Remembering Mysuru's Lost Restaurants

Growing up there is one grief no one prepares you for — the death of your favourite restaurant. Mysuru, predominantly known for its tourism, quite unsurprisingly has its share of well known restaurants and hotels. While most of them tide the tests of time quite well, given the steady flow of tourists all year round, in years not haunted by Covid-19 of course, some of them quietly bite the dust and fade to memories. After all, Mysuru, despite its acclaim, has never been the most ideal place for the hospitality industry.

This unfortunately means that, over the years, you see some restaurants close their doors and if you are unlucky, one of these is your favourite one. And living in Mysuru today, though you get to witness a growing café current with each new one opening promising to be your next favourite, you also have to bear some of the restaurants you had grown to hold a special place for, shutter. This post is a tribute to some of the places my friends and I held close, lost gems that at one point or another shaped the city with their food and culture.

Planet X

Go Karting, an arcade, bowling, billiards, mini golf, three restaurants, a pastry shop, the largest play area there ever was, a disco, a night club — it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call Planet X a scaled down, Mysore version of Disneyland. Having everything to keep anyone from 0-99 entertained, this place had a hip heartbeat of its own. Whether you went for the food( best fish fingers and where do you think my obsession for soufflés come from) or the entertainment, you did not leave before having enjoyed a little bit of both and the night definitely did not end till the clock hit 11 pm.

If you, like me, were a kid when Planet X peaked as the it place, having only been allowed to play in the arcade or the play area, then you know the sadness of having finally grown up but not having Planet X to fulfil your dreams of go karting or mini golfing there. Only commiserations. Mysore’s liveliest place might have closed, but to all who walked in through its doors, its hip heartbeat no doubt continues to softly beat in your memories.

Southern Star

Update: NOW OPEN!

It’s been a year and I am still mourning. For the past three decades Southern Star, with a few name changes in the middle, has loomed over Mysore like an icon. For me, for at least the last ten years, it had been THE place for basically everything. All celebrations — birthdays, anniversaries, women’s day, new car, the likes— and some non-celebrations like, that last outing before tests or exams began? Let’s end it in Southern Star; Oh, the said test or exam ended? Let’s head to Southern Star; About to go on a trip? Let’s have one last dinner before we leave; Somebody is in town? You know the answer.

And this was the answer to everything because not only was the hotel imposing in its façade, enough to excite and make just walking in feel like a grand treat, the staff were lovely and the food never failed. The buffet had the right options and the right number of options from starters to desert, and in the a la carte, whatever cuisine you chose, it was perfection, dressed in the respective spices, delivered. A year on, Southern Star and its hospitality still flashes across my mind from time to time, tainted with a little melancholy and a little longing to walk back in and savour all its offerings sitting in the plush velvet chairs, looking out into the garden through big glass windows, and finish one last meal.

Malgudi Café

Update: NOW OPEN!

Tucked quaintly inside the imposing Green Hotel (formerly popular as Premier Studios), Malgudi Café had quite a fan following. Known for its chocolate cake, apple pie and lemon drizzle cake, the Café didn’t disappoint in either food or aesthetics. Truly a hidden gem—you wouldn’t really find it on the top cafés list or the most popular ones—Malgudi Café served a Sunday afternoon, any day or time you entered in.

Lush, with an open courtyard garden in the centre, and sporting a typical old world Mysore colour palette, one can only hope that the Café opens its doors once again and we all get to dig into their chocolate cake.

Shanti Sagar

More than a restaurant, Shanti Sagar in Kuvempunagar was a landmark. Just a run down the road from my childhood house, it was the answer for quick food fixes, any time of the day. A friend also recalls it being the place they went to after Parent-Teacher Meetings at school and having heard many lectures on why studying is important in life while eating there. Neighbourhood restaurants always hold a special place even if they didn’t serve anything remarkable. They are almost like safety nets, that one place you turn to when no other fancy option stands; that one place you know like the back of your hand and don’t need a menu card to order from; that one place, even after years of it shutting down, still enters conversations and address instructions. Shanti Sagar might have closed, but it will be a long time before it fades in the neighbourhood.

Iceberg

A humble, hole in the wall with capacity to hardly seat ten inside and an additional six out on the footpath, Iceberg arguably is one of the earliest examples of eateries serving café grub in Mysuru. Perfect garlic breads, pizzas, sandwiches and sundaes, with names that shouldn’t refer to ice creams — Charlie Chaplin?, Mickey Mouse? — flew out of the restaurant that was barely contained in one of the ground floor shops at the JSS Law College Complex in Saraswatipuram. Always overflowing with people, getting a seat inside even in 2007-08, was not dependent on your appetite or craving, but on your luck, as usual. One of the closest restaurants to where I lived, Iceberg holds a special spot as one of the places that made my childhood. The fact that this tiny eatery made the list, despite having closed so long ago that a Google search didn’t yield pictures, is a testament not only to the great food this simple café served but also one to how food has the power to softly imprint itself in your memory for years.

This, by no means, is an exhaustive list. As the city’s dynamic changes to accommodate new trends in food and people’s taste, one restaurant is bound to replace another, though some places arguably cannot ever be replaced. While there is much to celebrate in the list of restaurants and hotels that do continue to exist and carry forward the city’s legacy, some we can only now celebrate as they settle into history books.

PS: All the places mentioned above were confirmed to be closed, either permanently or temporarily, at the time of writing this article.

Amulya HiremathJune 6, 202110 Comments