★★★★
If you're looking for a traditional, old-school Bangalore breakfast or tiffin, this place is for you, just like it was for me.
I was first intrigued by what lay behind the door, especially because the person at the entrance looked like he took his job very seriously. The door was almost shut, and he would only let you in if there was space available to sit. We were allowed in after about a five-minute wait, but we had to share our table with a couple sitting across from us.
Since it was our first time, we didn't know what was on the menu. The only menu displayed was handwritten near the cash counter, entirely in Kannada. And no, we can't read Kannada, though I can speak the language. The easiest thing to do in such situations is to look around at other tables and see what looks enticing and that's exactly what we did.
We're not big fans of the typical Bangalore-style thick, heavy dosa, so we skipped that. Instead, we ordered idly, vada, khara bhaat, and khali (empty) dosa, which is called set dosa in Tamil Nadu. When I saw someone at the next table having it, I told the waiter I wanted set dosa. He replied, "We don't have set dosa." I pointed at the dish and asked, "What's that then?" He said, "That's khali dosa." And that's how I learned it's called khali dosa!
Of course, we finished with a by 2 coffee mix, a new phrase I picked up from the couple sitting across from us. It means one coffee shared between two people, medium strong.
My personal favourites: the idly (as always, Bangalore idlis are the best) and the khali dosa.
That's my experience at Mahalaxmi Tiffin Room, established in 1926.
Total bill: 193/-
Will I go again? Yes, to try out the other dishes!
★★★★★
We visited on a rainy Saturday afternoon. A kind staff there showed us where to put our umbrellas and showed us the table, took orders without us waiting randomly for someone to come.
First, we ordered a plate of Khali Dose (2 pieces, came with a thin coconut chutney and sweet sambar). Dose was fluffy, soft and delicious. The batter had fermented to the optimum. I personally am not a fan of sweet sambar, and would have liked the chutney a bit thicker.
Then we ordered Rave Vade. This was big enough for 2 people to have. It was not as hot as it ideally should have been. Nevertheless, it had a lot of it's freshness, crispiness in tact. It tasted like all the ingredients were freshly sourced (the rave, coconut, chillies etc. ).
We finished the afternoon with a small yet ghee laden serving of sweet and heavenly carrot halwa. This stands out whenever I visit the Maha Lakshmi Tiffin Room.
★★★★★
We had plans for Vidhyarti Bhavan, but the line was huge, so crowded. We stumbled upon this place while searching for nearby places to eat. And wow thank god we came across this place. Authentic food and peaceful ambience. Good food, tummy full and came out with good mood.
★★★
I liked the old vibe , uppittu kesari bath was really good .
Idli was sour and average , dose was crispy and tasty . I personally did not like chutney and sambar .
It was decent .
Staff were polite !
★★★★
It's a 99 years old eatery, started in 1926.
Had breakfast, tasted poori, vada, upma, coffee and masala dosa.
Everything tasted decent, less ghee/oil and light on stomach.
Prices are very reasonable and services is ok, but it can be quick.
It has that old Bangalore vibe.
Taste is decent, not that great but it's light on stomach. Sagu was not that great.
