The right place for breakfast

Unmatched taste

A small stretch on Margosa Road is always bustling with people at 6 am. And they are not joggers or walkers but  people who have gathered outside a small stall looking forward for a plate of ‘idli vada’.

A temple for gastronomers, ‘Veena Stores’ is a hole-in-the-wall stall that is noted for its great breakfast. Located on 15th cross, Margosa Road, Malleswaram, it opened in 1977 as a condiment store serving ‘idlis’. “My father Suryanarayan started this place 38 years back. He used to own another restaurant down the lane. He shut that restaurant after 18 years and then started ‘Veena Stores’. The store, along with selling condiments, served ‘idlis’, coffee and ‘badam’ milk then,” recalls Pradeep, the owner of the stores.
  The condiment store that sold spices, soon became known among the masses for its fluffy ‘idlis’ that were served with green chutney. The place sold more of ‘idlis’ and less of condiments. This resulted in the expansion of the menu and the condiment store soon became an abode for breakfast. The size of this quaint store remained the same, but their menu expanded and they began to serve the best of traditional South Indian breakfast like ‘idli’, ‘vada’, ‘chow chow bath’, ‘savige bath’, ‘puliogere’, ‘avalakki bath’, ‘bisi bele bath’ and ‘pongal’. 

Their food is simple, but unmatched when it comes to taste. While the ‘idli’ is fluffy and soft, the ‘vada’ is crunchy and crispy, the ‘savige bath’ made with Vermicelli is distinctive and the ‘bisi bele bath’ and ‘puliogere’ are also not any less delicious. The steaming hot ‘chow chow bath’ stands apart from the ones served in other restaurants. All these delectables are served in eco-friendly plates made of arecanut leaves that seem to add an extra taste. The beverages are unmatched and the badam milk is the favoured drink here.

Pradeep has, however, no plans of expanding the store. “The place is popular for its quality and taste. In case I expand it, I would not be able to give personal attention and this might hamper the quality and taste. Expanding the place might lead to negative publicity,” he says.

He adds that managing the place would get tougher in case of expansion as there is a shortage of employees. However, he says that the attachment he shares with the place is strong. “I used to come here and help my father as a small boy. Even during my college days, I made sure to visit the store regularly. I share a special bond with the place and I was firm on carrying forward my father’s business,” he says. The place that takes one back to the old charm of Bengaluru is open through out the week except on Sunday evenings.