Ipsita Basu

Bert Mueller didn’t come to India planning to build a burrito chain. Nicholas Grossemy couldn’t have dreamt he’d open 17 sandwich shops here. And it was only a running joke in Devina Reissmueller’s family that she’d ever be able to bring Swabian pretzels to the country she was adopted from.  Yet today, a California-style burrito bowl, a crusty French panini, and a German brezel all feel perfectly at home in one Indian city: Bengaluru. For years, Bengaluru’s reputation travelled on the strength of code and capital, and left the food talk to Delhi and Mumbai. But of late, that’s changed. The city’s starting to consistently appear on national bar and restaurant lists, but more tellingly, it’s become a place where foreign founders are choosing to build everyday food brands. Not fine-dining showcases, mind you – but neighbourhood fixtures that people return to weekly, even daily. What makes them stay? When Mueller first arrived in India in 2010, it was as a student in Jaipur, majoring in music and public policy and looking for immersion in a culture far removed from his own. The idea for what would become California Burrito took shape informally, when he saw an Indian host family fall in love with a classmate’s homemade Mexican food. Image courtesy of California BurritoBert Mueller, founder of California Burrito By 2012, he had moved to Bengaluru with two friends and opened the first outlet of Californio Burrito – a fast-casual Mexican eatery inspired as much by Bengaluru’s dars

Chef Tresa Francis, who made her name in the city with her beloved catering service known for Kerala Syrian Christian cuisine, is back with her latest, Coracle. Refreshingly affordable for a café set within the premises of the Bangalore International Centre, the place serves mainly Malayali cuisine, with a bunch of dishes from Mangalore and Tamil Nadu thrown in. While the menu will guide you to seasonal vegetables you ought to try, my highest praise goes to the lappa with Kandhari chutney, beef ullarthu, raw mango curry, and pork roast paired with cloud-soft appams. The tender coconut pudding’s a big crowd pleaser too.  The space itself, done up in pale brown and generously windowed, sports great views of the greenery outside. Chef Tresa often stops by tables to chat and suggest dishes – it does loads in terms of heightening the nostalgia of the whole place and also allows you to get the best recommendations for South Indian food you may not have tried yet.  Time Out tip: Don’t miss their kids’ menu, their special breakfast menu (9.30-11.30am on Sundays) and special spreads for Onam Sadhya.

Inspired by the all-day neighbourhood cafés of Southeast Asia, Kopitiam Lah’s food leans pan-Asian and crowd-pleasing, but whatever you order, the kopi and kaya toast are non-negotiable. Co-created by pastry chef Joonie Tan, the pastry counter also deserves undivided attention. The space channels old-world Malaysian café charm with thoughtfully handpicked antiques. If you’ve never had Singaporean or Malaysian cuisine, this is a great place to start, though you should bear in mind that if you’re accustomed to strong Indian flavours, this may be quite the shift.  Kopitiams, or coffeeshops, became especially popular in Malaysia right after World War II, transforming into places Chinese migrants could meet, share meals and find comfort. You find remnants of that warm memory here too. Time Out tip: The carrot milk is particularly interesting here – it’s blended and strained carrots in honey-sweetened milk.