Nowadays, all roads lead to Old City. Thanks to the holy month of Ramzan, people from across the city have been regularly going to the eateries for a mouth-watering fare.
As the sun sets and devotees break their fast, the restaurants here open up for feasting.
Crowds trickle in at over a dozen restaurants to taste a mix of Mughlai, Chinese and Arabian food which the restaurants offer. Right from the ‘haleem’ to ‘kebabs’, ‘kheema khichdi’ to ‘gurda’, ‘paya’ and ‘naan-ki-roti’, a wide spread of sumptuous food is offered at a comparatively low price all through the night.
Every restaurant is popular for its variety of food.
Arabian FoodThe Barkas Road stretch is the new address for Arabian food in the city. At least 10 new restaurants have come up on the one kilometre stretch offering many dishes.
Right from the most popular Mandi, a traditional dish of Yemen prepared with rice, meat (lamb or chicken) and a mixture of spices, to its variants such as prawn Mandi, butter Mandi and fish Mandi are offered here.
This apart, Kabsa, a popular dish from Saudi Arabia, is a hit in these food joints. “It is well within the reach of people, as we have priced it between Rs. 200 and Rs. 500 a plate,” says Abdullah Bin Masood Bashadi, proprietor of Mataem Al Arabi, a popular hotel at Errakunta.
Hotels and restaurants not only ensure that good food is served, they also take care to provide an Arabian ambience.
Khichi kheemaIqbal Hotel at Purani Haveli is one of the popular hang-out where people come for an affordable ‘Sahr’ (pre-dawn) meal every day. This hotel is synonymous with ‘khichdi kheema’ during Ramzan. Mohd. Ilyas of Iqbal Restaurant, Purani Haveli, says, “People start coming to the eatery from 2.30 a.m. itself.”
Many other restaurants on the Shahalibanda – Pathergatti stretch offer a variety of non-vegetarian items as part of the ‘Sahr’ menu. Rates vary depending on the hotel and the dishes. Activity in these restaurants starts well after midnight and as the time for the pre-dawn meal nears, the rush increases.
South IndianDuring Ramzan, several roadside eateries offering idly, dosa and vada also come up on the streets of old city. What makes these dosas different from the others is that one can also get non-vegetarian dosas such as keema dosa, chicken dosa and egg dosa. Similarly, one can also taste dry fruit dosa and honey dosa.
Many makeshift eateries have come up at Shahalibanda, Charminar, Mahboob Chowk, Madina Building and Pathergatti. Unlike the regular shops which conduct the business in the mornings, these eateries open around 9 p.m. till the early hours of the day.
SnacksFor all those looking for a quick grab while browsing the Old City, several small roadside eateries offering mirchi bajji, aloo bajji, egg bajji, pakodi, dahi vada and other snacks come in handy. A plate of it costs between Rs. 20 and Rs. 40 depending upon the place you buy it from.
For those who want to get the highest variety of eatables prepared using besan, then the road stretch near the Alhamdulillah Hotel in Mallepally is the place to visit. A few kiosks here prepare about 25 kinds of refreshments.
Qahwah – Arabian BeverageSeveral outlets prepare and serve Qahwah, an Arabian drink prepared using a concoction of spices and coffee beans. A glass of the beverage costs Rs. 20 and the prices are uniform at all the outlets. “There is a huge demand for it during Ramzan as people want to explore different foods and beverages,” says Mujahid, who sells Qahwah near a popular eatery in Shahalibanda.
