“The Local Food Capital”
“Hungry Kya” is a very famous one liner of a big MNC eatery; though the one liner applies only to the eatery it would be very apt to describe an area and its gastronomy pleasing eateries. Yes we are speaking about Purasaiwalkam one of the oldest parts of Chennai. If one was to enlist 10 varieties of food it can be confidently stated that there would be 8 or 9 restaurants in this locality that would be having these varieties in their menu.
Pursaiwalkam or “PushWakkam” as many north Indians spell it is a locality bustling with activity. There have been many celebrities like Director Vittalacharya or writer RK Narayanan who made this locality their haven. “ Purasaiwalkam has been known and will be known for its food business” states Mrs.Lakshmi Govindarajan even though she has been staying in another close by locality (ayanavaram) she considers this place as a home away from home. “Going to Purasaiwalkam to eat was often like a picnic or a family get together” she reminisces. “If Triplicane has its Ratna café we have our Welcome” says Mr.Anand Daga. “Me and my friends frequent Welcome Hotel on Purasaiwalkam High road after cricket on Sunday mornings, we used to come here not only to have fun but also to drink the delicious sambar” he concludes. Since when did sambar become a juice??Well Mr.Anand is not alone here there are people who are crazy about the sambar that is available in the restaurant. “I prefer the Saravana Bhavan sambar though” states Nithish a student studying in the nearby Alagappa Matriculation. “Especially when it has a vada and some onions in it!” he elaborates eyes wide.
Have we ventured into a Sappaturaman’s (Someone who lives to eat!) arena? The answer is mostly a “Yes”. Purasaiwalkam stretches from the end of kellys (marked by the towering Uma Complex) upto the beginning of Vepery (also marked by Chengalvarayan Poly Technique) right from the beginning upto the end Purasaiwalkam is filled with gastronomic delight homes! “People set up hotels here as it was close to many theaters that were in its prime” recalls Mr.Senthamarai “ Uma theater, Roxy etc., used to run a lot of Vathiyar’s(MGR) movies people after elation of their minds would proceed to hotels nearby to elate their taste buds” he concludes. Even today we can see the hotels near Uma complex such as “Hotel Heerah” or “Hotel Sanmar” doing brisk business even though the above mentioned movie homes have either closed or have been converted to residential complexes.
As you go towards Tana Street one tends to notice many food vendors selling goodies on the road. “My great grandfather started this Idly kadai way back in the 1930’s” states Velan proud owner of a street side Idly stall or to put it locally a “ROAD OORA IDLY KADAI” if u think it’s only the down trodden who come and eat here you couldn’t be more wrong. As the conversation was going on with Velan one notices SX4’s and Fiestas coming to a halt next to the “kadai” and tasting the hot idlys. “Tomorrow if u come to this place I will not be here” he continues “I keep moving as at times there are problems with the authorities” he states.
Purasaiwalkam is not only a gastronomic heaven but also a shoppers dream there is not a single thing which one does not get here. People who come to shop here generally come with an empty stomach once their shopping is done they proceed to explore the tasty variety available in and around Purasaiwalkam.
Inside The Abirami Mega mall one notices a variety of restaurants functioning under the Planet Yumm brand along with newly established joints such as Burger King etc., nothing better than a movie and some food! There is also stiff competition for the existing hotels like Raj Bhavan from these new ones.
As one moves deep into the centre of Purasaiwalkam there are restaurants such as Welcome(mentioned earlier) Sandhya, Hot Chips etc., The last two specialize in making samosas which are sold out as soon as they are made. The Bakeries also have a field day on all Sundays when Christian flock to their respective churches. McRennet a global brand has an out let here along with a stream of Hot Puffs and Iyengar Bakeries. Also there are some really good Sweet Stalls which are not very well known outside Purasaiwalkam such as Babu Sweet Stall in Tana Street along with a few established ones like Sree Krishna Sweets, Adyar Anandha Bhavan etc.,
How does one decide where to go and what to have? “If I’m feeling very dull and depressed a trip to Welcome Hotel and a taste of its Sambar and coffee would cheer me up immediately” says Deepan Chandru a Doctor by profession. “Irrespective of my mood I used to go to Hotel Venkateshwara , it’s very sad that it has been shut down now” he says with sadness looming large in his eyes.
Some thing was missing…..oh yes Non Vegetarian delights “ You should try out the Mutton Fry and Egg Masala at Ganesh” says Varun rapidly licking his lips. Ganesh and Egg masala??? “Yes the non veg available there is mind blowing” he continues “Its located at the end of Flowers road, even though its ambience is not exactly delightful the food makes up for it”. “If not Ganesh even the road side eateries provide decent stuff” he states firmly summing it up for us.
As stated by many, Purasaiwalkam is a real heaven for people who appreciate the art of cooking and the delight one gets in consuming these heavenly portions. So there is no fallacy in calling Purasaiwalkam “The Food Capital”
