Bengaluru might not have a seaside restaurant to go to for fresh seafood, but it does have an eatery like ‘Coastal Mama’ to make up for that. Located on the busy streets of JP Nagar, the restaurant is a refreshing change from the chaos outside. With yellow and blue interiors, it takes one to the coast of Mangaluru for a breezy dining experience.
The quaint place on the second floor of the building is a covered terrace area. It’s common to find the owner Sanjay Mallya and his wife taking rounds and getting to know their customers. It gives one the feeling of dining at home or at a close friend’s house. The restaurant is usually crowded on the weekends, so it is recommended to book a table in advance.
The Mangalurean cuisine restaurant is known for the coastal dishes offered. However, the one dish that one immediately thinks of when ‘Coastal Mama’ is mentioned is the ‘Chicken ghee roast’. The popular dish has chicken marinated in spices and roasted in homemade ‘ghee’. It is rich, spicy and just about everything one needs to have at any time of the day. It is best enjoyed with rice, ‘roti’ or ‘neer dosa’. If you want to be adventurous, you can eat it as it is. But beware of the heat, it is rather spicy!
The ‘Chicken sukka’ — chicken tossed with red chillies and dry coconut ‘masala’ — is also a delicious choice to opt for. But if it is seafood that you are looking for, the ‘Bangda tava fry’, ‘Clams sukka’, ‘Crab masala fry’ and ‘Squid masala fry’ are recommended. A crunchy bite of the ‘Prawn rava fry’ is an interesting addition to the meal.
Vegetarians can enjoy dishes like ‘Paneer ghee roast’, ‘Mushroom sukka’, ‘Baby corn rava fry’ and ‘Cabbage ambado’. They also have curry options like ‘Vatana ambat’ (green peas in coconut and tamarind gravy) and ‘Kulita koddel’ (horse gram curry) to choose from.
Available only in the afternoons are the ‘thalis’. One can choose between the vegetarian, fish or chicken ‘thali’ that has a bit of everything for you to enjoy and not feel too full after.
According to tradition, it is almost impossible to visit a Mangalurean house or restaurant and not relish the ‘Kori roti’. The crunchy ‘roti’ immediately soaks up the flavour of the curry that you order.
For dessert, traditional sweets like ‘Ragi mani’ (ragi flavoured pudding) and ‘Doodhpak (Konkani rice milk pudding) are recommended. They are light, refreshing and the perfect way to end the meal.
‘Coastal Mama’ is located at 312, 2nd Floor, 15th Cross, 5th Phase, JP Nagar. For details, call 41733334.
