Karnataka Food Centre is located within the precincts of Karnataka Sangha located at Sector 12, Rao Tularam Marg, RK Puram, New Delhi
Karnataka Food Centre is my personal favourite for good South Indian (Kannada food) in that part of New Delhi.
Karnataka Food Centre is referred to as KFC by patrons and residents of RK Puram who frequent the restaurant.
Read more about Karnataka Food Centre RK Puram. Find its details, read about my experience, savour the photos and decide if Karnataka Food Centre is worthy of your precious order.
Do drop in your comments on my review too, if you please, with your feedback about the outlet. It’ll be great to have you share your experience as well.
This restaurant is not for you if:
Some disclaimers for you to mull over.
- You like posh and fine dining restaurants. This diner is quite basic by middle class standards.
- You don’t like sharing tables. Here there is no choice but to end up playing how-to-avoid-awkward-staring games with your stranger tablemates. The upside is that they may order something interesting and you can strike up a conversation with them instead of digging into your phone.
- You expect the owner/manager to treat you like you are checking into the Taj. Sorry, he doesn’t have the time and is a bit of a short fuse. Don’t let that deter you. Keep calm and eat the food.
- You like spicy sambhar. I read some reviews and they expected less sweet sambhar. But this place being in an area with sizable Punjabis has to do what it needs to do.
- You are very hygiene conscious. I know this one’s a bit difficult, especially for foreign folks.
Karnataka Food Centre (South Indian - Kannada Food) - Information Deck
Karnataka Food Centre Information
| Restaurant Location | More Information |
|---|---|
| Address: Karnataka Food Centre Sector 12, Rao Tularam Marg, R. K. Puram, New Delhi – 110 022 Phone No.: +9197172 78358 Cuisine: South Indian, Kannadiga Vegetarian Only: Yes Do they deliver: No Takeaway: Yes Do they cater outdoors: Not known Hours of Operation: 8:30AM – 11 PM |
Meal for Two: Rs. 500 Discount Available: No Bar: No Credit Cards Accepted: No! Cash and PayTM only Air conditioning: Yes Smoking Permitted: No WiFi: No Music: No Parking: Yes Outdoor Seating: No |
Karnataka Food Centre RK Puram
To get to the Karnataka Food Centre, you'll have to cross Shanti Niketan and take a U-turn from the Moti Bagh flyover.
I have been visiting Karnataka Food Centre place regularly since the 90s, actually 1991 when I was undergoing industrial training at the Maurya Sheraton – Hotel & Towers.
Back then it was my regular breakfast go to place, today, Karnataka Food Centre has evolved from a canteen setup to a full scale restaurant; tucked behind the Delhi Kannada Sangha’s elaborate building.
Now this restaurant is one of those legacies of South Delhi that are slowly vanishing for various reasons.
I would rate Karnataka Food Centre as the #1 for affordable Kannada style vegetarian food in this part of South Delhi.
Sure you may find Karnataka Food Centre place ever crowded, bit congested, a bit low profile on decor etc; but it is efficient and the waiting may not be too long.
Despite all this, it is not a venue for family parties or friends meeting up. Karnataka Food Centre is meant to have a quick, good quality and nominal priced meal.
Please note the following:
1. The street side parking area is free but small. It may not be able to accommodate more than 15 to 20 cars. There is an attendant to help at all times.
2. They do not accept Debit/Credit Cards. Payment can be made through cash or UPI only.
3. Public Convenience is available.
4. There is a Karnataka Silk Centre adjacent to Restaurant where you can buy Karnataka silk sarees, pickles and more.
5. Outside the main premise to the left is a petrol pump making this a good place to refuel man and machine at the same time.
The Cuisine at Karnataka Food Centre
Karnataka Food Centre Tadka Dhaba serves dishes inspired from South Indian Kannadiga cuisine.
The best South Indian Kannadiga food in this part of South Delhi for many many years. They serve freshly made, hot and delicious food.
Their seating is very basic and the ambience isn’t its high point. However still, patrons throng it for its sumptuous food delivered to the table with an utmost quick service.
However, the food is fresh, the service quick and the ambience family oriented. The prices are not hole burning to your pocket.
Karnataka food centre – restaurant interiors
You may have to wait in case you visit during lunch and dinner hours given the restaurant’s popularity but the wait is worth it.
Karnataka Food Centre - Interiors & Menu
Karnataka Food Centre - Karnataka Sangha
The food & beverage service at the Karnataka food centre has been quite rapid whenever I have stopped for a meal.
Karnataka food centre is able to cater to about 70 people simultaneously and is open from 8:30 AM until 11 PM.
It is run by the Karnataka Sangha and is famous for delicious and pocket friendly South Indian delicacies.
This food hub offers over 90 dishes in different categories and excites their customers with special weekday meal.
