“Surprise me”, yes those are the words that you expect to utter at the counter of our spot for this week; usually it’s the menu that impresses people, boasting about the signature dishes and their prices, but the thing that impresses you here is the very paradox of not having a menu, hence every time you enter,you have the privilege of tasting something that you might never get to eat again or the bitter disappointment of missing yesterday’s special.
Today we take you to Dinoo’s- a very small place, deep down a flimsy lane cutting in from opposite the petrol pump on Falnir Road. The place is a little small with only four or five tables and there is a high possibility of not getting a seat, but that is a small price to pay for the adorable ambiance, the sophisticated taste, the extremely candid staff and that feeling that makes you say… “feels like home.”
A coffee break, a date with your girlfriend, a quick lunch after office or simply to bunk a college lecture, all excuses stand welcome and valid for visiting this setup and tasting the vivid variety of home-made recipes, put to the credit of the owner himself.
The counter greets you with a sign board saying “LIFE IS SHORT, EAT DESSERTS FIRST.” The words try to blow you away and our sincere advice to you is to let the words do their job. A wide array of desserts which are all too tempting and have the potential of giving you a sugar rush without even touching them. The creamy chocolate cheesecake is a must-have. Dark chocolate with a creamy soft base. One of the better cheesecakes you can sit and gorge upon in Mangalore for sure. The next item, ready to test your patience is the honey date pie. It’s perfectly common but then again it’s uncommonly perfect. Just the right amount of reddening to the crust, a glistening layer of honey on top, a beautiful soft gooey base and dates that make you fall in love.
Another unique feature the place boasts about is the liquor based desserts section which is easily one of the universal selling points of this outlet. The Kalhua mousse cake is a perfect example. The rum based cake is a perfect combination of a bitter-sweet symphony, the rum providing all the depth and gravity to the sweet taste of chocolate and the creamy mousse does any other small job left to pamper each and every taste bud present on your tongue. The Bailey’s soaked cake and The Drunken Ferreros are other local favorites.
A foodie’s life in Mangalore starts, survives, thrives and ends with just one day that every soul loves- Chicken ghee roast. The ghee roast sandwich is highly recommended which changes the sense of the original dish altogether and gives an essence of a modern reincarnation to the spicy ghee roast. The vegetarians are also in for a special dish, the cheese and paprika sandwich, which is the only of it’s kind in Mangalore. The cheesy filling blends extremely well with the red deceptive paprika, looking fiery but just playing around with a hint of chilly.
Other classics like the club sandwich, chicken Manchurain sandwich and Cheese chicken are also worth a try but not something that would stun you all the way. But all this is left to be done by one dish that manages it single-handedly… the chicken panroll, a frank fried oily roll that finishes within a couple of hours after opening and take you to a whole different galaxy altogether.
The place is highly recommended not only for the quality, the sophistication of the setup but also that lovely “anglo” taste coming out of an age-old kitchen making you nostalgic about your home. You feel that sense of being at home in every bite. It’s all worth the experience.
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