I always want to try the local cuisines while I travel. But
I never thought of finding an authentic Mangalorean cuisine restaurants in
Mangalore while I was staying here. Long after I shifted to Bangalore, I found
this small hotel, which was very famous by the time I could make a visit. That’s
Hotel Narayana in Bunder, which is very close to Dakke (Fishing Dock of Mangalore).
One more reason for not trying out this place was, we
usually have home cooked food and when we go out for lunch/dinner we always preferred
chicken or fine dine restaurants. But all this while I did not have an idea
what I had missed.
So here comes my 2 recommendations for authentic Mangalorean
food, when it comes to Mangalore its Seafood. One is Hotel Narayana at Bunder
and the second one is Giri Manja’s near Car street. (I have provided the details in the next post)
First recommendation:
Hotel Narayana
Address:
Near Kalikamba Temple,
Gopalkrishna Temple Road,
Bunder,
Bhavathi,
Gopalkrishna Temple Road,
Bunder,
Bhavathi,
Mangaluru - 575001
Karnataka
Timings: 12:30 – 3:30 and 07:00 – 09:30
Average Waiting Time: 20 to 30 Minutes
Cost for 2: 500 (depends on what kind of fish you opt)
Specialty: Sea food
Directions: Google lists this restaurant 'Hotel Narayana, Mangalore'
Directions: Google lists this restaurant 'Hotel Narayana, Mangalore'
My mouth started watering while I’m filling in the above
details. This is not a fancy or fine dining place. It’s a mess kind of place
but the food served here will beat the quality and taste of a five star hotel.
Always try to be there by 12:30 in the afternoon or be prepared to wait for at
least 20 to 30 minutes and to share your table with others. I have always been
here for lunch and believed this place was closed for dinner but the google
listing displays the timing 12:30 – 3:30 and 07:00 – 09:30
What to order:
This hotel comes which a template of meals which includes
Boiled or White rice, fish gravy (mostly sardine curry), pickle, one vegetable
sabji or curry. Once the waiter gets the thali, he will come with a thali filled
with variety of fish fries and you chose whatever fish you would like to have.
Pricing and variety of fishes depends on the season. Don’t forget to try the
special powder which is the fried remains of fish fry. Yummy..! Also, the
special butter milk.
The quality and taste of the cuisine is no doubt. No one can
replicate the taste of the fishes at Narayana. Yummy, mouthwatering. This place
is a must try when you are in Mangalore.
August 15th is a holiday at Hotel Narayana. I
remember driving all the way to Hotel Narayana during Independence Day to find
the restaurant closed. Imagine our hungry stomach craving for the fish fries of
Narayana. :)
Sadly, I do not have any photographs of this place or the cuisine as I was always into hogging whenever I was at this place.