoming international airport.
All the eateries, it seems, have been set up or are going to be set up with a Westerner’s (or a “globalised” Indian’s) palate in mind.
Well, we cannot expect to feast on a dosa or a crisp vada at Warsaw airport, but certainly, at Bangalore we should not be deprived of having jolada rotti with yengai or a simple South Indian thali?
Can one imagine Milan airport without pizzas or Johannesburg airport without biltong? No way!
BIAL should provide an outlet, of course airport-class, which sells the best of Karnataka cuisines from Udupi, Mysore, Karwar, Belgaum or Dharwad. I have a case for our own Nandini brand of milk products and savouries as well.
These are great local success stories and should be showcased at all levels. The best way to cherish the memories or savour the first taste of Karnataka can’t be without a piece of Mysore pak melting in the mouth or Belgaum-kundha at the new Bangalore International Airport. Yes, at the new Bangalore International airport!
Bidding adieu or according a warm welcome could not be any better with namma goodies. Even for the Westerner and the globalised Indian.
Cross-posted on kosambari
And here I was nursing dreams of enjoying piping hot lota of filter kapi while being treated to piped Doreswamy Iyengar which every now then would fade in only to allow husky Bombayi Jayashree go ‘namaskara, bengalooru …’, or a Karnad go ‘welcome to bengLoor’. (Loknath #1 pick)
But that will remain a pipe dream courtesy Praful Patelru, not BIAL. According to yesterday’s TOI even in architecture and decor, he has stamped out local touches. Apparently BIAL wants to give it a local feel with mandala designs and silk but Patel wants only International look and feel.
I mean they pay top dollars for 10×10 stalls why don’t they use the airport to show case local arts and culture? Ofcourse, KA sarkaara(13%), will have a say in the crucial namakarana.
Bangalore International Airport Limited alla,
The International Airport, Bengaloor Limited.
The other day at the Mumbai airport waiting for a delayed flight to announce departure, all passengers were bombarded by a loud & repititive instrumental recording of ‘Sail along the silvery moon’ which we used to listen to in Gayatri talkies way back in the sixtees. I just cannot understand why they cannot play Indian classical music which is so soothing. Mr.Praful Patel, will this somehow get to you?
What do you think NRKs need for their palates. The usual pepperoni pizza and burgers they ingest day after day washed down with an amber liquid which makes them the ‘pukka’ NRIs and NRKs. A fellow NRK like me, a vegetarian and teetotal to the core has been laughed at and criticized profusely for not making the quantum leap necessary to earn the title of a proper NRI and NRK . Masala dosai, uppittu, idli -chutney at Bangalore International Airport where they ascend from heaven to show off their dollars and accents, you must be joking!
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to relish a plate of Uppittu over Bagel or ‘Mysore Pak’ over gourmet Belgian chocolate brownies? But, here is the problem – even in the food courts of our IT companies, I hardly see any preference to local dishes. So, I can only imagine what can happen in Bangalore International Airport!
At the end, I guess, market dynamics decide who gets what.
Ranga,
Some NRIs and NRKs need to rise above the standard ‘tithi oota’ and mix with their Western guests or colleagues. Rather than stand around like a ‘freak’, if it secures some companionship with Westerners most NRKs don’t mind taking in some ‘amber liquid’ and a few toasted fowls or cows as the case may be:)
I travel a lot and my comments are … one should consider eating at airports only at extreme cases of hunger coz they suck a lot, they are bland, usually cold, charges are astronomical. Best is to get out of the airport and u will always find a good darshini close by. One a tangent, it is better that they dont serve cold idly and dosas and besmirch the good name of our favorite snacks
Swami adhu international airportu so ella international papa namma jana indiage bandu cauverydo gangedo nire kudide bisleri/pepesi kudivaga papa dose uppittu thinthara adakke adhu avara anakoolakke sariyada thindi siguthe alli. Mathe elli hodaru nammade irabeku annake navu enu kongara? navu kannadigaru eno ondu thinthive sir
Anyway I agree with vinay kettadagiro namma thindi kottu adara hesaru kediso badalu pizza burgero eno kootare thumba olledu namage MTR vidhyarthibahavan idde idheyalla
@ Vittal …’But, here is the problem – even in the food courts of our IT companies, I hardly see any preference to local dishes’
Saar neevu yava IT company nodidiro gothilla..namma IT company alle shuddha south indian meals siggothe, adirale..belagge thindige ‘Ogarane Avalakke’ siggathe saar :)
Main agee, Arun avru bardirodhe yeno, neevella maathad thirodhe inneno. Local delicacies ge swalpa international exposure kodo bagge bardidre, neevellaru, aa thindi airport horagade darshini li sigathe, vidhyarthi bhavan ali sigathe antha hayl-thidira. Adhu yella NRK gu gothiro vishaya ne alwe? Solpa bhavee indha horagade banni…
Jai Karnataka Maathay!
