The Food Treasure - Ajji Mane: Home food for people away from home

Are you tired of eating out every day and trying different restaurants? Here is a good news for you! Hotel Ganeshprasad, a traditional food outlet, located on Udupi Karkala highway just 50 mtrs ahead of Parkala bus stand serves you homely food.

Popularly known as ‘Ajji Mane’ (Grandmothers house), run by an old couple since four decades serves you homemade food on a banana leaf with a variety of Sambar, rasam, Papad, bajjis, Palya (Vegetables cooked in different styles) pickle curd buttermilk along with unlimited boiled or white rice as per demand.

Everything is cooked on firewood in a traditional way and therefore the food tastes yummy. The fuming sambar and rasam with the touch of coconut oil tadka will just bigger your platters unknowingly. Definitely would not stop for one serve. The couple sees to it that all kind of vegetables are prepared and served to the customers as per the season and availability. Even some of the rare delicacies of South Canara such as patrode, sambrani sambar and others are also served on occasions.

The owner said that they do not compromise on quality and in fact they also eat the same food. Each and every member who cooks keep hygiene in mind and will see to it that the food is offered before God first, for that day’s good serving. She also added that the menu for the day is planned well before so that by morning 11.30 am they are almost ready to serve the lunch. There is hardly repetition of the menu in a week.

Two of the Medical students who have been regular customers since a year said that they come to this place for the hygiene and the love with which they serve the food. The student adds that though the place is around 4.2 kms away from the place he stays, he would love to come and have food here. This talks of the love that the couple caters to the customers.

Though the place looks small and cozy more than 150 people have their food every day. And wait, know the cost of food? Well, it is just Rs 40 for unlimited thali with great love. Why wait just grab.

What makes this place so comfortable is the care and the homemade food. No wonder why students call it Ajji Mane.

– Kavita Nagasampige