Food play

If you are destined to eat good food, the universe conspires for you. You'll find it in most unexpected corners

Yesterday, as I politely declined a friend's offer of a sumptuous lunch, the foodie in him hurt by my betrayal quoted the 17th century French poet Jean de la Fontaine.u00a0 "A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it," he predicted as he stormed out.



Triumphant that I didn't fall into his food trap, I marched happily towards National School of Drama at Mandi House to attend the on-going theatre festival. But destiny is a mean b''''. In a place where I expected to find Girish Karnad and Bertolt Brecht's characters sipping cutting chai, I came face to face with my friend's prophecy- savoury food where I lest expected.

Ghar ka swad
The tent bang inside NSD's gate, houses a food hub which is a part of the ongoing festival; something the school has being doing for a few years now. The stalls boast of no big names but that is what exactly makes them appealing. They serve limited but good chow which goes easy on your palate as you dissect Ranjit Kapoor's Begum ka Takia or Prasant Parmar's Reshmi Rumaal.

One of the stalls by the Kudumbasre unit, a group of women who sell surmai fish pickles serve dishes from Kerela like Appam with chicken stew, Banana fry and Kappa mutton biryani. And like I said the food is light and the smiling ladies who prepare it themselves give it a homely taste. Stroll towards the next one and you'll find Seekh kebabs and Chicken tikka. Again, not extra-ordinary but munchable going by the weather and mood. If you are someone who has been surviving lunch parties since New Year's Eve and longing for a simple lunch try the veg thali (mix veg, dal, roti, salad and acchar)- uncomplicated and filling.

Unstring your purse
You won't expect these cooks to be listed on Michelin Red Guide, but you'll come here with the common perception that like all food stalls the food will be over-priced. Let me assure you, it is not. An Appam egg curry will cost you 30 bucks and you'll shell out only Rs 25 for a plate of Dahi bhalla.

For a hot bowl of Veg thukpa you'll be paying only Rs 50 and a plate of fried rice cost only Rs 35. The only minus point, you don't have much options when it comes to sipping a drink. You can try Masala chai or some other fancy version or opt for some canned drinks in some of the stalls, but that's it.

Climb up a machan
Yes, you can take your food and sit on a khat, stool or climb up the machan in the center. The ambiance is what makes the trip worthwhile. Even if you can't keep your posterior stuck to a chair for one and half hours
watching a play, the enegy inside the Food Hub will make to try at least once.

I knew only two about Fontaine -he was born in Champagne (couldn't miss that). And the anecdote that when the absent minded bard's son met him on the way home and reminded him of his parentage, he remarked, "Ah, yes, I thought I had seen you somewhere." Now, I know one more- destiny and good food comes your path when you lest expect.

At: Food Hub, National School of Drama, Bhagwandas Road Timings: 10 am to 8pm Meal for two : Rs 200