Just as you part ways with the flyover at Thokkuttu on the Kasargod – Mangaluru highway, on the left, you will come across a bright backlit neon which says “Kodial”. It’s a sign that stops you in your tracks because it’s so arresting. There’s no way you can ‘fly over’ it especially if you are hungry – It’s a vegetarian restaurant that is a taste-bud’s delight.
And we were indeed hungry one evening a couple of weeks ago on our return journey from Deralakatte. So my colleagues and I stopped by for a bite and a sip of coffee. It was early evening.
When we left, not only were our bellies full, but we left delighted… with the ambience, the service, the hygiene, the savories we ate, (we ordered the Goli Baje, the Aloo Podi and onion Pakoda; it was suggested to us that we have their unique mini tiffin, but we didn’t want to fall asleep at the wheel on the highway back to Mangaluru), the coffee and an enlightening conversation with the restaurant’s managing partner Arun. We could have parked in front of the restaurant and ordered and enjoyed their veg delights in the comfort of our car – I believe they have a wonderful drive-in service – but we wanted to explore and enjoy the ambience of the restaurant. The menu on the table revealed to us the restaurant’s mouthwatering range of veg delights, but it just wasn’t the right time for us to savour them. We had to get back to work. But we made up our mind to return at leisure or maybe we will order through Swiggy and Zomato, their delivery partners.
Either way, we knew we would return to sample Kodial’s delights, but we also decided that we must recommend this wonderful veg restaurant to our brethren out there – It would be selfish on our part to keep this delightful taste to ourselves. And so here we are.
Mangaluru has always been famous for tempting one’s taste buds to do right by themselves with its delightful cuisine, especially vegetarian cuisine, which is today, famous all over the world. Because it’s here that that food is made with passion, love and care and Kodial restaurant does exactly that; its owners are passionate about vegetarian food.
Kodial Restaurant opened its doors to its growing band of loyal and casual customers 6 months ago on the 1st of February 2019, in the beautifully converted premises of a plywood factory, its ambience open, airy and inviting as is its ample parking space in front as you drive off the highway. With a plethora of flavors to gratify your discerning palate, this restaurant easily grabs your attention, with its signboard, ambience, service, and taste.
Kodial is Mangaluru’s name in Konkani, a language that is the lingua franca of many and understood by many more. It’s a pure vegetarian restaurant, only one of two in the entire area, and as the name suggests, it serves the flavor of Kodial with enthusiasm and a passion not seen in other restaurants’ in Mangaluru. It has already made it to our list of the best vegetarian restaurants in this coastal city of Mangaluru, and since it’s on the highway, even beyond!
Speaking to Newskarnataka, Arun, the restaurant’s managing partner, who has always been inclined towards vegetarian food, says that his dream of starting a restaurant serving vegetarian food is almost five years old. My dream became a reality with the opening of Kodial. “I came up with the name Kodial, because it emotionally connects people to our city; it feels like home, and represents simplicity. And that is what we are.”
The young Kodial Veg. Restaurant, which is open from 6 AM to 11 PM without a break is an oasis of great vegetarian food. It serves up multiple genres of vegetarian food, which include South Indian, North Indian, Chinese, Juices, Chaats and Ice-creams. Be it the butter masala Dosa or the ghee roast Dosa, Kodial gets it tastefully right. Arun told us that the restaurant is especially proud of its Paneer Tikka, Roast Vegetable in Thai Sauce, Gobi Manchurian among others – all this at a price that goes easy on your wallet.
It is said that you’ve thoroughly impressed a Mangalorean if you’ve got your Chai & Golibaje right, and Kodial does justice to that maxim. It impresses with its Chai and Goli Baje. We bear witness. This legen-wait-for-it-dary combo is a must try here. The food item which they highly recommend is their signature dish – The Grape Float Juice – a tall glass of grape juice with real juicy skinned seedless grapes floating in it is especially refreshing.
Kodial’s wholesome toothsome food in terms of quantity, quality and taste combined with its prompt service, hygiene, price points, and ambience are reasons to keep visiting this vegetarian paradise.
Don’t take our word for it; try it yourself.
