Mitra Samaja

Mitra Samaja is a vegetarian restaurant in Udupi, Karnataka, India. It is located on "Car Street" very close to the Krishna temple. The restaurant serves authentic Udupi cuisine.^[1]

Mitra Samaja is very popular amongst visitors to the town. The most famous dish in the restaurant is Goli Baje,^[2] a South Canara delicacy. The hotel is also well known for its Masala Dosa and coffee.

A Brief on Mitra Samaj...

Nittur Gopal Holla, was born in Udupi in 1928 to Bhagirathi and N Seetarama Holla, a master cook from the orthodox Shivalli Madhwa-Brahmin community. Gopal Holla inherited his father’s culinary competencies and was instrumental in serving tens of thousands of people on the occasions of several Nagamandalas and Rashi Puje.

In 1949, aged 21, he started the Mitra Samaj in Car Street, Udupi. Originally started as a Tea Shop, it graduated to a hotel serving snacks and then to meals. Udupi, being Lord Krishna’s temple town, use of onion and garlic was a taboo in and around the temple premises and the earlier pilgrims, mostly Brahmins, would partake food cooked only by their own community, that too in ‘madi’ – in wet clothes after their morning pooja.

The non-usage of onion and garlic continues even today at the Mitra Samaj, being run by his youngest son, Achutha Holla. The sweet delicacies on sale at the hotel – Badam (Almond) Halwa, Godi (Wheat) Halwa, Kushmand (Pumpkin) Halwa, Khai Holige (Coconut Pancake), Kadlebele Holige (Bhuna Chanadal Pancake) still are prepared at Achuth Holla’s home in the old customary way.

Mitra Samaj is open to its customers from 5:30 AM in the morning serving steaming idlis dipped in the renowned Udupi sambhar and the aromatic filter coffee. As the day progresses other items like Vada, Buns (mildly sweet Banana Puri), Biscuit Roti (Udupi Style Kachori), various dosas, Parota with kurma, Upma, Pineapple Shira, etc are available. In the evening, Goli Baje, the light-weight air filled maida pokodas fried in coconut oil, a great crowd puller is available. Various Juices and Milk shakes are available through-out the day. The unique Udupi Style meals are available across the road in the afternoons and evenings at the other outlet of Mitra Samaj. Both the outlets close operations at 9:30 in the night. Wednesday is the weekly off.

Mitra Café adjoining the Mitra Hospital on the Old Post Office Road is yet another outlet from the same group. In addition to the various South Indian foods, this outlet also serves North Indian & Chinese Cuisine and is run by Gopal Holla’s grandson, Sachin Holla.

Some online mentions of Mitra Samaj….

http://www.outlooktraveller.com/food-and-drink/in-search-of-authentic-udupi-cuisine-1006535

http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/in-search-of-udupi-sambar/article4791280.ece

https://acrazymindseye.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/idli-a-love-story/

http://www.rediff.com/money/report/udipi/20040427.htm

http://cookingwithgaurav.blogspot.in/2013/08/in-search-of-good-food-udupi-mangalore.html

http://www.thebetterindia.com/64613/india-famous-pre-independence-eateries/ - No. 19

References