MADURAI: Food and films make for perfect pairing. At the newly-launched Cine Suvai at Apollo crossing, you get both. Housed in a ship container, not only is the décor impressive, the food is good too.
When you step inside as a first timer, the attention automatically shifts to the props, names, and elements that define cinema. It is only after taking a round of the two-storied restaurant, that you sit down to satiate your taste-buds.
Placed on a 1200 square feet platform and docked between a pharmacy and a small hotel, the restaurant has two dining halls named Screen 1 and 2, as you find in multiplexes.
Relaunch of Bell Tiffin Centre as Cine Suvai
The kitchen is named called The Editor. The cash counter is named Box Office. A real vintage movie reel and box of the Tamil movie Managaram is kept near a photo wall that as a collage of the notable movie posters. From the first Tamil sound movie Kalidas to the recent ones, the wall is lit by lights used for film shooting and serves as a nice selfie spot.
As people are used to seeing the Censor Board’s Certification at the beginning of every movie, a funny version of the certificate has been named Central Board of Food Cinema and is hung on both the ground and top floor eating areas.
Film posters with dialogues related to food grab one’s attention. For instance, Rajnikanth’s poster from Pettai with his dialogue ‘ Eppaiyum love oda cook panunga, appo thaan suvaiya irukum’ (cook with love always, only then it will be tastier), finds a prominent place.
Another one from the movie Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam where the hero Sivakarthikeyan and comedian Parotta Suri get disappointed after expecting kari kulzhambu at a wedding feast, says “ Sothula sambara (sambar rice?!).” An old comedy scene from Oorkavalam has actor Radhika trying to please her husband (Rajnikanth). She mistakenly wakes him up at midnight and compels him to eat while he is drowsy. ‘ Saapdunga athaan (Eat darling),’ she says.
The posters colour the walls and add a dash of humour to the atmosphere. “Diners are amused and actually pause to read the posters,” says the owner Vichitra Rajasingh. As a novelty, the images have also been printed on the dining mats and the menu card.
Finally, when it is time to eat, we meet waiters dressed as famous movie characters.So you can have Nesamani-Vadivelu from Friends or Vijay in Mersal serve you peshawari butter chicken (succulent pieces of chicken tikka in creamy curry) or the Amritsari fish curry (soft fish fillet in wholesome curry from Punjab).
The menu has dishes from different parts of the country that are usually available in the city only during some specific food festivals. For instance, the mutton rogan josh from Kashmir or Lucknow’s famous galouti kebabs made with minced meat, and the garlicky paneer malai tikka tasteauthentic and stand-out for their flavours.
The restaurant also serves biryanis, barbecue and Chinese besides the common South Indian curries.
Two people can enjoy a meal for ₹500 to ₹750.
The place is attracting lot of young crowd, according to Vichitra, who decided to relaunch the erstwhile Bell Tiffin Centre as Cine Suvai. The vanity lights lining the front façade of the restaurant stand out at night in the crowded area.
