Sydney foodies, get ready: Bengaluru's legendary MTR is heading your way

Sharing pictures of himself enjoying dosa, vada, filter coffee and other South Indian favourites, Hill wrote on Instagram, "MTR is coming to Australia! Bengaluru's iconic heritage restaurant, over 100 years old, Mavalli Tiffin Rooms is franchising in Sydney. Literally the best dosa ever."

The post has generated excitement among Australians as well as the Indian diaspora, many of whom have long associated MTR with authentic South Indian food.

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For food lovers, Sydney will soon join a growing list of cities where they can experience MTR outside Bengaluru. The restaurant already has outlets in international destinations such as Singapore, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Seattle, Toronto and Bristol, besides operating in several Indian cities.

Why is MTR so famous?

MTR's story began in 1924, when brothers Ganappaiah Maiya and Parameshwara Maiya started a small eatery called Brahmins' Coffee Club on Lalbagh Fort Road in Bengaluru. After Parameshwara Maiya's death in 1933, their brother Yagnanarayana Maiya took over and renamed it Mavalli Tiffin Rooms (MTR).

The restaurant moved to its current Art Deco building on Lalbagh Road in 1959 and was among the first to introduce an open kitchen, allowing customers to watch their food being prepared.

It is also widely credited with creating the now-popular rava idli. During the Second World War, rice shortages forced the restaurant to experiment with semolina (rava) and sour curd instead of rice, resulting in a dish that went on to become a South Indian staple.

A century-old brand continues to grow

Today, MTR is run by the third generation of the Maiya family, including Hemamalini Maiya, Vikram Maiya and Arvind Maiya.

Its first expansion outside the original Bengaluru restaurant began in 2004, followed by outlets across Karnataka, other Indian cities and overseas.

With Sydney set to welcome its first MTR franchise, Australians—and anyone craving an authentic South Indian breakfast—will soon be able to enjoy the restaurant's iconic dosas, filter coffee and rava idli much closer to home.