The menu here comprises mainly of snacks like Idli, Vada, Uttapam and Dosas. Besides, you also get the Regular & Maharaja Thali and Curd Rice.
Then there are the weekly specials: Pulao, Pongal, Tomato Rice, Tamarind Rice, Coconut Rice, Lemon Rice and last but not the least, the Kannada specialty Bisi Bele Bhath.
A variety of beverages are listed on the menu, though I never tried any, except for Filter Coffee.
The star of the menu is none other than Maharaja Thali. When I say that you can feast like a royalty, this is exactly what I mean.
An order-for-one-but-enough-for-all kind of thali. This consists of puri, rice, rasam, vada, chutney, kosambri, buttermilk, pulao, curd, papad, and the list goes on.
It is a very popular eatery among Delhiites, especially the Kannadigas staying in RK Puram and around.
A testimony to this is the number of people waiting outside for a table to get free in the evenings (more so on weekends).
There is no concept of exclusive table here. If a chair on your table is vacant, expect it to be taken by a stranger.
The prices have gone up slightly though are still affordable, and the food still remains the same – simple, wholesome and tasty.
Our Humble Meal Order
Karnataka Food Centre - Food Experience Review
Readers! Please note that this is not a review that has been paid for by the outlet or sponsored by an agency for the outlet.
We went for lunch yesterday and there was about a five (5) minute waiting. We managed to perch on the good seating arrangement for waiting patrons outside.
As we entered the premises we found it was quite full, but that has been the case always with Karnataka Food Centre. Being six (6) of us, a big table was allotted to us.
Menu were presented almost instantaneously and water as served along with it. We mulled over the menu for a few minutes and then placed a scattered order.
The first was for my filter coffee. The second order was for the entire table’s lunch consisting of:
1. Rava Mysore Masala Dosa – Their mysore chutney which coats the inside of the dosa is unarguably the best I have had in this part of Delhi. The dosa was good in texture and looks. The real great was its filling. The potato filling was nicely done – potatoes were cooked, mashed and spiced quite properly.
2. Podi Dosa – Podi Dosa came in a pair (2). They actually looked like Uttapams with a garnish. There was a lonely coat of podi smeared on the top surface of each.
3. Rava Mysore Paneer Dosa: It was perfectly prepared in desi ghee with a quite liberal stuffing of paneer, which made it crispy and crunchy to eat with coconut chutney and sambhar.
4. Onion Masala Dosa: Dosa that’s just made to perfection. Thin, crisp & delicious onion masala dosa served with masala
5. Plain Dosa: To the delight of the youngest member on the table, this dosa was well made to crispness and went very well with sambhar and chutney for the ten year old.
6. Dahi Vada: Dahi whipped with right amount of texture in it. Vada immrseed it it and layer with Boondi with a sweetness leave you with a sweet tooth. My brother-in-law and I did feel that the size of the vada were reduced.
Buttermilk: Butter milk which was very refreshing and had a bit of salty kick in taste.
This was followed by another order for Kulfi Faluda and South Indian ‘Paan’ at the exit.
If you are a kulfi lover, you can fulfil your dream of good kulfi here. The best part was the great taste of the Kulfi and the long strings of faluda.
The best part here was that the food is non oily, simple and delicious to taste. If you remember how old school Udupi restaurants were, then you know what to expect at Karnataka Food Centre.
This restaurant is not for you if:
Some disclaimers for you to mull over.
- You like posh and fine dining restaurants. This diner is quite basic by middle class standards.
- You don’t like sharing tables. Here there is no choice but to end up playing how-to-avoid-awkward-staring games with your stranger tablemates. The upside is that they may order something interesting and you can strike up a conversation with them instead of digging into your phone.
- You expect the owner/manager to treat you like you are checking into the Taj. Sorry, he doesn’t have the time and is a bit of a short fuse. Don’t let that deter you. Keep calm and eat the food.
- You like spicy sambhar. I read some reviews and they expected less sweet sambhar. But this place being in an area with sizable Punjabis has to do what it needs to do.
- You are very hygiene conscious. I know this one’s a bit difficult, especially for foreign folks.
To Sum It Up
Summing up my experience at Karnataka Food Centre
Karnataka food centre – the lord’s corner
I have been visiting Karnataka Food Centre place regularly since the 90s, actually 1991 when I was undergoing industrial training at the Maurya Sheraton – Hotel & Towers.
Back then it was my regular breakfast go to place, today, Karnataka Food Centre has evolved from a canteen setup to a full scale restaurant; tucked behind the Delhi Kannada Sangha’s elaborate building.
Now this restaurant is one of those legacies of South Delhi that are slowly vanishing for various reasons.
I would rate Karnataka Food Centre as the #1 for affordable Kannada style vegetarian food in this part of South Delhi.
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