Cuisine cultures unfold



*Cuisine cultures* unfold**

		least one hour. At Express Avenue where I visited, they have around 12 to 15 well-laid out tables with steel thalis and katoris waiting to be filled. The set menu concept leaves you with no choice but it surely has a surprise element to it. The manager informs me that they have in their repertoire over 20,000 dishes, which they serve in 72 rotating combinations and menus. As you make yourself comfortable, their traditionally dressed waiters make you feel like royalty when they bring an inlaid brass jug and bowl to wash your hands before they bring on the fare. What I was most fascinated by at this eatery, is the communication skills of the staff. The sign language they use is a treat to watch and they could give the best dumb charade team in the city a run for their money. Salad, a wedge of lime and pickle are the first to be served along with a refreshing glass of chaas (buttermilk). Two types of starters make up the first course which is normally dhoklas, khandvis, samosas, cutlets and the like. Then one of their signature dishes is served which is a dahi vada, kachori or the one which most people look forward to - dhal bhatti. "In fact customers call to check if it is on the menu before they come for lunch," adds their manager. These snacks are so addictive that there could be a temptation to binge - but remember there is plenty to follow. The katoris are then promptly filled with	four types of subzis, two kinds of dhal (one spicy and one sweet) and of course, the famous kadhi. One of the accompaniments is always a ghatte(akin to little pakodas) ka subzi or kadhi. In tow is a person with a small wicker basket serving hot rotis and puns. One bite and it removes every myth of this cuisine being sweet. The spicy paneer, kadhi and the bhindi could give Andhra cuisine a complex and therefore the dhal or a dry fruit/curd-based curry provides the perfect balance. You might begin to feel like a boa at this point but the warm hospitality of this region will not let you go until you try the kichadi{a dhal and rice dish). It's now time for the mithai. There are three kinds and you get to choose one of them. But how do you really choose between a Srikhand(which is there on the menu on most days), Halwa and a Rasogulla?So I decided to pay extra and get all three. Then I heard myself asking for puris again to dip into the Srikhand and it went on and on and on. Now that's what I call addictive! This unlimited thali comes to you at Rs. 250 talktoretailplus@yahoo.com
	L ooking at the influx of Rajasthani and Gujarati restaurants into Chennai makes you wonder if Chennaiites are looking for a variety in flavours or whether immigrants have brought their cuisine with them. Whatever it may, be they have introduced into Chennai a different culture and experience which is now well-accepted. The popularity of this cuisine has been evident for some time now when local chains started introducing this cuisine into their menu cards. One of the latest entrants is Rajdhani at the new hangouts in town - Express Avenue and Ampa Skywalk. The popularity of this brand was evident in the first few weeks of its opening when the waiting period for a table was at