At our last visit back home to Mangalore, our family was treated to a meal at Guthu Hospitality. The meal was excellent yes, and the ambiance definitely made the taste buds work at their best! There’s something about tasting a cuisine in its hometown, cooked with authentic local ingredients, and eaten in an authentic setting, that makes the culinary experience extremely delightful!
Promoted by Sandeep Shetty, and managed by Sylvester Rai, Guthu Hospitality is all about eating an authentic Bunt** meal, in an authentic setting. The restaurant actually has 3 levels – the “Atta” (the Tulu word for attic) level which is made with a thatched roof and other locally available material, the “Panchayat” level, on which this post is all about, and a more modern level which is like a regular well done-up restaurant.
“The Panchayat” caught my fancy because of the rustic setting. The use of everyday things in the décor make it oh so ogle-full! If you visit the village home of any “old and moneyed” family in and around Mangalore, you are sure to see all these things, some of them in the garden, some of them in the shed, and some inside the main house itself. I’ll point them out in the photographs* as we go along 🙂
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| That’s actually a local fishing boat hanging from the roof. When I clicked this picture at mid-day, the hotel staff were busy ‘sturdy’ing up the decor, and generally readying the place for their dinner guests. Mangalore has the sea and lots of rivers, so in the villages it is not unusual for a family to own a boat like this. |
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| Rattan chairs, copper vessels and cutlery – such a simple table arrangement, yet so perfect! |
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| Quite a center piece there – furniture, kitchen implements and brass heirloom lamps. Let me know if you need help recognizing these items. |
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| Bunts are traditionally an agricultural community. It is very common to see bullocks ploughing their fields, and bullock carts were an absolute necessity especially when it was time to take produce to the market. |
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| The water well, the lifeline of every rural community. Don’t miss the ‘kodapana’ or the copper pot used to draw water. |
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| I couldn’t identify what these were, but Padmavani was kind enough to email me and let me know that,”the table is padimancha, a threshing table, the stick on the right looks like a pounding stick called ujjre. The two on the extreme left are the cattle yolks for ploughing called Nuga.” |
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| This is a ‘gurke’ more commonly known as ‘mande’ – often seen in bathing areas and kitchens. It consists of a big pot affixed to a cemented or stone structure. Usually, there is an opening on the outer wall through which a fire is lit, to heat up the water in the vessel. Hot water for everyone, through the day! |
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| These “ari mudis” are common sights in village homes during the harvest season. |
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| A picture of a Yakshagana’ artiste. Yakshagana is a popular dance-drama art form in Mangalore’s coastal belt. |
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| On the wall here, are the rope and lashes used in the “Kambla” or buffalo race – which is a popular and ancient local sport in this part of the country. |
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| These are called ‘korumbu’ and their uses are many. Working in the fields under the blazing sun, workers use them as caps to protect themselves. They are also used as makeshift utensils. Out in the villages I have seen locals pick up berries and fruit and carry them home in these, and here they are, making such an interesting statement on the wall! (Ignore the member of my family walking down the stairs) |
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| These flat decorations on the wooden frame are called ‘kudupu’ or ‘thatti kudupu’ and they are used as lids on vessels. The wooden frame is usually used as a clothes horse. Here, the frame acts as a room divider, and visually separates the eating area from the washrooms in the restaurant. The ‘kudupus’ are made out of wild creepers and they make an interesting decor statement here. |
*Thanks to Mangalorean.com for willingly sharing the pictures of Guthu with me. Only the last two pictures are mine. Some of the interior work was still in progress during my visit at Guthu, and when I found their pictures more ‘complete’, Roshan was very co-operative, and gave me instant permission! Many thanks, Roshan!
Thanks also to Padmavani Karkera and to my dad for supplying the Tulu words for the descriptions in the pictures, and for chipping in with some editing suggestions on this piece.
**FYI, the enterprising Bunt community is responsible not only for the famous Udupi and Kundapur restaurants all over the world, but also for its contribution to India’s Celebrity A list – Aishwarya Rai, Suniel Shetty and Shilpa Shetty!
Nice pics and nice piece of info. Loved to know abt it though I was aware of few of them like the agricultural community etc.
It must be a really great place to have a nice authentic dinner:)
I love the pictures here…Nice Blog….
This is an absolute trip. I have just had an adventure.
The best part of you visiting my blog is that I have landed up back here.
Love Renee xoxoxo
Loved the authentic feel of the restaurant, such places sure ignite the appetite!
really nice blog and lovely pics. would like to have dinner their once as deepa says!
have a gr8 weekend!
Thanks girls, if we are in Mangalore at the same time, dinner is on me! 😉
Sharon
Thanks a ton Sharon for visiting my blog and for your kind comment. I remember the “dinner on me” part whenever I visit Mangalore. (Don’t worry, thats not going to be any soon).
Are you from Mangalore? If so any where near Ullal? Pls do let me know.
Thanks once again.Keep visiting:)
I am glad I received your reply. Ok…U r not from Ullal:( Its only that I’ve friend there..I just thought maybe you would know them if you are from the same place.
Anyways, I am happy to have ‘met’ you:)
i so so wish there was something like this in Sydney….something specific to a region in India like Mangalore like this place, or even Bong cuisine for that matter…but all one gets here is an awfully distorted version of Butter Chicken. Not one place that has a nice ambience and good food…:(
Lovely, apetizing post, Sharon!
Oh nice.. Very impressive place. I'll visit for sure the next time I'm in Mangalore!! Thanks for this Sharon!
I'm also impressed with how close you are to your roots…
The Ketchup Girl, Patricia, glad you liked it…what I said earlier applies to you too – I would be happy to treat you at this place when you are in Mangalore next:) If you give me enough notice, I can make a trip down there, just for this!
Sharon