Manipal :: HMCD (High Multi-Cuisine Density)

I am not sure where else you can get so many restaurants, serving such a huge variety of cuisines, all concentrated in an area less than 4 sq miles ..
None other than TC of our very own manipal ..
Based on our experience in eating out at a lot of places in manipal and Udupi over the past 7 years, this is something I learnt ..
A particular food item is made better at some places than others ..
Below is an attempt at a guide to some of the "must-have's at the various diners in Manipal .


Dollops :: The soups here are the best in town. They take time to prepare the stock and hence each different soups taste different..
That may not seem like a big deal, but at most places all soups seem to taste very similar, since they are prepared in very similar ways - quick fix .

Next you may want to order Cheese naan .. it's great here .. no nonsense, they just spread some processed cheese on your naans before serving ..

Chicken biryani here fits my bill of authenticity closely although not entirely ..

Last but not the least, you should try the chocolate sundae .. Its also simple and wholesome (I meant awesome!! :-) )..


Hangyo CTF ::  The dishes here have flavours in them and taste pretty good, especially the Paneer kali mirchi ..
The only drawback here are the Rotis/Naans.. They are tough as leather at times .. You wish all your teeth were incisors to be able to cut through them !! :-)

If you are in mood for some sizzler, try the Mexican chicken sizzler.. Its hot and spicy and is fulfilling ..

And to end it all, you should try the thick shakes ... My personal favorites are the litchi and strawberry ..


Hangyo Saiba :: Well the first thing that comes to your mind is "cheese chilli toast" .. served with a slightly sour and sweet mayonnaise ..Its awesome ..

You get some good cold Salads here which you do not get at other places in Manipal ..

Tangdi Kabab -- whole legs of chicken .. slow cooked in tandoor are juicy and tender ..

Colossal club sandwich is a heavy sandwich which has all the goodies .. chicken,egg,cheese,pineapple,tomato etc.. served with potato wafers



7 Bees :: This is a lesser known place, but guess what , its pure veg, not even eggs !!
They have a limited menu, but the things that you should go here for are veg cheese burgers with fries and coke ..
The burgers taste great, and they remember to include a piece of lettuce too .. which I think is a good sign, because they care about what they serve ..
Also good is the veg cheese grilled sandwich served with lays-chips and garlic mayo ..


Manipal canteen :: This a non-vegetarian's paradise .. variety, taste and affordability ..
All veg guys .. you may want to stay away if you cannot see and smell non-veg stuff, while eating veg of course ..
Luckily all the veg guys in my circle did not mind and we used to eat here almost 3-4 days in a week..
Fish here is great and at a great price too .. They have a huge range of chicken dishes and they serve crabs too ..
There is no special must-have here, since pretty much everything is great here ..
Being good friends with the waiters here helps, since you can customize your dishes .. If you want your lassi to be extra sweetened, or your fish to be extra spicy, or your prawns to be coated lightly or you do not want to settle for anything other than a "leg piece" for your tandoori chicken ..

Grab'o'Bite :: This is the new eatery in town .. But its good .. pretty good ..  You get the regular stuff .. sandwiches, noodles, rice , pasta and stuff .. .. and the good part is .. they serve you cheese bites while you wait for your order to be ready ..
The tossed salad is fresh simple and tasty .. just some nice fresh vegetables tossed in salt and butter and sprinkled with pepper .. The owners are courteous and friendly ..

Snack shack :: Next time you visit, this is what the recommended menu is :
Start with a grilled cheese-pudina sandwich and a "potato lovers"
Next, go for the schezwan veg/egg/chi noodles with a chicken sausage in hot garlic sauce .. You can have an iced tea to wash down your main course ..
And to finish off things, try the "death by chocolate" ..


FOOD court :: Well, as the name suggests, this is just one place where you get a lot of choice of food .. So, it helps when me and my wife are in mood for something totally opposite, like me for a pasta and she for an aloo paratha for example ..
This is also the only place in town to get a SUBWAY sandwich ..
The Italian place, has a good selection of rich and creamy cakes and apple/blueberry pies(Yes! the famous American dessert) ..
Kamat vegetarian is the place where you could get dosas,thalis and aloo parathas
There is the malaysian place where you get noodles, rice and chicken ..
There is also a branch of the Hangyo saiba I have mentioned above ..

China Valley :: This is the one near the entrance to the end-point .. You get almost authentic "chinese food" here .. (Please note the almost in the sentence)
What I really love here is the one chicken dish that comes in a hot plate sizzling and smoking as they keep in on your table ..
The smell and taste is fantastic ..  we always try the oyster-chilli sauce noodles .. You could try the spinach-tofu in garlic sauce as a good side dish ..

one word of warning though ..
do whatever, do not ever order the onion rings .. if you have ever had them elsewhere(like in the US), you would be in for a rude shock, since they are nowhere close to that ..


Hot Spot :: Last but not the least, it is one of my favorites.. The only place until recently to serve grilled chicken .. juicy, tender and fabulous ..
they also serve tandoor stuff, but the grilled stuff is my personal favorite ..
here's my regular menu ..
butter naan, dal fry, grilled chicken and end with biryani ..
One note though, you go here for the food and food alone .. what that means is service is bad and may I say non-existent ..

Other notable eateries in the same area are :
Pangala, Annapurna and Anupam serving typical south canara/manglorean cuisine primarily ..

and of course
the Valley View and the Cosmo Cafe which are classy, hence expensive yet serve mostly tasteless food..

So, the next time you eat at any of these places above, do remember to try something from the stuff I mentioned above..
You would not be entirely disappointed ! (hopefully)