Written by Deepa Natarajan Lobo
The avenues of Bengaluru are witnessing a sprout of restaurants offering cuisines of all kinds. Dotting every corner of the city, many of these are also a vegetarian’s delight. And no, we aren’t talking about the ones rustling up plates of piping hot idli dunked in sambar or a crisp masala dosa with a smattering of ghee (which are always loved), but exclusive vegetarian spaces dishing out innovative cuisines from across the country and the world.
A proof of this is Burma Burma, a known name in the food industry, which has stood the test of time. With unique vegetarian dishes like samosa soup, grilled mock meat skewers, Mandalay noodle bowl, and the Burmese national dish mohinga (in the form of a noodle soup) which have caught everyone’s fancy, Burma Burma was the result of co-founder Ankit Gupta’s Burmese roots and passion for vegetarian cuisine. “My father has been in the hotel business. While growing up, I was always influenced by the Burmese culture and cuisine, as my mother was from Burma,” says Ankit, who started the space in Mumbai in 2014 and Bengaluru in 2018. Burma Burma opened its second Bengaluru outlet recently at Forum Rex Walk on Brigade Road. As far as the idea of vegetarianism is concerned, he explains, “Indigenously, a lot of Burmese cuisine is vegetarian, except say a broth or fermented fish. Also, during the Buddhist Lent, which lasts three months, everyone abstains from meat. So we thought, ‘why not create a strictly Burmese vegetarian restaurant with a Zen vibe, with dishes that are healthy?’”
Pan fried rice dumplings / Courtesy: Burma Burma
Another vegetarian restaurant that has been the talk of the town for a while now is the quaint Street Storyss, tucked away in Indiranagar. Whether it’s pumpkin ghee podi with chilli scallion paratha or corn khees chaat or Bangkok stir fry (eggplant tossed in garlic and chilli), every dish on the menu here pays an ode to innovation, flavours, textures, and of course, the taste buds. The team behind Street Storyss believes that vegetarian food has evolved by leaps and bounds over the last few years. “We wanted to tell a story with our food and celebrate vegetarianism with a fresh perspective on old favourites, and also explore new flavour combinations,” explains Tarun Sibal, chef partner, Street Storyss. “We also saw a gap in the vegetarian market in Bengaluru, as the scene was either dominated by darshinis (small vegetarian eateries) or the traditional north Indian restaurants. That made us believe that a fresh take would be an instant hit,” he adds.
Pumpkin ghee podi with chilli scallion paratha / Courtesy: Street Storyss
With chic, minimalistic interiors, Quattro Ristorante on Convent Road boasts of a new menu inspired by molecular gastronomy while keeping Jain sensibilities in mind. It all began when its owner Pramod Jain, blown away by the culinary craftsmanship of Quattro Ristorante Mumbai, decided to open a franchise in Bengaluru. “I was amazed at the kind of food technology and recipe curation that went into the dishes and decided that Bengaluru needed a place like Quattro, not just for its Italian fare, but also for the amazing Mexican dishes on the menu,” he notes. With patrons coming back time and again to dig into their hard shell tacos, cheese fondue, taquitos, chimichanga, broccoli cheese soup, chocolate dunkers, and the signature tiramisu, Pramod believes that vegetarian cuisine and restaurants in the city are evolving. “Over the years, I have seen a lot of restaurants adapting a veg-only menu with customers accepting these preparations wonderfully,” he says.
Dark chocolate mousse with caramalised orange / Street Storyss
South Bengaluru, with its old-world charm, has always been known for its variety of traditional vegetarian food — whether it’s on the lanes of Food Street, VV Puram, or at the mighty duo of Vidyarthi Bhavan-Brahmin’s Coffee Bar. But of late, even the southern side of the city is teeming with inventive vegetarian restaurants. Patio, a progressive vegetarian kitchen in Jayanagar, is one of them. From dimsums to sushi, guacamole with tapioca crisps to dhoka chaat, Patio offers a variety of pan-Asian and Indian delicacies to suit the vegetarian palate. Its owner Nirav Rajani believes that vegetarian food has great potential, adding, “Our focus is to bring new experiences to vegetarians. We will even be adding vegan options in future.”
Paddunyaki (Paddu stuffed with 5 types of cheese) / Courtesy: Patio
With these being just a few of the plethora of restaurants in the city exclusively dedicated to vegetarians, one can safely say that the scene is just going to get better. While Pramod Jain, the owner of Quattro, believes that vegetarian food is an evolving niche that is moving forward with greater acceptance, Ankit Gupta from Burma Burma feels that the future is going to be amazing! “Let’s take a cue from what's happening in the West. In places like Germany, Australia, and Europe, there are so many vegetarian options now. There is an influx of exciting ingredients with so many alternative meats coming into play. So the landscape is changing and the future is just going to grow and explode,” Ankit sums up.
Asparagus sushi / Courtesy: Patio