There is something special about smaller cities. The relaxed pace, (loosely put) nicer people, excellent hospitality, and of course, terrific food. On a road trip to Sakleshpura, I had the opportunity to stop at Hassan. Named after Haasanamba, it was the seat of the Hoysala dynasty. Hassan has its share of legendary places. HVR or Hassan Veg Refreshments, is one of my personal favourites, be it the OG location at Hassan or the one in Seshadripuram. Another such place is a small idli hotel located behind the old bus stand.
The lane is too small for a car to fit in, but somehow we managed to not only enter the lane but also to find a small spot to park towards the end of it. The name board is in Kannada only. It is a white name board with a blue shutter. There is limited seating.
Once you are seated, suddenly a banana leaf appears and then the gentlemen asks what you’d like. I, obviously, said idlis. Two pillowy idlis are placed on the plate, with steam emanating from them. The aroma of the mildly fermented batter is wonderful. Then comes the red chutney. And then comes a steel mug, from which ghee is poured. They are quite generous with it.
I had to smile and say saaku saaku (enough) a couple of times before they stopped. The idlis were pillowy. Soft, and melted in my mouth. There are no words to describe the magic that happens when the ghee is had with a dab of the ghee and that red chutney.
{{/usCountry}}I had to smile and say saaku saaku (enough) a couple of times before they stopped. The idlis were pillowy. Soft, and melted in my mouth. There are no words to describe the magic that happens when the ghee is had with a dab of the ghee and that red chutney.
{{/usCountry}}And in true smaller town style hospitality, I paid after I had my food. Such trust in this day and age is quite endearing. I really hope to explore Hassan and other cities in Karnataka for the food landscape. And truly do justice to “one state, many worlds’. If you happen to be in Hassan, this place is definitely worth checking out.
(Ajit Bhaskar, a researcher with a multinational, is famous in Bengaluru for his Thindi (food) runs. He will profile one of his preferred (or newly discovered) haunts for HT every week)