டெல்லியில் தென்னிந்திய உணவகங்கள்

இவ்வார தமிழ்மணம் நட்சத்திர பதிவாளர் வெங்கட் நாகராஜின் மேற்கண்ட தலைப்பில் எழுதப்பட்ட பதிவில் நான் பின்னூட்டம் போட்டால் ஏறமாட்டேன்கிறது. எனவே அப்பின்னூட்டம் ஒரு பதிவாக நான் இங்கே போடுகிறேன்.

Andhra Bhawan restauant s locted at Ashoka Road near India Gate. There full unlimited meals for Rs 90. NV items extra. Taste varies every day. If u go early, u get good food i.e. u shd go around 12 noon. Thereafter, quality deteriorates: recycled food only. Utensils r not washed thoroughly. But they warmly welcome u. Once u purchased ur coupon, u r their valued customer.

No south Indian hotel today in Sarojini Nagar. Karnataka Bhawan hotel in Moti Bagh, South Delhi, is hygienic and boasts of better ambiance but the cost of items s prohibitive. Quality s like any Udipi hotel. They don't know how to fry pappaadam (appalams). Coffee s so-so.

In Saravana Bhawan the cost s intimidating and the service discriminatory. Waiters focus only on north Indian customers for generous tips. Tips gathering s done in a crude manner: they wait like vultures; the moment u close the tips book; they pounce on it.

Aware of the fact that Madrasis or Tamilians don't offer generous tips, the watiers don't care for them. Only first serve and then the waiters don’t come near even if u signal them. The food s not as in their Chennai counterparts.

Andhra Bbawan and Saravana Bhawan prove the mercantile fact that once a brand s established, cheating begins.

Venkat does not know about restaurants serving Kerala food. There r many in Delhi. They serve kerala food moderate priced as if all keralites r mdoest. Nivedhanam the Kerala restaurant in Hauz Khaz s popular. Don't miss their Onam feast.

In Kerala House, which s walkable distance from Jantar Mantar, u get full and unlimited meals for just Rs. 35. NV items extra. Don’t fear to enter. It s open to all. No discrimination. Food s targeted at low income groups. But enough for anyone who want to have stomach full, with rasam, pappadam, two koottus, matta rice, buttermilk and pickle - all Kerala style. The low cost s due to waiver of all kinds of local duties to State Houses. If u r on an educational tour, take ur pupils straight to Kerala House for economical meals. 

Venket mentions Jantar Mantar and Mathews. But they r kaiyendhi bhawans. Mathews adjoining Tamil Sangam in R.K.Puram s poor in quality, recycled sambar. He re-uses same sambar old and new mixed. But his parotta kuruma s better, just for Rs 25 per plate of 2 parottas. His customers r previously all Tamilians, and now, only North Indians and a few Tamilians. Resident Tamilians eating out s a rare sight here. .

For Jantar Mantar restaurant, although a kaiyendhi bhawan, I shall give first rank. The cost of the items s like in Chennai. Affordable. Taste s like in Chennai. Sambar s given any no of times u like. Cooks r Tamilians.  The place is a sort of Hyde Park of London. In democracy in action: during parliament sessions, so many agitations: Vijaya Kanth asking for protection to fishermen; hunger strikes of Delhi University students to save the three facing noose in Rajiv case; Telengana agitation etc. Travel to the Jantar Mantar picnic spot and then, walk in the side road to reach it. Till night 1030 pm it s open. Don’t miss this kaiyendhi bhawan if u r a budget traveller. A further walk for a few minutes will take u to the aforesaid Kerala Bhawan.

In Munirka, all hotels r unhygienic and accommodated in claustrophobic dungeons in narrow alleys difficult to locate. Better to avoid them if you want good food. But they r godsends for eaters like students living away from homes who subsists on monthly allowances from parents. If u have the policy i.e. food s to fill stomach, nothing else, go there. Talking of students, I remember the eatery at Venkateshwara College, Daula Khan, South Delhi.  Fantastic.  Low prices. Don’t miss it.  Similar one in Tamil school Mandhir Marg. Cheap and mouth-watering dosas and vadais.

Ramanujam s closed. When they served, in quality, they r a great match to any high class hotels of Tamilnadu. Their coffee and evening tiffins - Oh my God - r heavenly. But it has become a thing of the past. It s forever closed. All good things should come to end one day, goes the proverb, doesn’t? Anna, Kamaraj, Ira Chezian, Vaiko - all such Tamil parliamentarians were regulars there and brought back to TN lovely memories. Ramanujam r philanthropists too. During the massacre of Sikhs in 1984, for 3 days, all markets and eateries r closed. Ramanujams served food to their regular customers keeping open the back door entry secretly  - FOR FREE! Karol Bagh was the worst affected area then.

Delhi and New Delhi r finished so far as Madrasi migration s concerned. Those who r living there now came here decades ago like Venkat. Now, the new comers proceed to NOIDA in UP and Gurgaon in Haryana, bordering Delhi, where I think, such restaurants r slowly coming up.  Hopefully, Venkat will travel there to explore and delight us with a detailed blog post.

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