For those who grew up in Bengaluru during the 1990s and early 2000s, the memory of a thattukada or neighbourhood street food cart often begins the same way. A dimly lit cart at the corner of a road, and steam rising from vessels lined up in front of hungry customers. The menu was usually simple: tea, chaat, parotta and egg curry, perhaps with a special dish if you were lucky.Today, while the spirit of Bengaluru’s street food culture remains unchanged, the menu tells a different story. Along the rapidly growing Kothanur-Hennur stretch on the Hennur-Bagalur main road, street food carts and roadside eateries are serving everything from egg rice and chilli chicken, to BBQ chicken and homemade cheesecake. What was once a quick stop for tea and snacks has evolved into a thriving food scene that reflects the changing tastes of the city.The comfort of familiarityAround the stalls, conversations take place in Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, and Hindi. There are college students discussing their next deadline, and young professionals unwinding after battling Bengaluru traffic. Most of them are in the city chasing something bigger and better, having left home-cooked meals behind.Perhaps that is why places like these continue to stay alive.People do not come here simply because it is cheap. They come here because what these stalls offer has far greater meaning — familiarity. The sight of food being cooked in front of you while you sit a foot away, aromas wafting towards you, the comfort of sitting in a circle with your friends, plates balanced on your lap, and talking the night away.A crowd favouriteManjunath and his brother run Byrathi Dosa Camp and Hotel Ambi, which are some of the busiest spots on this stretch. Dishes such as ragi mudde and koli saaru, parottas, mutton chops, egg curry and donne biryani are among their most popular.