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Visakhapatnam
Food Jn. - a pleasant interlude
Photos: C.V. Subrahmanyam
A family having lunch.
Not long ago, railway passengers, coming to the metro from various places in the country on business visits or on short pleasure trips, used to curse themselves for not carrying eatables from home. Those who believed that there would be good restaurants at the Railway Station were in for a rude shock.
There was no restaurant worth its name in the vicinity of the railway station, where the tired passengers could have snacks and meals. The Visakhapatnam Station is perhaps one among the few major railway junctions in the country, which does not have quality restaurants and hotels located close to it. This genuine grievance of not only the passengers but also those who go to the railway station at odd hours, to receive their near and dear, remained unsolved for long.
Thanks to the construction of railway quarters and bungalows all around the station, there is hardly any place left for construction of hotels and restaurants close to the station. The food junction, `Ambica Flavours', opened promises to fill the gap.
The multi-cuisine restaurant, opened exactly one week ago, is drawing good crowds. Right now south Indian and tandoori delicacies are available and Continental and Chinese cuisines would soon be added to the list. Idli, dosa, puri, chapatti, meals, soft drinks, fresh fruit juices, beverages, burgers... the list goes on and on.
Passengers who are in a hurry to catch a train can have their fill at the `Fast food' section and conveniently rush onto the platform, walking across the restaurant. It is the first food junction in Andhra Pradesh and the seventh in the country, which has the approval of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, New Delhi.
Those who have time to spare like the passengers, whose trains are running late, and those who go to receive their relatives and friends can sit in air-conditioned comfort and sip their favourite soft drink or have the snacks of their choice.
"The fast food section can accommodate about 90 persons at one time and the air-conditioned restaurant has a capacity of about 50. Apart from commuters, the general public can also utilise the restaurant, where they can get almost everything under one roof," says the proprietor of Ambica Flavours, Ambica Prasad.
"Our idea is to match the needs of the customers. In the few days that we are here, I have seen that there is a wide variation in the food habits and tastes of passengers hailing from different states. We are analysing things and very soon, may be in a month, we hope to satisfy all our customers," he says.
Milk and dairy products, ice creams, bouquets and a lot more would be available at the restaurant in the near future. The idea is to meet the food needs of the whole family. Plans are also on the anvil to set up a browsing centre and a travel desk for the convenience of tourists.
A proposal is on the cards to open a chain of restaurants on the brand name of `Ambica Flavours' not only at railway stations but also in important centres all over the State, with participation of franchisees. "We own the three star `Ambica Empire' in Chennai and have been running it successfully for the past four years. The Ambica brand has carved a niche for itself in the market. We are more worried about upholding that goodwill rather than making profits," Mr. Prasad said in response to a query on maintaining the food quality.
The service counter at the Fast food section.
Tollywood Restaurant
The restaurant has been named `Tollywood restaurant' to attract the attention of the people. The photographs of stars from the early days of cinema to the current favourites adorn the walls of the restaurant. Interestingly, all the stars featured on the walls are males. "We do not wish to earn the wrath of the heroines and we will feature some of them on the tables in the restaurant in an innovative way," he disclosed.
The AC restaurant makes one forget for a moment that he is at a railway station.
"The food quality is comparable to that served at star hotels in the city," says a businessman, Siva Kumar, who had lunch with his wife and son at the restaurant.
The Waltair Division of East Coast Railway is fortunate to get the approval from the IRCTC for setting up the food plaza. "It was largely due to the efforts of the divisional officials, particularly, the DRM, V.N. Tripathi, which helped us in getting the facility," says the Senior DCM, C. Venu Gopal.
"The commercial officers are empowered to inspect the plaza. They can recommend action to the IRCTC, if there is any compromise on quality," he adds.
It is high time passengers went on a gastronomic journey at the multi-cuisine restaurant before or after their actual journey.
B. MADHU GOPAL
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