This visit to Prem’s Graama Bhojanam (PGB) is in conjunction with the awareness drive towards the upcoming Organics Millets International Trade Fair 2018, from Jan 19th-21st, 2018 (OMITF).
(See Contest details at the end of this post)
PGB is the concept of N S Krishnamoorthi (NSK) who is passionate about promoting local foods with an emphasis on millets, in an aim to create awareness about these ingredients and their health benefits.
Restaurants such as these, play a very active and key role in popularizing these foods that have been nearly forgotten and help in their resurgence.

NSK is a well read and well travelled person. He comes from a family that used to grow their own millets for years and hence his roots are steeped in the soil of his land. He is also a passionate cook and has researched and created several recipes.

He has studied the food habits and food histories of several communities and civilizations in detail, both in India and abroad. According to him, the fundamental of healthy eating is – Eat regional and Eat seasonal because genetically our systems are tuned to local foods and ingredients that are in season, are at the height of their nutritive value.

Several trials with ingredients and recipes over the years, with feedback from all cross sections of people and several travels through interior villages and small towns to learn their food habits, finally culminated in his quitting his coporate job and subsequently opening his first restaurant in Chennai, 3 years ago. The Minister of State (Karnataka) for agriculture, Shri Krishna Byre Gowda, chose to dine here on his recent road trip to promote the OMITF.

Despite being a trained baker, as far as his restaurant was concerned, he wanted to break away from that branch of food production and serve food in its local avatar.

The success of the first restaurant, prompted NSK to open one more place in Bangalore and this is managed by his franchisees, who just like him, have left their mainstream jobs to follow their passion.

Great thought has been put into naming the restaurant, and the usage of Sanskrit words is in order to make it understood throughout India. Prem meaning love, is also NSK’s son’s name and Graama Bhojanam translates to Village Food. Hence traditional food served with love, is how they want the place to be portrayed.

The value statement right at the entrance, declares their commitment to their beliefs.

PGB is housed in a bungalow in Jayanagar, along side a very busy street. Fortunately the sound does not carry inside once the door is closed and one can enjoy the meal in relative peace.