For a refreshing bowl of fruits

There’s nothing quite as refreshing as a bowl of fresh fruit, with a dollop of honey on top. And a small eatery on Basavanagudi Swimming Pool Main Road has been serving just this for the last 30 years.

This is one of the most popular eateries in the area, because of which its owners want neither to leave the area, nor change their set up.

“My uncle opened this shop around 30 years ago. We started as a fruit shop, occasionally selling cut fruits like papaya and mango. Slowly, the demand increased and we started introducing more fruits,” says Santosh, the caretaker of the eatery.

The fruit salad has eight or nine varieties of Indian fruits. The fruits are fresh and the salad can be customised according to the taste and need of the customers. “We have a standardised rate. The salad can be altered as per the needs of the customer.

While some customers demand smaller pieces of fruits in their salad, some don’t want fruits like chikku or banana in it. Others don’t want the honey that we add as a topping. We are pretty flexible regarding what the customer wants,” says Santosh.

He adds that the fruits are cut in front of the customer, so that they don’t have any doubts about the freshness. “We buy fruits on a daily basis and keep the stock as fresh as possible. The customers are very important to us and if we cheat them, they will not come back,” he explains.

The small eatery is packed with customers from 10 am to 7 pm. It is especially crowded during lunch time, with corporate professionals, students and even the residents of the area.

“We come here almost everyday. The fruit bowl is so filling that we generally skip lunch if we have it. It is very affordable and the best part is that it is healthy. Sometimes, I even take it home,” says Pradeep, a professional.

The dish is equally popular with youngsters who want a healthy snack. “We come here quite often, since the salad is cheap and healthy. Every time I have a fruit bowl, I feel very refreshed and get back to work energised. There is a general notion about youngsters eating junk food all the time, but there are many who like fruits as well,” says Deepa, a young professional.

The fruit bowl can be kept simple with fruits and a topping of honey or can be spiced up with a pinch of salt and ‘chaat masala’. “We pack it for the customers as well, as many want to take it home or to work. We don’t use plastic; we serve the salad on paper plates and pack it in styrofoam boxes,” sums up Santosh.