SOMETHING FROM SOUTH

Hungry  in  Delhi

 

BY APURVA RAI

South Indian is the most common choice for most of us when we are looking for something sumptuous yet light food. For me and my family too south Indian delicacies take the front seat as we all love the varieties and flavours it offers. Since childhood I have been visiting several South Indian outlets in Delhi and some of them, are quite famous as well. The restaurants that I review here only a select few though there are numerous little knows places besides street vendors where you can get some very tasty dosas and idlis.

 

 

SARVANNA BHAVAN

Janpath, Connaught Place, New Delhi

HAVE been to Sarvanaa Bhavan a couple of times earlier too. Every time I come here I decide that next time I will visit some other south Indian restaurant but somehow we come to this place, at last. What do you order first when in a South Indian restaurant? Obviously, dosa! The dosa at Sarvanaa Bhavan is tempting at first glance but you get disappointed when you find the filling too meagre. You get three types of chutneys and sambar. Remember, no refills. So be careful and manage with all the stuff that has been served to you. I am finding a strange trend coming up these days. Restaurants are becoming thrifty in servings while on price front they do not hesitate to increase it as and when they find it good. Has profitability become more important in food catering which too is part of the service sector? How much chutney can be served in that small groove of your plate and how much of sambar do you get in that tiny katori (steel bowl)! Indeed, food catering has become a good profitable business these days. I tried the south Indian Thali which came with several small katoris containing different vegetables; you get three pooris, a bowl of rice, papad and pickle. The vegetables were good and gave me authentic south Indian taste. Now my take on pooris. First, not the right idea to serve three pieces. In India three is not treated with respect so it makes no sense to serve three. It could be two large pieces or for relatively small pieces. Second, the pooris were so thin that when did they flew off my plate I myself could not understand. The vegetables in Thali were very very hot and I kept sipping water with each bite. Too many small pieces of round dry red chillies. Very hot. Not recommended for small children. We tried to have something different and ordered a plate of parotta with kurma. One plate consists of three small parottas with little kurma, or south Indian vegetable. The quantity of kurma was again small and I missed raita and pickle as well. The butter milk is good, chilled and filling. The ambience is decent with no background music. I found air-conditioning a little weak. Overall, good place for one or two visits. I think nobody would prefer to make repeated visits to Sarvanaa Bhavan.

ADYAR BHAVAN

Green Park, New Delhi

Yet another place in Delhi where you can savour some authentic south Indian food. I have been to this restaurant, located in the upmarket Green Park, south Delhi, several times earlier too. I like the food and it's preparations.

AMBIENCE: First impression is very important and this restaurant doesn't score much. It has a simple outlook that doesn't give you any impression of being in a south Indian outlet. There is no decor as such and no south Indian music playing. Yes, get to shelves filled with south Indian namkeen packets and pickle bottles. There are south Indian sweets on display and sale alongside north Indian counterparts.

FOOD & PRICES: When you do not get a hitting ambience you look for some good food that satisfies your taste buds as well as fills the tummy too. Talking of taste the Adyar Bhavan scores well.. in fact, four stars. When it comes to quantity it scores two points only. We had mix veg Uttappam. We got two small size pieces along with sambar, coconut chutney and gun powder chutney. It was soft by could not fill the stomach of my better half who already has an appetite that matches a small kid. Let us talk if south Indian fixed menu Thali. It comes with a wide variety of South Indian vegetables, a choice of either two puris or two chapatis, a bowl of rice and papad. The restaurant seems shy of giving good servings and that is why, perhaps, puts up small steel katoris (bowls) for the vegetables. Since it is fixed menu food you cannot expect refilling and therefore have to manage puris and rice with all the stuff that you have in front of you. This is the difference between Karnataka Sangh outlet in R K Puram and Adyar. In Karnataka Sangh, you are served vegetables in large katoris that fills the stomach and allow you to have a taste to your fill. Dosa, the most common food item on demand, is crispy and has a tasty potato filling.

NORTH INDIAN FOOD: The restaurant also offers all north Indian foodstuff and Chinese food to cater to the needs of the complete family. I have seen lots of children opting for regular chowmein and Manchurian. You also get all varieties of chaat minus aloo tikki. Since the servings are small or do not fill your stomach well, if have a good appetite or if you are very hungry, you cannot do away with a single dish. You have to order more and that inflates the bill. The prices match any other restaurant but it is quantity that makes the whole difference.

ONLY VEGETARIAN: Adyar Bhavan serves on vegetarian food. So don't expect those non-veg dishes with Chinese food etc.

DISLIKE: The restaurant serves food on yellow colour plastic plates which I didn't like at all. Another thing I disliked was the reluctance in giving a second serve of sambar or coconut chutney. We asked for sambar and it took more time than expected to reach the table. Then we had to ask for chutney again. Otherwise, what happens in other restaurants is just the opposite-- the waiter keeps an eye on you and serves the sambar/ chutney much before you could ask for it. A good place to taste South Indian food at the end. A good and safe place to sit with your family in a sober atmosphere.

 

UDUPI

ITO, BSZ Marg, New Delhi

I have been visiting Udupi Café at ITO, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi since childhood. Later when I started my career as journalist and started working in Patriot newspaper Udupi became regular.

Even today I visit Udupi along with my family decades after I left Patriot. My mother, wife and son too prefer not only for its delicious food but also because for its central location.

Udupi is a small, good for a bite while you somewhere around central Delhi and are not looking for a swanky, luxurious place for lunch or dinner. Small, reasonable and quite nice place with good south Indian taste within budget is what describes Udupi best.

You get good dosas-- well cooked and crispy, vadas, idlis, upma and a variety of rice dishes. In summer their buttermilk (chaach) is a great hit—mildly flavoured with a dash of fresh mint. The south Indian filter coffee is perfect to wind up. I really like the typical south Indian style of serving coffee, i.e. it comes in a small stainless steel tumbler and a small bowl or katori. The south Indian Thali is served only in the afternoons. The servings are sufficient but not unlimited. So, if you happen to like some vegetables and want more of it you have to order it separately.

Overall, it is great eating at Udupi in a modest environment and prices.

 

KARNATAKA SANGH

This is one my favourite restaurants to relish South Indian goodies, be it paper masala dosa, mix veg utthappam, or south Indian thali.

In fact, I started visiting this restaurant in my childhood days when my father would take me there for a plate of vada or dosa. Since then this outlet is one of my most preferred destination for south Indian food. Later I introduced this place to my wife and my son who equally appreciate the south Indian flavours of Karnataka Sangh. I should not hesitate to say that my family’s three generations have been visiting this south Indian outlet for the last about five decades.

The price is a pinch higher when compared to your local south Indian restaurant. Since this outlet is located on Rao Tula Ram Marg in Moti Bagh, New Delhi, you are not able to visit it as frequently as you would like to. This is one major reason why I am also not able to visit it as frequently as I would love to.

The food quality is uncompromisingly good and not match the original South Indian taste that you are looking for. I love their Thali for the simple reason that I get to savour some veggies cooked in typically south Indian style. Till a few years ago they served unlimited vegetables and rice in thali but not now. For me, personally, this is very discouraging.

On weekends this place is very crowded and the waiting time is very high. The main reason for the longer waiting time is the dining at Karnataka Sangh is not as large as it should be to accommodate a good number of guests at one time.

I cannot resist visiting Karnataka Sangh whenever I am in south Delhi. I prefer to be here during lunch or dinner time and nothing better to enjoy south Indian goodies whenever you are hungry in Delhi. Highly recommended for those who love South Indian vegetarian food.