When you’ve spent 45 minutes scrolling through delivery apps plagued with decision fatigue, it helps to have someone make the call for you. And who better than a pro? We asked three chefs what they order when the fridge is bare and the last thing they want to do is cook and they spilled the beans on their favourites that have earned their keep one late shift after another. Their picks cut through the noise; they know where to get real comfort food after a long, tiring day, or before it’s begun: buff congee, slow-cooked and peppery; kube mutli, a Mangalorean special clam curry with rice dumplings; rava upma, the kind of breakfast that makes a Sunday morning worth waking up for. Here’s what Bengaluru’s chefs trust when they let someone else do the cooking.
Joonie Tan, Kopitiam Lah
Joonie Tan
Phobidden Fruit Vietnamese KitchenPhobidden Fruit
- Phobidden Fruit
On a rainy or cloudy day, I always crave a bowl of something soupy, and for me that’s the Buff Congee at Phobidden Fruit (Indiranagar). It’s warm, hearty, and soothing—the kind of dish that makes you feel instantly better. - Nagarjuna
Having lived in India for 15 years now, some Indian dishes have naturally become my comfort food. Right at the top of that list is the Chicken Biryani from Nagarjuna (Ashok Nagar, J. P. Nagar, and Marathahalli). It’s flavourful, spicy, and deeply satisfying—even though I didn’t grow up with this cuisine, it has become such a big part of my comfort food cravings here. - Thai Basil
Another place I absolutely love is Thai Basil (Koramangala)—their Green Curry Fried Rice is my go-to. It’s fragrant, slightly spicy, and incredibly comforting. It’s the kind of dish that always lifts my mood and reminds me why I love Asian flavours so much.
Rajat Alve, Fireside
Rajat Alve
Dolphin’s Bar
- Dolphin’s Bar
Being born and raised in coastal Karnataka, my idea of comfort food always takes me back to the flavours of the sea. Whenever I want to unwind and eat something that reminds me of home, there are a few spots I find myself going back to. One of them is an old school bar called Dolphins Bar (Cox Town). What makes it special for me are their coastal delicacies but my favourite dish is the Kanthara chicken. It’s a dish made with tender chicken morsels, marinated in a punchy green masala. It’s wrapped in banana leaves and cooked till it’s nice and smoky. It has just the right spicy kick. - Mangalore Pearl
Another place I like is Mangalore Pearl (Ulsoor). They serve food in the simplest home-style way, exactly the kind you’d eat in someone’s house in Mangalore. I love their kube mutli. It’s a dish made of rice dumplings soaked in a coconut braised clam curry. It’s rustic, soulful, and brings back such fond memories of the coast. They’re ghee roast and neer dosa is something I can never resist either. It’s fiery, flavourful masala paired with soft dosas. It’s comfort food at its best. - Savoury
There are a few days when I’m craving a good biryani. Aside from the donne biryanis of Bangalore, I like biryanis from Savoury (Frazer Town). It’s a proper mutton biryani, with delicious pieces of lamb, cooked perfectly with some long grain rice and spices that make every bite so satisfying.
Kanishka Sharma, NAVU
Kanishka Sharma
Bengaluru Oota Company
- Honoré Bakery
From Honoré Bakery (Indiranagar), I regularly order their plain butter croissant. A quiet Sunday morning at home, coffee, music, and a croissant from Honoré is enough. Feeling the neighbourhood wake up slowly, remembering breakfasts I’ve had across Europe, slipping into cafés, feeling part of something larger than myself. A croissant is Parisian in spirit, French at its core, but also about the pursuit of excellence, which is tied to my love for French food. Also, life is too short to “eat non-salacious food.” (quoting Anthony Bourdain). - The Filter Coffee
At The Filter Coffee (Indiranagar), I always order the rava upma with sambar and chutney. It’s not fancy — and that’s exactly why it’s comforting. It takes me straight back to the kitchens I grew up in: my grandmother’s, my mother’s. Simple spaces, completely unpretentious, no excess, nothing ever wasted. The coconut is ground fresh for chutney, the upma light (roasting of rava is important), but full of vegetables — it’s food that teaches balance, precision, and restraint. All pillars in the NĀVU kitchen today. For me, it’s a plate that reminds me where I come from and why simplicity will always hold its ground. - Gautam Krishnankutty (independent chef)
When Chef puts something up for order, you move fast — because it’s gone in seconds. He doesn’t cook ten things; he cooks one or two, and he cooks them with a depth of knowledge that makes the food so layered. His take on Southeast Asian flavours is bold but comforting. I eat it greedily because it’s soul food of the highest order. His Hainanese Chicken Rice and Bo Zai Fan aren’t just dishes I enjoy — they’re meals that stay in my memory. - Bengaluru Oota Company
At Bengaluru Oota Company (Cambridge Layout), generosity and comfort are plated with every meal. My friend Divya Prabhakar runs it with a warmth that seeps straight into the food. Her mamsa pulao is the stuff of legend, and the comfort keeps rolling — pumpkin palya with akki roti, impossibly delicate banana-flower cutlets, Gowda-style chicken curry that feels like home yet tastes like nowhere else. It’s extraordinary that you can feel this food, not just taste it.
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