Bengaluru: Foodies flock Ramzan stalls to satiate their taste buds

Bengaluru: The holy month of Ramzan is also looked forward to by the city’s food lovers. With the holy month almost half way, certain destinations in the city have emerged as hot spots for the foodies.

Though food stalls on Mosque Road in Frazer Town was banned two years ago, this year they have been revived, though there are fewer stalls.

While some stalls are run by established restaurants, some are set up independently. People from all walks of life come to savour the food.

The most popular food items here are patthar ghost, phaal, sheekh kabab, veal kabab, haleem and also camel meat.

Abdullah Mani said, “Mosque Road functions till late night and has a variety of stalls.  There is a lot of hype associated with these stalls. In terms of hygiene, the stalls run by restaurants fare better, as their reputation is at stake.”

Abdullah runs a refreshment stall at Mosque Road. He said, “We kept a count of the glasses since we sold fresh lime sodas. We make a profit of around Rs 8-10 thousand every day.”

Shreya, a student, shared her experience at MM road, “The food was quite delicious and cheap too with prices ranging between Rs 50 and Rs 100. I went with some friends and we ate different chicken delicacies. We went around 6 pm and the street was a bit crowded. I would say that the hygiene at the independent stalls can be a matter of concern.”

Close to this famous lane is Albert Bakery, the city’s oldest one, which sees huge crowds during Razman.

Chandana, a mother of two said, “We regularly buy from Albert Bakery, but during Ramzan hundreds of customers throng the bakery every day. People enjoy the puffs here, along with the special samosas, cutlets and their signature sweet.”

Pista House Haleem is another attraction of Frazer Town. Their signature mutton haleem is enjoyed by all and is a must in many Muslim households during Ramzan.

Other than Frazer Town some other hot spots for Ramzan delicacies have sprung up in the city.

Empire Hotel near Jyoti Nivas College in Koramangala has started hosting a Ramzan mela with food stalls.

Neehar, a student, said, “The food was very delicious, but overpriced. Two pieces of sheekh kabab cost me Rs 160, while just two pieces of grilled chicken were Rs 200. The quality of the food was great although some items were too oily. The sweet dishes were moderately priced and were tasty too.”

Another popular destination for Ramzan food in Koramangala is Sharief Bhai. The restaurant offers various Iftaar combos and has patthar ghost and chicken haleem are the best selling ones.

Another favourite haunt is Shivajinagar , famous for its myriad varieties of samosas. “We have samosas while breaking our fast everyday and it is even better if they differ in taste regularly. I go to Shivajinagar almost every Friday during Ramzan to buy different samosas. Some of the famous samosas on offer are onion samosa, chicken and mutton kheema samosa and beef samosa,” said Rizwan.

In addition to above places, the other major attractions include Tilak Nagar, Johnson Market and Bilal Mosque in Jayanagar,  which has of late become quite popular.

Near every mosque there are stalls selling fruits, samosas and kababs .