TAMIL Nadu’s rise in economic standing has elevated the state’s profile internationally.
Chennai, its capital, has seen an inflow of large firms and the rise of local companies.
It’s enjoyed a good run, earning several monikers. It’s known as the ‘SaaS Capital of India’ thanks to the success of software companies like Zoho, Freshworks and Kissflow.
It’s called the ‘Detroit of Asia’ for its automobile industry that manufactures for brands like Hyundai, Ford, Renault and Daimler, and is responsible for 60% of India’s automotive exports.
Its medical tourism makes it the ‘health capital of India’.
Tamil Nadu has 56 universities, more than 500 engineering colleges, around 500 polytechnics, close to 1,000 arts and science colleges and nearly 900 medical, nursing and dental colleges.
While business leads the way, its supporting facilities are perhaps challenged to keep pace.
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Building The Infrastructure
International hotel chains have been quick to pop up, catering to the needs of expatriates who have swooped in.
The infrastructure in Chennai is being evolved as new builds supplement existing facilities. Despite the network of roads and highways, the traffic congestion in Chennai seems chaotic.
Many roads are congested, with millimetre margins for manoeuvring.
Yet, over the incessant honking and traffic weaving in and out of each other’s way, everything flows. A metro system connects key parts of the city and is still being built. And most people use the auto-rickshaws for last-mile connectivity.
However, tourism and, to some extent, the food and beverage industries have not been able to capitalise on this influx of attention.
“A lot of investment is happening in hospitality, restaurants and logistics,” explains Shabin Sarvotham, Senior General Manager of Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay.
“There used to be more business-oriented, small, functional properties. But with the arrival of manufacturing, the bigger 100-room hotels came up, albeit with basic services, maybe just one restaurant.
“Today, the big brands are in Chennai, offering ultra-modern rooms with new features. Many hotels are now nearer manufacturing units for convenience.”
Local Food Culture
“Food is a big draw,” Shabin observes.
“They love the idli and dhosa. Most Tamil Nadu food is a bit spicier.”
In the Radisson Blu GRT in Chennai, its franchise outlet, The Great Kabab Factory does a steady business.
“It’s one of the leading restaurants of the franchise in India. There are 26 restaurants in four countries,” Shabin says.
In the vibrant colour scheme of the restaurant, guests are served kababs from a menu of 450 recipes, in a seemingly ceaseless flow. Some of the dishes are heavily marinated. The lamb patty has 123 spices!
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Introducing Foreign Flavours
For Pattabi Raman, the F&B scene in Chennai has yet to be fully tapped.
“Chennai is not a very touristy place, and the weather is hot,” he complains, albeit cheerfully.
A partner of Madras Square, a relatively nascent F&B business which has a growing list of fusion restaurants, Pattabi’s outlets’ offerings are hinged on ambience, service and food quality.
As more people from Chennai travel overseas, they return with expectations of similar concepts being developed in the capital, in keeping with its growing reputation for big business. The pent up demand is being met slowly.
“There’s a huge potential for F&B in Chennai,” Pattabi reckons.
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Neighbourly Servings
Celebrity chef and owner of Kappa Chakka Kandhari, Regi Mathew built his reputation as part of the big hotel groups. In 2015, he decided to bring the cuisine of his home state, Kerala, to Chennai.
“The dishes are similar to how our mothers cooked them,” says Chef Regi, from behind a heavy moustache.
A long queue to enter the restaurant and the traffic jam of cars trying to find parking outside, attest to the popularity of his restaurant.
He has a branch in Bangalore, and a F&B research centre allows him to experiment with various dishes.
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Budget Fare
Along the Old Mahabalipuram Road in the Perengudi area, a couple of young entrepreneurs — Akshaay Ajithan and Prithviraj Kumar — have set up Coromandel Tiffen. With its rustic exterior, the unpretentious building is designed thus to encourage the many employees in the IT businesses nearby to head there for a quick vegetarian meal.
The tasty dishes hail from the four southern states of India — Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh — and Sri Lanka, which is a twist they are banking on, along with an affordable pricing strategy.
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Chennai Street Fare
The streets are where the majority of people eat.
And a visit to Marina Road offers views of one of the longest stretches of urban strand marked and marred by boats, nets, fish and the smell of the sea mixed with seafood and humanity.
Across the road, a row of shacks are busy serving up freshly caught fish and prawns, marinated with spices and fried to an aromatic sizzle.
Some may think it dicey to dine thus, but it’s certainly an experience.
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Another chance to test the mettle of your stomach — head to Mylai Shri Karpagambal Mess in Mylapore. The place has been around since 1953 serving up cheap food for the benefit of a population struggling to survive.
These days, with Chennai’s rising affluence, there may be other options, but the Mess still has a following hungering for its vadai and filter coffee, regardless of the surly service.
Chennai’s food scene, to a large extent, can be viewed as insular. Indian restaurants abound, and the arrival of international fare is not being addressed with any particular urgency.
A practical mindset that has driven the state up the economic and business charts seems to be part of its food culture, which will be served in measured doses, as required.
