I’m seeking comments for a community curated lunch for IndiaFOSS 2026. Every year we’ve arranged some caterer or the other. And we will this year as well. But what if the community could come together and try something a bit different, on a limited scale ?
Presenting… “Bengaluru Darshan”. Sample select delicious foods from the local food scene, handpicked by the community. Here’s the big picture:
This is what the plan looks like. A community member who wishes to suggest a menu item will add to this thread, the following info:
- A specific dish from a popular eatery. Need to mention vendor, item and typical cost per plate. Ensure that the specific dish is actually available on Sundays too.
- A line or two about why this dish should be on the menu. These require some local knowledge
- Indicate if the proposer can help to procure the item. Yes/No.
The community can potentially vote on the items later on a specific date if we get too many items and need to do a tie break. We’ll need to have enough menu suggestions for a complete meal, btw. Else this plan gets dropped. If the cost per plate exceeds budget, then we’ll have to do some jugglery. We’ll also have to figure out how many plates to order based on serving quantity. We’ll figure these things out… but let’s get there first!
Here’s how the logistics work…
We sent out a food survey last year to all conference attendees. Idea was to get a count of people showing up for various food slots, thus reduce food waste. If Bengaluru Darshan is on, then we’ll add an RSVP link to the food survey. This is sent two weeks prior to the conference. The menu is final at this time. It will be shown, and the food survey will clearly tell participants that this is “experimental, community curated”, etc.
On day 2, we’ll serve this menu for lunch to the RSVP confirmed list only; those not on the list get the regular lunch. Serving area is TBD.
Read so far ? Good. Now suggest a menu item if you have local expertise and opinions! Questions welcome too.
Btw, events like FOSS NIT Calicut do have volunteers serving food. Here the idea is to have the community play a greater role in shaping the conference. Experimental and small scale this year.
5 Likes
Item: Holige (Coconut or Dal or Pineapple or mixed flavors) from Holige Mane or other shops
Cost: 20-35 per piece
Why: Its a delight savory & treat to first time visitors 
2 Likes
Please ensure all these fields… example:
Item: Sakkare Pongal from Puliyogare Point, Basavanagudi.
Cost: 48 Rs per plate
Why: Yummy, fingerlicking goodness. Sweet variety of pongal. Jaggery. Dollops of ghee on this do wonders. Consistently cooked to good taste here, and locals swear by it!
Can help buy it: Yes
1 Like
Adding one more item for now, lest folks think it’s only sweets. We have a full meal to put together, so:
Item: Navane Bisi Bele Bath from South Kitchen, Basavanagudi
Cost: 130 Rs per plate (online cost. will check and update from store later)
Why: Bisi Bele Bath is the popular local rice sambar staple. This dish is a variant based on Foxtail millet. Light, mild goodness. Taste bhi, health bhi 
This hotel doesn’t use onion and garlic, and this is a dish that’s even Jain friendly (not a goal, but noting this just in case).
Can help buy it: Yes
Note: This is the same caterer that served breakfast last year, and maybe this year too. So simplifies logistics.
@Shree_Kumar - one suggestion for folks with specific food needs may be, we can ask the food vendors to help label the items (simple categories like - Jain / no onion no garlic / vegan etc). This will allow folks to choose with awareness.
2 Likes
Excellent suggestion. We can ask the food vendor (i.e. various hotels where we buy the dishes) and label roughly the ingredients ourselves. This menu will be tagged “experimental” anyways - as noted in the slides, and we’d certainly not want to discourage folks who have specific preferences, but are open to experimenting. e.g. a single plate of the Millet item above is a meal in itself. and most don’t eat as much as me This labelling will be a good way for us to be inclusive and experimental at the same time.
Hi folks,
I think this is a good idea and I would be excited to try some dishes. But, if we are at the point of labelling food, shouldn’t we also allow people to bring meat and seafood? I think that would more truly reflect the diversity of the cuisine in Bengaluru and in my opinion be the more inclusive approach.
I say this as a vegan- I won’t feel excluded if people bring dishes with milk or meat in them, as long as there are 1-2 dishes that I can also try. In any case, everyone might not be interested in eating all the dishes. It would be good if people could share whatever dish from Bengaluru feels special to them without being constrained by the ingredients.
Ultimately this is your idea so please feel free to ignore my views but thought it would be worth sharing my two cents. Perhaps others might have also felt similarly about this.
2 Likes
@Tarunima you’re right having non-veg would be more inclusive. It is kept veg-only for parity with the general menu served by the main caterer, manage costs(non-veg costs way more), and reduce complexity in logistics(sourcing vessels).
Bengaluru Darshan is seeking to get to an MVP with least friction. And right now, we need more folks coming in and suggesting dishes !
Not enough traction for this. So, I regret to announce that Bengaluru Darshan wont happen at IndiaFOSS 2026.
Anybody interested in this idea is encouraged to participate in United by Free F&B - Food & Books @ IndiaFOSS 2026. Thank you for your attention to this matter !
