Vaazhai ilai saapadu

 - the panacea for mobile phone addicts!

From my Vijayawada Diaries

For a South Indian, especially a Hyderabad bred Tamilian who has a penchant for full-meals saapadu, moving to Vijayawada, the first information I got was "Aah, Food is not a problem!". Well and truly this heartland city of Andhra Pradesh offers a wide variety to suit one's taste buds and more to a gourmet's delight.

I found myself at home with the numerous tiffin centres and the Andhra Mess serving hot and spicy meals typical of the region. However, I was missing home, missing that simple food.

One cloudy afternoon I strolled into a street with some expectation. It was named after Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari. The name evoked feelings of familiar terrain, but there were too many electronics and computer peripheral dealers dotting the place. For a moment I thought it was Chenoy Trade Centre, Parklane, Secunderabad or Ritchie Street, Chennai. Then I spotted the welcome board - 'Meals Ready', hungrily I walked into the restaurant.

"Take token at counter", said the old waiter. The genial owner sitting at the cash counter smiled as he handed over the change and a token. The radio behind him was playing retro Hindi music on Vividh Bharati. 'Mann chahe geet' and lazy hot afternoon lunches can get one nostalgic, reminds of School days! Kishore Kumar’s voice ‘Koi laute de mere beete huve din’ is soon lost in the aroma and cacophony inside.

The place had an air of the old-world-charm of a Mylapore Mess. The well laid out vaazhai ilai (plantain leaf) was enticing enough to expect a feast. The first item on the leaf was akkaravadisal (sweet Pongal), I learnt later, that they serve rava kesari on alternate days, my eyes brightened up - the TamBrahm choices are so predictable. I got lost in the paruppu (dal), vellarikka kootu, vendakai poriyal, moru kozhambu, even as I was busy sifting through WhatsApp messages with the other hand. This was followed by the favourite sambar accompanied with appalam. It was at this moment that the waiter cautioned me to look away from the Mobile phone.

He just said "saar, rasam!". Lo, the phone is put aside as the Tamizhan skill of balancing the ends of the vaazhai ilai comes to the fore as the rasam runs across the rice to all corners. What followed was a mobile-free involvement in enjoying food. The meal ended with the customary thair saadam with suvaiyana Andhra avakkayi.

The current season of extreme dieting apart, the experience is just not enough and craves for an encore, of course sans the mobile phone browsing.