G.N. MOHAN writes: When a Mangalorean comes to Bangalore, the culinary complaints are all too familiar. They miss authentic sea food, they miss the coastal ambience in the restaurants, and they are forever wailing about the sky-high prices that burns a deep hole in their pockets.
To all the kudla brethren pining for “home food”, may I humbly show the way to Sana-Di-Ge on Crescent Road?
Recently, after a hectic meeting in Bangalore, I wanted a place which did not remind me of the concrete jungle. I wanted some peace and quiet, and I wanted some good food. Some time, really, for myself. A colleague suggested Sana-Di-Ge, a peculiarly named hotel of the Goldfinch group.
The poet K.S. Nisar Ahmed simplified the name by calling it Sandige, because they serve sandige as a starter item. Later I came to know that the name had been carved out of three languages which mean dishes.
Dining out at Sana-di-ge eventually turned out to be a fine idea. The atmosphere was decidedly coastal. There were yakshagana masks to welcome you. Gorabu (coastal alternative to raincoat) was placed like an idol. Bells which you see only in coastal temples were everywhere here. And there were paintings depicting the Kambala and Neji.
This was only for starters. The waiters wore traditional ‘tuluva’ dress, and the mundu angavastram and the muttale (the famous areca leaf cap). Cocum was the welcome drink. But the real fun began when the time came to order the meal.
There was a choice of seafood: fish, crab, squid, maruvai (shell) lobster. There was rice made out of kaje aaki (boiled rice). The sights, sounds and smells were enough to take your taste buds down memory lane.
If you are pleasantly tired after eating all this, then walk a few more steps ahead, you will enter Mohan Lal‘s ‘Harbour Market’ where you can add karimeen and paripu prathaman to your menu.
kosambari 