A view of the Buhari Hotel, which had its origins in Colombo, came to Chennai in 1951, on Anna Salai. | Photo Credit: RAGU R
For decades, though I am sure things have changed since then, to most North Indians, Madras was the vast area south of the Vindhyas where a language called Medrosy was spoken. And this was where people ate dosa (pronounced doe-sa) and saambhrr off a leaf. Idly, doesa and saambhrr must have been our first significant export to the rest of the country in the 20th century. That also gives our city this image of being largely vegetarian, which it is not. The public perception was also vastly coloured by vegetarian hotels that dominated the catering business. Woodlands, Dasaprakash, Woodlands Drive In, Ramakrishna Lunch Home, Modern Café, Ambi’s Café, Geetha Café and others of their kind were the big names.
The first establishments that served non-vegetarian and that made it to the news seem to have been those that catered to high society – hotels such as Connemara and the Imperial. And then slowly in ones, and twos, you see mentions of Buharis. The Ponnuswamis, Velus, and other ‘military’ establishments were rarely featured in the news. What is interesting however is that eating out was looked down upon by high society. You ate at home. From then we seem to have come a long way. And what is more noteworthy is that there is no cuisine exclusively from the city. Much of it, even the present-day favourite, the biriyani, is from elsewhere. And the relatively minor presence of seafood is another mystery.
Controlled distribution
The first news items on food however deal with shortages of the very basics and that is how we continued till at least the 1980s. A severe system of controlled distribution ensured that people got some minimum quantities and there are columns in the 1920s devoted to this. Price and distribution control meant all the associated evils of black marketing, profiteering and attempts to palm off poor quality rice. There was suspicion of rice from Burma as well. We have come a long way when we seem to be forever searching for the exotic. Famines were regular visitors too and in 1939 we read of terrible conditions in Chengalpet where there was a water and food shortage. It is ironic that what was considered a district of waterbodies should have been reduced to that level.
As late as 1943, the Governor was appealing to the public about not wasting food at public and private events – a note of caution that is sadly absent today, but which is still relevant. Food came to be seen in plenty in the late 1980s and that is when we see profiles of some of the city’s eateries. Did you know for instance that Buhari’s had its origins in Colombo in the 1940s? That was an acquisition. A.M. Buhari was working in Sri Lanka, then Ceylon, when the Hotel Mardhana Buhari came up for sale and egged on by friends who felt the name would be propitious made him buy it. The hotel prospered only to be nationalised when Sri Lanka became independent. Buhari came to Madras in 1951 and began afresh at Mount Road. Chicken 65, now famous the world over, was not the 65th item on the menu as is commonly claimed but was introduced in 1965. This was the first dry chicken dish at the restaurant, which had till then served it with gravy. Later they tried Chickens 78, 82 and 90 but 65 held its ground and is now available in London as Madras Buhari Chicken 65 at various places! And we thought it was only idli and saambhrr that we were known for. Buhari’s still flourishes as does Woodlands but the Udupi restaurants in the city seem to have taken a beating. And there is even now an aching regret for Dasaprakash and more importantly, Woodlands Drive In, whose success and eventual demise was documented in The Hindu in detail.
Change in scenario
Come the 1990s and the food scene changes – the world seemed to have come calling. ‘World on Your Plate’, ‘Tokyo in a Bowl’ and ‘South East Asia on Your Plate’ are some of the headlines – and that gives you an idea. Despite this the ones that serve food on the leaf – be they the military or the vegetarian variety have held their own.
But the image of Chennai being the Madros of Madrosy fame that serves doe-sa and saambhrr will never die.
