BENGALURU: Vidyarthi Bhavan of Bengaluru South, which is famous for its crispy, mouth-watering dosas, is going to the West of city. For the first time in its 79 years of existence, Vidyarthi Bhavan is stepping out of Gandhi Bazaar and going to Malleswaram.
But there is a surprise in store. The menu of this popular restaurant includes idly, vada, khara bath, poori, kesri bath, rava vade and more. But it is the masala dosa that is the star attraction. Waiters piling up dosas on their arms deliver upwards of 1,250 masala dosas on weekdays and up to 2,000 on weekends. They use 4 kg of butter every day.
Speaking to The New Sunday Express, managing partner Arun Adiga said they are coming up with a new “avatar” of VB in Malleswaram. “Vidyarthi Bhavan dosa is an emotion. We are going to bring some surprises. People can expect us in Malleshwaram by May first week,” he said.
Started in 1943 by Ural brothers (Venkataramana and Parameshwara), hailing from Kundapura of Udupi, the eatery was bought over by Ramakrishna Adiga, also from Kundapura, in 1970. Arun, son of Ramakrishna, took charge of Vidyarthi Bhavan after quitting a highpaying telecom engineer’s job. From Monday to Thursday, the restaurant opens at 6.30 am and closes a t 11.30 am. It open again from 2 pm to 8 pm. Friday is a holiday. During weekends, the timings are 6.30 am to noon and 2.30 pm to 8 pm.
Even as posters announcing the launch of Vidyarthi Bhavan in Malleswaram are going viral, an online war has been launched by dosa lovers. They have targeted VB, saying it is coming as a competitor to existing joints, like CTR and Veena Stores.
“There is no competition. One will get to know our plans and intentions soon,” Arun said. But he is not interested in handing out franchises to start branches in other parts of the state, though there is a huge demand. “Most South Indian foods have to be prepared on the spot and eaten, unlike junk food which is prepared much earlier. Also, we do not have control over the quality in franchises,” he said.