During one of our trips through Karnataka, we visited Hampi to see the ruins of Vijayanagar. What a fascinating city! Under a UNESCO mandate, extensive restorations are ongoing. The temples are awe inspiring! But for M, the best part of the trip was our stay in the nearby town of Hospet. A busy, dusty town at the crossroads of the Manganese ore trade. Here we made camp at the “Shanbhag International.” There was nothing international about this place. Even by Indian standards, it was an average “Hotel,” but importantly it had a few air-conditioned rooms.
And before you wonder, the Shanbhags here were no relatives of ours. But the owner was a Konkani and hovered around the front lobby in his uniform white munda, white jhabba with a pocket stuffed with a diary and a stack of folded paper, slicked hair and heavy black framed glasses. Could have been one of my uncles, and I referred to him as “mama.” Quite an entrepreneur. He owned two hotels diagonally across a busy intersection called “Shanbhag Circle,” about a block from the bus-stand. While we stayed at the “International,” the one across the street was Shanbhag Lodge with the Shanbhag Restaurant, catering to the middle class.
Here in the “International”, he had a Bar plus Non-veg Restaurant and our favorite, the “Shanbhag Fastfood.” The fastfood catered to poor laborers. Only high tables and no seating – you stand and eat. So folks are encouraged to eat and move-on. You pay first and get coupons, which you exchange for food at the counters. All snacks (dosas, idli, vada, etc) were 5 Rs and chai or coffee were 3 Rs. Really! M and I had our fill for under 25 Rs (slightly over 50 cents).
It was not the money, it was the experience of eating here. The spectacle of buying coupons, getting the food, standing and enjoying the delicious fare. During lunch he also served sambar-rice for 8 Rs. The place was packed as laborers crowded for a filling meal. For dinner (10 Rs) he served a simple thali and I saw entire families eating here. You could feed a family of five for about a dollar!
We were in Hospet for about four days, ate at all Shanbhag restaurants and had a gala time. Highly recommend if you are visiting Hampi. There is a western touristy hotel nearby, but what fun would that be!
Before the pics, I share an anecdote. Taking a break from the blazing sun, M took a nap in the room, while I wandered the local bazaar and came back to the room with a couple of mangoes and some grapes.
I said to M: “Heh, the lady who sold me these fruits was very nice.”
She replied: “Of course they love you; you never bargain!”
I said: “M, let me explain and then you tell me if I should have bargained”:
“I saw this push cart with fruits tended by an elderly lady. In my basic Kannada, I asked her the prices and got two types of mangoes and some grapes. She tallied and it came to 60 Rs. So I give her 60 Rs. Then she looks at me again, nods and hands 25 Rs back to me, saying “saaku” (enough). I insisted she take the entire amount, but she refused.”
I asked: “So tell me, what should I have bargained with her for?”
The one and only! Shanbhag Fastfood!
Dosas are made right in front of you. We were salivating watching these brown!
M pursing her lips in anticipation of digging into the dosa!
A nice dosa was followed by hot kaapi!
Today, she doesn’t remember the temples we visited, or the palaces we were wow-ed by. But ask her where she would like to go and without hesitation she will say: Lets go back to Shanbhag International and eat dosas at Shanbhag Fastfood.
On this visit to India, we won’t actually go to Hospet, but we will certainly scour the South to find great places to eat, which steal our hearts and make us want to come back.
We will be in Mumbai for a few days, so if any of you want to go for an early morning run along Chowpatty, drop me a line.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
I was just wondering which places you would frequent in Manipal, when you were a student there
I don’t know if the places are open anymore;
Shanthala at TC for coffee and snacks;
Annapurna (Canteen) for the chapattis and sabzi;
Diana in Udupi was the standard;
Generally ate in the NIV or SIV Mess.
Where did you eat most frequently?
heee such a cute post…. that lady who handed money back to you was truly sweet….
Thanks Rachna:
i am constantly reminded of the wonderful people I meet during our travels. In a way, writing these posts, immortalizes these folks and I can share them with the rest of you all.
Have a wonderful day!
I had dosa last night. I love them a lot. Yours look amazing.
Oy I’m craving dosas. Thankfully I’m at home, so my mom is making dosas, knowing how much I like them!
I need to learn how to make them, unfortunately college is not the best setting to make dosas, given the time involved.
wow excellent post
wonderfull pictures too i am looking forward for my visit to India too!
arun, i cant stop smiling when i saw M’s pic. atleast she posed for 1st pic which would be impossible with me
will look forward to ur wonderful photo essay of bharat yaatra.
its small hotels like this which makes wonderful food. i always prefer small joints than eating in any star hotels. and where u can have ur heart’s fill for so little money?
i can see u hogging in each and every hotels in nook and corner
I would do the same as M too!!Hahaha!!
