On the streets where you live

Roadside shops in Chennai offer a bewildering variety of food, discovers Arvind G.R.

July 23, 2014 06:26 pm | Updated 06:26 pm IST - chennai

Balaji sandwich stall outside Alsa mall Egmore. Photo: Vikas Vasu

Balaji sandwich stall outside Alsa mall Egmore. Photo: Vikas Vasu

Eating at road side shops might be worrisome for many, but a true foodie will experiment with anything that tastes good, so we go in search of some well-known food joints that turn out to be more popular than we expect them to be.

We first attempt to try a highly-recommended Kayendhi Bhavan in T-Nagar. The food cart, located across Natesan Park in T Nagar, is best known for its Podi Dosai. I taste and then devour the magically crisp dosas that almost tasted of home.

"The dosas are among the best I have ever tasted in Chennai. And it is offered at a very nominal rate, one even a student can afford,” says Shashwat B, a student at Jawahar Vidyalaya in Chennai.

“I love the way the food is treated in Chennai,” exclaims Baby, the owner of the roadside stall. "There is immense pleasure in serving food to the people here as they always seem to relish it.

I have been here for the past 23 years and it never gets boring," he says, watching us tuck into a hearty meal.

Our next pit stop is Kolkata Chats on CP Ramaswamy Road in Alwarpet. The chaat joint which has been here for 13 years is the best in Chennai, believes Arshad, an IT employee from Bangalore who is visiting the city. “I used to visit this place regularly till I got a job in Bangalore. Now, I always come here when I visit Chennai. I love their Pav Bhaji,” he says.

And I wasn’t disappointed. The tangy chutneys that topped my piping hot plate of channa-samosa lingered on my palate long after I polished it off. I also tried the gol-guppa, the delightfully crisp puris acting as a perfect foil to the finely seasoned potato and spice mixture inside. Stuffed, I decided to head home, promising myself another day of gastronomic indulgence.

The next day saw me visiting Alsa Mall where I was greeted by the intoxicating fragrance of chutney-slathered toasted bread. I order a bread-omelette with cheese and allow the spicy, flavourful chutney and melted cheese to coat my tongue. There is a distinctly homey feel to it and I enjoyed myself thoroughly.

For dinner, I decided to head to Matta food corner, an eatery established by Suresh Gregory Joseph, which goes all the way back to 1984."I have been seeing customers who have been coming in here for decades now. It’s fascinating to see the same people come down to the shop with their children or even grand children," he says.

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