Muthulakshmi, sugar cane juice seller
Periyasami Road, R.S. Puram
Muthulakshmi chops a piece of ginger into the sugar cane juice, sloshing in the glass. Next, she squeezes lemon and throws in a few cubes of ice and hands it to a tired biker, who grabs the glass and finishes the drink in a single gulp. “There is nothing more healthy than my sugarcane juice. It will make you hungry and fit,” she tells her customer.
Muthulakshmi and the sound of the wheels of her sugar cane machine is sheer bliss on a hot summer’s day. “The sugarcane is bought from Annur and Perur. It is a good season for karimbu. We get good business in the rainy season too. I earn at least Rs. 1,000 a day during the summer season,” she says. Students, office-goers and wayfarers throng her shop. Two college students on a two wheeler grind to a halt near her shop for a quick glass. One of them, Kajol, says, “We always visit this stall in the evenings; it is such a solace after a hectic day in college. And these are any day healthier than aerated, packaged drinks
Pandian and Brothers
Tatabad, near Sivananda Colony
Butter milk lovers will love this place. Pandian and Brothers has been around for a few years.
The best part about the stall is the fryums and salted mango pieces and chillies which are served along with the moru. Each glass costs Rs. 10. The peak hour is at one in the afternoon.
On a working day, the road is jam packed with bikes and cars. It has turned out to be a popular moru spot.
The place has become so crowded that that the owners have even relocated the snacks section to a different spot on the same street!
Ashok’s Water melon juice point
Bharathi Park Road, Sai Baba Colony
Ashok is determined that he will not change the price of his watermelon juice. Other fruit juice sellers might hike the price, but he refuses to budge. “Because, quality is all you need to make profit,” he feels. His watermelon stall sells each glass at Rs. 10.
Apart from water melon juice, he also sells mixed fruit juice, lychee, apple and pine apple juices.
Mahesh, a business man and his wife have stopped at his shop to enjoy a glass of water melon juice. “We pass this stall frequently and it is always bustling.”
Blessed with a canopy of trees, this road throws open other cool summer drinks options too. Mosambi juices, nungu, cut fruits, tender coconut….one is spoilt for choices.
Sri Jagannath Textiles
Moru pandal
Shanmugam road, R.S. Puram
Every summer, the Jagannatha Textiles Company sets up a moru pandal. It is an eight year long tradition. Here any thirsty soul is given a free glass of neer moru.
Inside the pandal, the moru is stored in mud pots to keep it cool. Two men, dressed in blue, hand out the glasses brimming with moru to the tired people. By noon, the pots are empty. But not for long as another vandi carrying cans of moru, pulls in and refills them.
C Srinivasan, an auto driver, is a regular here. He has been coming here for the past eight years. He even brings his passengers here! “And they love it,” he grins. “The moru has very little water. And it is prepared with chillies, pieces of ginger and lemon; it is healthy and delicious.”
