Nostalgic fare

Spread across a large area filled with greenery, ‘Woodlands Hotel’ has a classic name and an ambience just as appealing.

As you step into the hotel, you see a 1960s, well-kept Morris Minor belonging to the owner by the side, and you realise this place has stood the test of time. ‘Woody’s’ and ‘Sunheri’ are the 2 restaurants here to satisfy one’s craving for a good vegetarian meal.

The hotel was the brainchild of late K Krishna Rao. Started as ‘Woodlands Restaurant’ in 1957, it is now managed by his grandson K Pranesh Rao under the guidance of his father K Vasudeva Rao. As the family hails from a village called Kadandali near Udupi, ‘Sunheri’ specialises in authentic South Canara food (Mangalurean cuisine). Running successfully for over 40 years now, it has kept the banana leaf tradition alive till date.

Manjunath, the head chef at ‘Sunheri’, says, “We start preparing lunch at around 12 pm so that it can be laid out fresh. Aside from a few regular items, we keep changing the menu on a day-to-day basis.”

The breakfast buffet starts at 7 am and goes on till 10 am. There are fruit juices, ‘idli’, ‘vada’, ‘sambar’, 2 varieties of ‘chutneys’, ‘pongal’, ‘khara bhath’, ‘plain dosa’, ‘masala dosa’ and a sweet dish, ‘pineapple halwa’. The ‘pongal’ and ‘khara bhath’ are the highlight of this meal as they are simply sumptuous.

The dining area looks like one big hall with tables arranged lengthways in 4 straight lines. Antique brass lamps, rosewood furniture and marble flooring set the space apart. Features like free Wi-Fi, card billing and central air-conditioning give a modern touch to this 4 decade-old place. Mellifluous music ranging from classical Carnatic to Yanni pleasingly set the mood for a ‘saapad’ (meal). The well-ventilated area and traditional ambience add to the comforting feeling.

The lunch is served from 12 pm to 3.30 pm by eager waiters gearing up to attend to you. Hot ‘pooris’, ‘phulkas’, 3 types of vegetables, ‘gojju’, ‘kosambari’, ‘bisi bele bhath’, ‘boondi’, ‘papad’, ‘cucumber tomato onion raitha’, ‘rice’, ‘sambar’, ‘rasam’, curd, butter milk and ‘payasam’ make up the appetising platter. One can gorge on some ice cream too and you can end the meal with banana and ‘pan’. The place is welcoming and truly provides the pleasures of a hearty Southern meal. Priced at Rs 2 in the 1960s and Rs 300 now, the thali offers unlimited food.

Devnathan, a regular, shares, “The food is not too spicy. I enjoy eating here all the time. The only drawback is the flies that come around due to the garden outside. Nevertheless, the service is prompt and you get a homely feeling.”

Sujatha, another customer, says, “I have been coming here since the past 4 months. I love being served. This place has a calm surrounding and you get to eat in peace. The ‘rasam’ and ‘sambar’ are lip-smacking while the ‘payasam’ is also delicious. I always leave satisfied.” ‘Sunheri’ has managed to gather a number of patrons over the years despite the stiff competition from new eateries coming up in the city regularly. It is located at Woodlands Hotel, 5, Rajaram Mohan Roy Road, Richmond Road. For details, call 40411111.