An Epicurean journey

When Alka wakes up in the morning, the first thing that she thinks about is food. In fact, she is so passionate about it that her friends often tease her that she is always thinking about her next meal. This holds true for all the members of ‘Bangalore Foodie Club’ (BFC). The club began in 2011 as a Facebook page where people would discuss their passion for food and give suggestions on the different restaurants to go to.

 
But today, the club is more than just a virtual page. The members organise meet-ups to discuss their fondness for food, says Anupam Behara, the administrator of BFC. “We have regular gatherings and curated events where people from various backgrounds meet and converse over food. We share our experiences with each other and this also helps us learn more about food. Bengalureans are well-informed when it comes to food and their willingness to experiment is just brilliant,” he says.  

BFC boasts of more than 25,000 members! The meets are held two to three times a month. They either get together at a restaurant or go to each other’s homes. Suhas Padil and Kalyan Gopalakrishna say that being part of this group has enriched their knowledge about food. “After joining the club, I know a lot more about whatever I eat. I know the origin of an item and its association with a particular culture,” says Suhas. Kalyan agrees,
“The club is more than just a group of people meeting over food. We all share the same spirit and have bonded over the years. The club is more like a family to me.”  

Venkat Raghav confesses that the BFC has exposed him to a range of cuisines that he otherwise didn’t know existed. Soham says, “We like to break the stereotypes attached to food by trying out unusual combinations,” he says.  

Pratyusha, another member, likes to go to a restaurant more than once. “Instead of writing off a particular restaurant in the first visit itself, we like to give our feedback,” she says.

According to Manoj Kumar, the food scene in Bengaluru is good. “I have lived in different cities and have been part of various food-based clubs  there but BFC is unique. Unlike other groups, the members of BFC like to give a positive feedback. They believe in forgetting the ‘bad food experience’ and writing about the good ones,” he exclaims.  
The club also has members like Bharath Mehra and Nitin Hajela, who don’t like to analyse what they are eating. “I love food and like to experiment with various cuisines. Being a part of this club has exposed me to varied cuisines in the City and the one thing that I have learnt is to not judge food. Each person has his or her own style of cooking,” says Bharath.

The members consider each meet of theirs a special experience which they will always remember.