‘PEOPLE IN MADRAS LOVE TO EXPERIMENT WITH FOOD’
As we wind up the Madras Week celebrations, Bhaskaran, a retired professional from a power sector company, reminisces about the food scene during the 70s, 80s and how the city embraced cuisines from across the globe
There are many food memories when it comes to a place like Madras. I started eating out only after I joined college. My friends and I used to search for places to eat, but we only had a few options. Our favourite was the Woodlands drive-in restaurant. Students from affluent families spent time there. At that time, there was a craze for Mysore food and this place offered tasty masala dosa, thayir vada and bondas. Opposite the US embassy, there was a complex that housed three theatres — Safire, Emerald and Blue Diamond. Safire is the first 70-mm theatre in India and people used to throng this place to watch movies. Blue Diamond had a seating capacity of 300 and the theatre played continuous shows throughout the day. You can watch movies at any time. During the daytime, one can find many college students and tourists in the theatre complex. They served mainly north Indian dishes like
chaat, paav bhaji, etc. Roaming around Marina beachside was one of our favourite pastimes during college. My friends and I just sit there watching the waves and gossip! We also discussed our future
— higher studies, job opportunities and so on. Vendors sold sundal, sliced mangoes and homemade murukkus.
While returning from the beach in the evening, we could see the rush in front of Buhari hotel in Mount Road. They served the best non-vegetarian dishes in the 70s. Apart from the various types of biryani, their mutton dishes were also famous among locals and visitors. Murali Cafe in Triplicane (I guess it is still there) was famous for its reasonably priced idlis and vadas. Another vegetarian hotel Shanti Vihar in Luz Corner, Mylapore, had family crowds coming over. People from the elite class dined out quite often. For others, eating out was a luxury. But today, dining out has become a matter of pride for many.
I lived in three localities in Madras — Purasaiwalkam, Ashok Nagar and Adyar. Luckily, I got to enjoy all types of food. Those days, we mainly get south Indian food in most of the localities. If someone wants to have Gujarati or Maharashtrian delicacies, they have to travel to Purasaiwalkam or Parry’s Corner. Today, you will get North Indian food in OMR and ECR as well. After I retired, I decided to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the city and we are residing near OMR now.
By the early 80s, Madras started witnessing restaurant chains. People here love to experiment with food and it didn’t come as a surprise when multi-cuisine restaurants opened across the city. With the influx of people from other states and countries, Chennai became popular for its various food joints.