Mangalore: Janatha hotel still uses firewood

The Hindu

Mangalore, 16 November 2011: A 40-year-old family-run hotel in Gurpur claims to have been running for the last three generations. Called “Janatha”, the hotel is located on the Mangalore-Moodbidri road.

 

Vitthaldas Kamath cooking the delicacies using firewood at his hotel in Gurpur in Mangalore on Tuesday

 

The place is different from other restaurants as the food is cooked entirely on firewood. Customers can choose to sit either in the front room of the hotel or in the kitchen where one can see the requested food getting done. While thetuppa dosassizzle on the tava, a cat lends company.

 

Fifty-four-year-old Vitthaldas Kamath, who owns the hotel, said the hotel was started by his father G. Krishna Kamath, whose portrait adorns the front room.

 

Vijayendra and Sudheer Kamath, both sons of Vitthaldas Kamath, help in the kitchen every day. The brothers finished their graduation and have decided to join the family business, said 24-year-old Vijayendra, who is the youngest family member in the business. He said the kitchen uses three quintals of firewood a week. Firewood as fuel had been used ever since the kitchen began, said Mr. Vijayendra.

 

He said the place was open only for breakfast and serves up to 200 people a day. The breakfast menu includestuppa dosa,idlis,aambvade,potato vadas, and two types of chutneys are served.