yayy!! anil that makes two of us who want piped karnatic!!!
try http://www.bialaiport.com
well, this is international airport, why do we think that only foreginers will travel fm this port, more than 60% will be Indians who travel belonging to different parts of India…
any one will be delightened to have masala dosa, bisi bele bath, mysore pak… coz have seen people fm different states of India, trying to find out where they can get best of masala dosa, mysore pak etc., in Blore n Mysore.. if that is the case then they will shell out additional bucks if they get them in airports…
it’s all abt marketing, I agree with Arun, that it is importnat to showcase taste of karnataka…
bari taste-e alla saar.
i for one would love to see BIAL commission a replica of Hampi stone chariot outside and some murals of badami paintings inside the terminal.
Raagi Muddhe haagu Saaru combination kooda Introduce maadbeku
Raagi Rotti , Thampaneya Raagi organic Drink . Ragi Malt for kids
Ragi flavoured Ice cream . Boiled Peanuts , Joladha Rotti with Chutney Pudi, Yen Gaayee.
Mangalore Meen Curry , Madikeri Pork masala , Mandya Soppina saaru
Doddi Buddi ,
Ranga was referring to people like you! Eating Mysore food is not being freakish, but
being proud. In your gormet you lect out snakes and lizards. Is that what you eat, just to show that you are not freakish?
why should the best of Masala dosa, bisi bele bath be available in Airport. Let ’em explore the city. Moreover let the airport offer continental flavours. we spent a negligable part of our life in Airport. Why again look for Ragi Rotis, Muddes and then complain that it is not as tasty as neighbourhood Darshini!?
And let it has visual appeal to all who come there. Ragi Mudde is of course healthy and I stand by it, but for a first timer, it doesn’t provide any good appetite!
Arun…good article…and quite sad !!!
We haven’t restricted aping to food…..I am stunned by the fact that Bipasha Basu comes to Bangalore is part of headline news !!! So, is the fact that Shivarjkumar and Upendra plan to do some movie togetehr….
Be it Praful Patel or Rajdeep Sardesai…they are all the same breed.
Hello Everyone!
I’m dying to tell this aloud to Bangalore/Mysoreans…What the heck has happened to the restaurants in Bangalore? Pure south Indian restaurants are a rarity (and we’re not even talking about the authentic ones…like MTR!). This trend (which has become a norm) is verrry sickening. We have Vidyarthy Bhavan, MTR and maybe couple others that serve good South Indian food.
Most restaurants are ‘multi-cuisine’ serving nyaarth-Indian or..Chinese. Get your kitchen started with some soup, add few raw onions, lemon, carrot, then some breads and some kurma,masala,frys thats your north Indian ‘cuisine’. Add some noodles, Manchurians and the you become ‘multi-cuisine’ :-). Suck(Sukh) Sagar, Shanti Sagar etc etc are typical of these. I was few times outraged by these hotels when they said ‘after 6pm only north Indian sir…’ (no Coffee after 6pm). This is the case in Bangalore and Mysore is catching up too. It is becoming difficult to get a decent South Indian meal (particularly for dinner).
Compare this to Chennai where you have Saravana Bhavan across the city and serves delicious South Indian food!
Where is PDCS? He should be OUTRAGED!!
I cannot Imagine BIAL w/o Idli Sambhar and Masala Dose!
WELL, THEY CAN HAVE THEIR DOSA, BUT I HOPE THE BUGGERS WILL NOT SHAME THE NATION BY EATING WITH THEIR HANDS AND STINKING UP THE TOILETS!. WISHFUL THINKING.
Krishna, Scoundrel.. Who named you Krishna. Shame on them! Maybe you were born with a plastic spoon in your hands. and still struggle to eat a dosa with a fork! If eating by hands is a National Shame, first your hands have to be chopped!
Rama, You are garbage!. Only animals eat with their hands. Your dirty hands need to be chopped, you dirty animal.
I hear that Rama and his goondas have already clogged up the airport toilets!. There is an old saying-DONT THROW PEARLS BEFORE SWINE!.These animals have a long way to go before becoming civilized. THESE VERMIN ARE INTIMIDATED BY THE FOREIGNNESS OF THE AIRPORT. I BELIEVE THEY ARE INTIMIDATED BY THE CIVILITY OF THE PLACE AND THAT COMES FROM NOT BEING BORN AND BROUGHT UP IN GOOD MODERN FAMILIES WHO BY THE WAY USE THE FORK AND SPOON AND MAKE USE OF THE TOILET PAPER BEFORE A BODY SHOWER!. SOMETHING ALIEN TO THESE PUCKEY SCUM!.
i need a food court in IT companies