March 28, 2024

My god, it’s Mylari dosa!

When in Mysore, it is a sin to not eat the masala dosa at Mylari – not any of the various imposters that have sprung up, but the Old Original Hotel Vinayaka Mylari, located in a nondescript lane in the Nazarbad area. The interiors are nothing to speak of, with a few benches, freely shared by strangers – but hey, are you going for the decor or the dosa?

There are only three items on the menu – idli, dosa and masala dosa. And anyone with half a brain and a single taste bud knows the masala dosa is *the* thing to have here, although it is alright to start with a plate of the soft idlis (since it is served up with a side of the same sagu that comes with the masala dosa.)

Then the dosas arrive – the waiter gets a pile of them on a plate, steaming hot, fragrant and inviting – and dishes them out to eager customers. One bite and you know why Mylari is justifiably world famous in Mysore.

The masala is not the boring potato filling found everywhere, nor is the dosa the same old, same old. Soft and spongy, yet crisp at the right places, with a green flavour bomb of a sagu / pallya in the centre, this is a dosa that never leaves you feeling full or heavy.

One more dosa, the waiter asks in English, just as I am left with one last bite on the plate. Of course. Bring it on.

We washed this down with an okay-okay filter kapi, after which I went into the tiny, dark kitchen to watch the dosa being made – trying to ignore the generous quantities of ghee and butter that went into each one on the griddle.

The owner Mr. Chandrashekhar tells me that this was started by his grandmother Gowramma 88 years ago, and that they still used the same (secret) recipe, which is the reason for this super duper taste. Thank you, paati!

If you are in Mysore for any reason, make sure to drop by Mylari for a dosa – you will not regret the detour.

(Open from 6.30 am till 9 pm, closed on Wednesdays)

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