One of the first things that I wanted to know of, once I had taken up a job in Baroda was where all the good food is available. I have friends from college who call Baroda home, and they were more than happy to take me to the right places. One such place is Canara Coffee house.
Canara Coffee house is a place where people have been going to with their family for years now. The place is popular strictly on account of word of mouth at how good their food, or because someone from the family has been going there for at least a generation now. The thing that Canara Coffee house is most famous for is Poona Misal.
Misal is a Marathi word and means mixture. Typically sprouted moong (green gram) is mixed well with spices and pastes, and topped with chopped onions and tomatoes along with some namkeen chewda. Namkeen Chewda is in itself a spicy mixture of dried and fried lentils, chickpea noodles (called sev), peanuts (called sing), roasted rice puffs (called mamre), and more.
A generous helping of curd is given along or dabbed on top so that it serves to cool this hot and spicy mixture. You can choose to have it as it is, but that is not fun. You can take a spoon, and mix it all up. This gives you a lovely mixture of things hot and cold, sweet and spicy, crunchy and wet.
Another thing that this place is famous for is their South Indian food. You will find the standard fare of Dosa, Idli, and Uttapam here. MY personal favorite happens to be the Masala Uttapam which is pan cake made from a batter made mainly from rice and dal. Then a generous layer of spiced, mashed, boiled potatoes along with onions is applied. When you have it with their Sāmbhar and chutney, it is absolutely yum.
Look at these pictures which show how the place still retains its old charm.
The thing with the lights is their menu. They have a wonderful concept for the menu here. The menu has a listing of all the dishes they serve along with its price. Since the things that are served change for breakfast and evening meals, each item has a light turned on to show if it is available for serving at your time of order. I absolutely love it.
If you ever want to visit this place, I am attaching its location on Google Maps. Let me know when you’re coming, and we’ll enjoy a meal together.
Written for day 3 of the A to Z Challenge 2014
And I write 
its good to read a pleasant experience, off late I have had harrowing experience with one coffee house off late
That coffee house is a place that I try to avoid if I have other options
Cool… Will visit the place if I enter go to Baroda. Look at the prices.. When was this pic taken?
This was taken yesterday.. They have wonderful rates… so little for such a lovely meal
Are those prices real? The missal looks drool-worthy! Awww your posts are making me crave for more awesome foods!
Not a big fan of missal but the place looks awesome!
Awesome, glad your experience was good…the pics of the food make me crave for it and I am not really a fan of Misal. Anyway, the idea of having a menu with lighting to indicate if the stuff is available or not is superb! Nice review!
Bawa, the place looks awesome 🙂 even the food looks delicious!
I had to travel to Baroda on a business trip and stayed there in the Ginger hotel for two weeks. During my stay there I often ate at Bhagyodaya since it was nearby! It was very good too! And I think I have seen this one near my office there!!
It looks like a warming, comforting place to eat or spend some time. Thanks for sharing this!
Drooling all over for the misal. good description. 🙂 I like the idea of the menu board. thanks for sharing.
I don’t like misal but the cafe sure seems interesting.
A visit to Baroda is pending. I have my cousin who stays there. Misal looks great, so does the place.
Looks like a win-win-win place! The lights on the menu is a practical idea that avoids the disappointment when you’re told that they’ve just run out of the item you finally selected.
I wanna try this place now! I love it when some places are so familiar and there for a long long time, it almost feels like another home.
Ah, how I miss those traditional coffee houses!!
I just ate my breakfast, but those pictures Hrishi, are making me crave food more than ever. I would definitely love to visit.
I seem to have missed out on all the good places when I lived in Baroda. But I don’t think I went anywhere at all! Hmmm….
You lived in Baroda? When? where?
Oh it has been many years now. My first job, first posting. I was in Baroda for a month. August 1988. I don’t remember the name of the hostel… I think it was the university girls hostel. I stayed with the daughter of my dad’s friend. 🙂
You are making me want to plan a baroda trip soon 🙂
Not sure if I will ever come to Baroda but if I ever come , Canara Coffee house will be a must visit place. Man you are the google for THE BEST FOOD – where and how to get it
loved it count bawa (impact of reading shail’s post 🙂 )
Wow! Look at all the publicity you give them. Well, Canara Coffee House…they are famous for the quality they maintain. The food pictures sure are not good for the weaklings like me in the morning…makes me hangry 🙂
I am adding Poona Misal to the things I want to have in Baroda 🙂
I will take you to a different set of places this time.. A lot has changed..
Next year, pukka. We’ll go to the bird place too.
Yep
Did u know the region of Mangalore – Udipi was reffered to as “Canara”… so the term Canara bank.
Misal is one of my fav dishes. Me and hubby tried making it at home and it was absolutely delicious. But I want to taste that authentic ones. So, dont be surprised if I land there to eat Misal 😛
I am loving your food related posts ! Hope this whole month is going the foodie way 😀
Your post reflects how much you love this place. And from the pictures, it does lok quite unassuming. Good one again 🙂
My diet plan just crashed… There should be a not for hoggers sign put up in this site. 🙂 will return for more 😀
Kudos for coming up with such an awesome post after Barista. I knew that you will rock with the C Word and Canara Coffee deserves a visit:)
And so why dint i comment yesterday because its so difficult reading a food related post with such tempting pictures right after you wake up :). Please don’t do it again, if you have to choose a different time :P. I loved their menu concept, its new to me too. And i really like these old world charm wali places to eat. No faltu frlls – only taste and fast service. I visit a similar very old place in the southern part of the country when ever I am travelling there with TBH. Earlier it used to be so difficult explaining them what we want, but considering our consistency in ordering same food, they automatically started serving us few days after 🙂
This place was introduced to me first by my mom who used to frequent it regularly during her college days… amazingly very little has changed from those days apart from the prices ofcoursE! 😀
the pics made me crave for coffee!! 😀