Tasty snacks on the go

For the Manjunath brothers, it was a childhood dream to start a restaurant of their own. But when the funds, space and circumstances did not allow it to materialise the way they’d have liked it to, they stuck to what was available – the older sibling’s bicycle!

What this eventually led to was the formation of ‘Manjunath Tea Motorcycle’, a popular haunt for visitors and people working on or around Church Street and MG Road. 

Walk down Church Street post 4 pm and it’s invariable to see the two brothers smiling and serving delicious, hot samosas, chai and bajjis to customers on their TVS Super XL bike.

“We thought of this concept ten years ago but ended up selling only chai for the first two years. That is how we built up our reputation and cultivated a set of regulars who would come each evening to our cycle. Then we decided to introduce some samosas, which became an instant hit. After some time, its popularity increased so much that someone told us to try the bun samosa combination, which worked equally well,” recalls Manjunath, the owner.

He adds, “I have a room in Neelasandra, where I prepare the food an hour before coming here. My younger brother finishes school and comes directly. We’ve invested in boxes over the years that keep the food hot for four to five hours. Plus, the bike can carry upto 200 kgs whereas that quantity was restricted on the cycle.”

While regulars will definitely vouch for the taste, what’s even more enticing is the prices – a plain samosa costs Rs 10, bun samosa costs Rs 15, cup of chai costs Rs 5 and the masala vada, uddin vada, mirchi bajji and aloo bajji each cost Rs 5. 

“The fastest moving item is the samosa,” informs the younger Manjunath, who adds, “People really enjoy samosas with the spicy coriander chutney and imli that we provide. We also give chopped onions for flavour. Most people stand and eat here though we deliver as well.”

All kinds of customers can be seen at the eatery, ranging from businessmen to auto drivers. “We have a lot of permanent customers whose faces we’ve been seeing for years. But we all get a lot of new customers, especially on Sundays, who see our board and get tempted,” smiles the owner. 

Regulars at the eatery are all praises for the quality. Krishna, a cab driver, says that he needs his daily chai and samosas from the Manjunaths. “It’s like an adda for a lot of us, especially since the brothers are very friendly.

I’ve been coming here for  five years and the flavours are still the same!” he shares. Gajalakshmi, who works at Raymond down the road, adds, “I come here quite regularly for the fresh vadas and tea. I really like the concept of snacks on wheels.”

The eatery is located behind Shrungar Shopping Complex, Church Street. It is open from 4 pm to 8 pm everyday except Saturdays. For details, call 9986667733.