MTR - Mavalli Tiffin Rooms

The good
- Dosa are great

The bad
- cold bisibelebath
- extra noisy
- donot follow customization instructions

The ugly
- Bad hygiene
- Wet floors ( Even after mentioning and redoing 3 times )
- No forks

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 3

Service: 2

45 mins to serve Rave Dose when there
was basically no crowd and restaurant had 4 people combined.45 mins later the answer was “tawa isn’t hot so we can’t make dosa” 😂

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Great tiffin options.! Appreciate the swift service. Special shout out to chef Rakesh for a fun ghudbud dessert.!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

You definitely don’t get the authentic MTR taste here, but it’s a good option when you’re bored of cooking. On my recent visit, I tried the mini meals and felt most of the items — a few curries, gulab jamun, and curd rice — tasted like they’d been refrigerated, not freshly made. The bisibele bhaat was a bit too heavy on masala for me. That said, their dosa, idli, and buns with chutney are consistently good! Overall, an okay place — not quite like what you find back in India, but works when you’re craving South Indian comfort food.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Rava Masala Dosa, Rava Idly, Set Dosa, Chow Chow Bath, Gobi Manchuri, Uddina Vade, Benne Masala Dosa

I recently visited MTR to experience authentic Bangalore-style South Indian food, hoping for the same traditional taste that MTR is known for back home. Overall, it was a pleasant visit with a few highlights and one notable disappointment.

We ordered the Idli Vada Sambar Dip, Bonda Soup, and the famous MTR Masala Dosa. The idli and vada were both soft and flavorful, and the sambar dip was excellent — rich, aromatic, and very close to the authentic Bangalore taste. The bonda soup was also enjoyable, light yet full of flavor.

However, the biggest letdown was the signature MTR Masala Dosa. Traditionally, MTR’s dosa is known for its distinct flavor and the signature red chutney spread inside, but here it was missing. The dosa itself was quite thin and lacked the authentic texture and taste, making it feel a bit overpriced for what was served.

That said, the restaurant was clean, service was quick, and the overall quality of food (apart from the dosa) was impressive. If they could bring back the signature MTR dosa style, it would elevate the experience significantly.

In summary, it’s a good place for authentic South Indian food, especially for idlis, vadas, and sambar — just not quite the full MTR Bangalore experience yet.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Rava Idly, Rasam, Vada Sambhar

Masala dosa was very tasty 😋 must visit place if you are in Seattle. The one and only shop available in the city. No online orders.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Baale Ele Oota Adventures: The Science (and Comedy) of Banana Leaf Dining:

Sharing yesterday’s MTR festival food experience, the legendary Baale Ele Oota! Very tasty, very filling, and very...scientifically confusing if you are not trained in the ancient art of Karnataka Brahmin serving order. 😄

Imagine: giant banana leaves overlapping like a green ocean across the table; so big, we had to do leaf logistics to prevent leaf spillage. 😂

Now, here’s where the real fun began. The waiter came by first and confidently placed paapad in the bottom right, where Paayasa (dessert) is supposed to go first in the traditional order (yes, the sweet comes first, because life should start sweet!). Then came beans palya, then an unexpected pulav that gatecrashed the menu.

Meanwhile, I was playing food chess. Moved the paapads up, expecting the paayasa next, only for the waiter to sneak in pickle and salt right in the sacred dessert spot! 😆 Adjusted again. By now, I realized it was safer if I became the leaf traffic controller.

Then the sequence improved - Bisibele Bath (absolute winner 💯), curd rice (which the waiter proudly called “raita” 😂), followed by Khajaya, Mysore Pak, chutney, and saagu. Then came the hero moment: Shaavige Paayasa, finally, dessert at its rightful place! Grape juice with buttermilk very delicious and were available for refill as needed.

Mini dose and poori came ending the wait for chutney and saagu. Followed by obbattu, sambar rice, and even vanilla ice cream (because why not? tradition meets innovation 😋).

For those curious, there is a science behind this banana leaf serving order. Each section has a role:

Top left: salty and spicy (to activate appetite)

Bottom right: sweets and desserts (to cool and finish the meal)

Center: main dishes like rice, sambhar, and curry (the heart of the oota)

Sides: fried items, pickles, and condiments arranged for balance and digestion

It’s basically Ayurvedic meal architecture; geometry, biology, and gastronomy all in one leaf.

Moral of the story: In Karnataka Brahmin tradition, food isn’t just served, it is orchestrated. But when served by an international team in Seattle, it becomes a cross-cultural comedy with a full stomach and a happy heart. ❤️ Reminded me of food back home, for sure.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4

Definitely avoid !
—The Death by Chocolate had worst chocolate in it , it’s tasting like alcohol and Gud bud don’t call it signature and fool people … we are not! You call it authentic make it authentic, it’s so unfortunate !

Food: 1

One of the worst dining experiences for Indian food we had in the US. They had unlimited banana leaf meals on occasion of Diwali. The trouble was they bought food at a random order - for instance they were serving sambar first and rice at a very later point in time, and some of the food was either uncooked or overly salty or over spiced. Poori and karma was the best items. Dosa was a totally disappointment. The restroom was having no paper napkins. We had to remind the waiter what to bring and what not. Was totally not worth the price.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 2

Service: 1

This restaurant has a special place in my heart - their Rava Idly has been my favorite since childhood, and they absolutely nail it every single time.
Every time we visit, it genuinely feels like home. The food, the atmosphere, and the familiar flavors all come together to create such a comforting experience. Whether you're craving something nostalgic or trying South Indian cuisine for the first time, this place is a must-visit!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We went for the Diwali meal 2025 .Me and 7 of my friends suffered from stomach ache and food poisoning symptoms. The food seems to be very unsafe and badly stored. One of my pregnant friends was affected by this as well. The service was not at all up-to mark. Don’t recommend this at all and urge them to do better with food storage and safety.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Went for the Diwali meal, everyone in my group fell sick and had stomach issues from eating here. The food safety standards were definitely neglected in the rush to serve as many customers as possible for the special event. Diners should take a note that they can be served bad quality food and fall sick, before considering eating here. Really disappointing from the restaurant owners.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 2

Food safety is very bad. Food was adulterated. All my friends who had the dinner had a really bad stomach ache and had to suffer a lot. I will never recommend this place. Serving was horrible too.

Overrated !! Be prepared to wait - to finally taste an okayish food, and get back home with a sub par experience and a regret that you couldve gone elsewhere and had better food at half the price. The taste overall was mixed - The dosa had too much ghee and the idly was like batter - but the Vada was crispy and bissi bella bath was good. And FWIW, The anjappar very next door servers much better dosa chutney than here. It's okay for a casual visit - but not worth the wait in the line for 30 mins kinda hype & experience!

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 2

Tasty delicious food, long wait, quick service and family oriented atmosphere. We had the Combination plate (the green chutney was disappointing), Pudi Masala dosa, Goli soda and the Dessert: Chandrahara (the star of the entire meal!!) All of it was top notch. But my top 2 favourites would be Pudi masala dosa and Chandrahara.
There is always a long waiting list here, super busy, one has to enter, write down their name and the no.of diners; your name will be announced. Waiting time is killing. There are ample parking spots since it's a busy area with other restaurants and grocery stores. Kid friendly atmosphere since large groups done in.
It was worth the wait!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5