PlainGeets

There’s a special kind of reassurance in restaurants that remain unchanged over the years—where the food, the service, and even the old-fashioned décor stay just as they were on your first visit. These places become more than eateries; they turn into anchors of familiarity in a fast-changing world. Whether it’s the unwavering flavours of my beloved masala dosa at the neighbourhood Udipi joint, the perfect Chicken sandwich at an old haunt , or the unchanged warmth of a restaurant where I’ve been going since I was very young, their consistency has been a quiet promise of reliability.

In an era where restaurants chase trends, experimenting with fusion menus, reinventing their ambiance, or relying on gimmicks to attract fleeting attention, these enduring establishments remind us that perfection doesn’t need reinvention. Their charm lies in the fact that they don’t need to evolve to stay relevant; they already hold a place in people’s hearts. Regulars return, not just for the taste of a familiar dish but for the comfort of knowing exactly what to expect – the same food, service and atmosphere.

Some of these places have marked phases in my own life. Chandru’s Mithaiwala (for chaat), Pop Tate’s and Yoko Sizzlers during my student years. It’s impossible for me to separate my memories from these places. Chaat at Chandru’s was a given with my best friend from school after our weekly walk at the beach. Pop Tate’s and Yoko are intertwined with reunions, birthdays and post-exam celebrations. Over the years, many restaurants have marked important chapters in my life.

Esplanade, known for its authentic Bengali cuisine, is a restaurant that I closely associate with my Bangalore chapter. And unlike the previous chapters, this one continues! We discovered the restaurant in 2012, and quite appallingly did not eat Bengali cuisine there the first time! But we did every time after that (in fact they soon stopped serving continent dishes), and I look forward to going back for my favourite dishes:

Shuktoni, a bittersweet medley of vegetables cooked with a hint of mustard and tempered with Bengali five-spice (panch phoron) that is traditionally eaten at the start of a meal to awaken the palate.

Bati Chochori, made with tender potatoes and gourd, a dish that is cooked in a tightly covered bowl (bati) with minimal spices and no added water, capturing the essence of home-cooked Bengali food with its clean flavours.

Doi Murgi, a yogurt-marinated chicken dish, where the creaminess of curd blends seamlessly with subtle spices to create a mildly tangy, velvety gravy that is rich but not overpowering, delicate yet indulgent

They may not be the most popular choice for a Bengali meal at a restaurant, and I break every protocol in Bengali cuisine – paying little attention to the traditional order of dishes, or what should be eaten with what – but the meal never fails to nourish and comfort. Named after the iconic commercial hub of Kolkata, the restaurant’s warm wooden interiors and welcoming ambiance with soft music playing in the background have remained unchanged in the years since they moved to their current location in Indiranagar. Those walls have witnessed everything, from our house-hunting ordeals to DELF exam corrections and startup struggles. The light, fragrant, and deeply satisfying flavours of shuktoni bolstered my courage when I first discovered my ovarian cyst, while bati chochori and doi murgi became part of my celebration the day my biopsy results cleared me of cancer.

One of the last restaurants we visited before moving to France, it’s heartwarming to see that their food, service and ambiance have remained constant through the years. Dining at Esplanade isn’t just about eating. It’s about reliving memories and acknowledging how far along we’ve come on our journey through life.