Happy Thanksgiving!:)
wow, your fast food joint ltierally had your name written all voer it. thanks for the lovely glimpse of your travels.
Oh yes ! The food is tasty and easy on our purse in some fast food joints! They actually serve sumptuous tiffins. I was reminded of the adigas reading your description of the fast food joint!
VegeYum / Jennifer – Thanks!
nicely done dosas are the best!
Enjoy your travels
Saroj:
I agree; making dosas can be a bit messy. especially with blending and fermenting the batter and else.
Anyway, mom-made dosas are the bestest! Enjoy! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
Hey Arun! Was thinking of you…..great pictures…this is great…to see your pics on your travel. Take care and say Hello to M…..
Delicious dosas!
yummy! is it yellow tooop on the dosa?
That was a beautiful description of your trip Arun. I can’t see your photographs here at the office, but your words do a wonderful job
Can’t wait to go home and have a look at those scrumptious dosa’s everyone here is wow’ing !
During my last stay in India, Hampi was on the top of my list for places to visit. Sadly, I never made it. Thanks for taking me there through your site! Now I know where to eat when I finaly do make it to Hampi. I will even try to embarass myself with a greeting to the owner with the few words I know in Konkani. The Dosas lppk great. Looks like a dry masala, like podi, sprinkled on the dosas before the filleng? Can’t believe the dosa was only 5rs.
Hi Arun,
My name is Kannan krishna. I am located in mississauga canada. I saw the krishna statue in sandal in your website. I am krishna devotee. I was literally crying when I saw krishna like this details. It would be really greatful if you could tell me where can I find exact one like this. I like to buy the same from india and searching for it. couldn’t find. If you could provide the information it will really helpful as you helped krishna itself.
Thank you,
Kannan Krishna
Kannan:
Thank you for your enthusiastic appreciation of Krishna. That is truly a beautiful work of art and I strongly feel that “Krishna” lives in our home!
… and I never tire of gazing at it.
Regarding getting a similar statue, that may be difficult since the artist who sculpted this statue, passed away about 4 years ago.
Anyways, I have sent you an email.
Best Wishes and thanks
Arun
thanks Laksh:
Adigas is verily a feast!
Please share your experiences and pics.
Nice post. Just back from Bangalore and enjoyed 10 days of eating at Adigas. Your post brings back fond memories.
amazing.. very very well
.. ilike your image. so nice in my eyes
My first blog
Taking about shanbhag fastfood
http://arunshanbhag.com/2007/11/20/shanbhag-fastfood/
…
Great pics and yes its a treat for the eyes
Thanks Amarnath! Enjoy the other posts here too!
Lovely !
I thought this Shanbagh was in Bangalore…but hey I was not reading your post..only the blurbs and the photos.
Hampi is happening ~
or say Hospet !!
THanks Ezee!
Shanbhag is quite a common name in Karnataka and there likely is a Shanbhag restaurant in Bangalore.
This place in Hospet is quite unique. Visit if you get a chance!
I liked reading this article it made me feel really really happy that we all have different cultures to look forward to being at home and also I would love to try out the dosa……
Hey Arun,
Well anyway, i know this is an old post but i enjoyed reading about the shanbag fast food. I am originally from Bangalore and my Dad would take us many a times to this Shanbag restaurant on Residency Road… wonder if it is still there?? The Dosas look delicious and of course M looks restrained 
This is my first time here! Love u’re posts! How did i miss it so far
Cheers
Latha
Hi Latha:
)
Welcome to my world – the beautiful world of hot kaapi, crisp dosas and verdant fields of Kumta!
Have not explored bengaluru much, but I am sure that dosa place is still there.
And thank you for your enthusiastic response to my posts. These are the things which matter to me and thus I write with passion – glad you enjoyed them.
Arun
[...] One of my favorites: Shanbhag Fastfood, Hospet, Karnataka [...]
[...] I just need some indian snacks like chivda, or biscuits! See traditional coffee served at the Shanbhag Fastfood in [...]
Arun,
I was searching for Konkan Railways and and am glad to land in your blog. That dosa is so familiar to me. I grew up very near Hospet in Bellary and this type of dosa is sold commonly in the area. And oh, I have been to Shanbagh in Hospet too.
Heh!
Thank you and sorry for the long delay in replying to your post! One of those which just slipped through the cracks.
And you have actually been to Shanbhag’s in Hospet! Yaay! So you know what I’m talking about.
Best!
hello Arun, you are a good descriptive writer..giving good details of ur travels. I liked the cash details cos it gave me an idea of current prices.
nice pictures,too..though with my adsl connection it takes ages to load. Have you thought of compressing the images ? can be done through the printer’s program usually.
anyway, good luck in all ur ventures.
Thank you for your kind words about my writing! I try to capture my experiences in writing, and in some cases I seem to succeed.
Sorry about the slow loading of the pics. Will see what I can do about the size.
Best