SLV
SLV - a deceptively small acronym stands for Sri Lakshmi Venkateshwara. While SLVs are dime a dozen in Bangalore, not all SLVs are created equal so be warned!
The place I am talking about is in J.P. Nagar near Raagi Gudda temple. Let's dig right in.
You can either stand around the highly elevated metal bar stool like contraptions or there is a sit-down kind of facility upstairs. If you're looking for a relatively quiet time and less chaos, definitely climb up, but I recommend the mayhem downstairs any day. There's also a sweet stall adjoining the main eatery area which also serves snacks.
Two of the owners (probably) sit behind a tall counter in the food department. The person on the left takes orders for dining in and the person on the right takes take-out orders.
Actually, let's figure out what to order even before we look at the ordering method.
If you are a dosa fan, this is the place for you. Their ghee masala dosas and butter masala dosas while rich in calorific content, are a godsend to the palate. Made with the right amount of crispiness and potato stuffing, you can easily polish off two dosas with a medium appetite. The sambar made with a hint of jaggery is again very well made. You are served dosas with coconut chutney and sambar and the trio make for a harmonious eating experience. Other dosas that are noteworthy are the plain dosa, onion dosas and the set dosa. For those unfamiliar with the set dosa concept, this is a set (what else!) of three soft round dosas served with a thick Saag and of course the ubiquitous chutney. Over a period of time, one needs to try all the varieties of dosas here as they're all damn good!
The vadaas are another achievement this establishment boasts of. Though slightly oily (ok fine..very oily), the crispiness and the taste are superior.
If you are going by after 4 p.m., don't forget to pick up the Mangalore Bhajjis. These are round objects made of flour and fried. An order consists of 5 bhajjis and make ideal snacks to bring home.
Anyway, now for the processing of orders. If you want to eat right there, you fight your way through the throng and somehow make sure your hand is visible to the left guy. You also need momentary eye contact while you tell him your order. You'll get two receipts of different colors. Give the receipts to the next counter behind which is the kitchen. Total chaos seems to reign here but somehow it all works out. Someone grabs the yellow receipt (you keep the white one), glances at it, puts it on the counter and yells the order to the kitchen behind. There is really no acknowledgment from the culinary division on whether they heard him or not. However, in due course of time (10-20 minutes depending on the crowd), the guy you gave the receipt to will locate you, repeat your order and give you exactly what you ordered. If it's a take out, he'll put everything in a bag and hand it over. If not, plates of hot steaming goodies will appear together and you need to make sure you have enough hands to handle the supply chain because believe me, food will come in quick succession.
It's amazing that there are hardly any mistakes made. There will be an occasional one where they give you a masala dosa instead of a plain or vice-versa but these errors are few.
Other items to try here are the khaara baath, bisi bele baath, chow chow baath, idlis and the really strong coffee! And remember, this SLV is in J.P. Nagar and I do not vouch for any other SLVs in Bangalore!
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