Kamat Lokaruchi, A Karnataka Rural Theme

On Sunday we visited Janapada Loka and the obvious choice for lunch was the Kamat Lokaruchi which is separated only by a wire compound.

After reading Voyager's post it had been in our conversations many times. I was keen on visiting Janapada Loka and enjoying a Sunday meal there. It is about 44 kms from my home so it was ideal for a lazy day, giving us the flexibility to leave home post breakfast and the convenience of enjoying the lunch at the Lokaruchi after a treat of the folk world.

Anyone who does this trip should infact drive straight into Kamat, park the vehicle there and then go next door.

You have read about Kamat's at Bugle Rock is my earlier post. The food is almost the same in both the places. I am talking about the Yelle Oota which we love. So this post will focus on the ambience and service instead.

In keeping with it neighboring Janapada Loka, Lokaruchi has succeeded in blending with the environment. They have taken the Janapada Loka experience to a different level. The stone and brick huts with thatched roofs makes it so authentic. There are many small huts and large dinning halls to choose from. The free roaming geese, quacking by, the monkeys from the woods being fed by the staff from time to time makes it such a wonderful experience. The staff in their Dhoti kurta and Nehru cap all complimented the rural theme.

There is a choice of North Karnataka meal and a Karavali meal. We almost instantly fell for the North Karnataka meal seeing hot Jolad roti/ Jwarichi bhakari being roasted in the centrally located open kitchen. You can watch them pat the roti with deft movements and enjoy the sounds and smells. I bet your hunger pangs grow intense and you rush to occupy the nearest available table.

Jolad roti, Pithla, Chana masala, Soppina Dal and the usual papad, raita and chutneys and the rice with sambhar, rasam and Majjige (buttermilk) downers

The Karavali meal had shevage. You even get to see the shevage made using a mechanical press. They also have other stuff like Akki roti etc. We ordered for Kai holige (Coconut Poli) separately. The food like all the Kamat restaurants was dependable.

Yet if I have to rate the service, I would say it requires improvement. Our experience at Bugle rock has always been good. The waiters are always attentive. Not at Lokaruchi though. There is a lot of rush and that has taken a toll on the service. We had to hail waiters for everything we needed. So we ate less. As usual the meal closed with a banana and a pan tray was kept to help yourself. You see the bunch of bananas hung there, they even let you pluck it for your self.

I love the premade pan at Bugle rock. We obviously went back and forth with the comparisons of the two locations. I did not feel really thrilled about Lokaruchi's service. Hence it misses top scores. Next time if I stop at Lokaruchi I'll try the other stuff other than the tempting Yelle Oota.

There was the sweet shop that caught my attention. It had several north karnataka style snacks but what interested me was the Ragi Nipattu and the Dink ladoo. They were the fastest moving items there. Then enroute we went to Ramohalli to see The Big Banyan Tree and reached home at tea time. We enjoyed the snacks we bought at Kamat's Lokaruchi with steaming hot cups of pepper tea. The Ragi Nipattu were crunchy and the Dink ladoo smelt divine of jaggery and ghee. You could feel the freshness of the rolly pollys.

The entire day right from the folk world at Janapada Loka, the lunch, the drive to the Big Banyan Tree and the evening snacks completed our Rural Karnataka experience. The best part was we loved the proximity of these places to our home. We were cut off from the city life in a little more than an hour, were not tired by the travel and felt fresh and all set for a new work week on return. Bangalore offers so much to see in and around. It has been 4.5 yrs and am still exploring. Food and travel makes me a happy person. I'm loving it!