A scoop with a coupon

CHENNAI: The Mambalam Railway Station is a crucial junction as it separates the shopping hub, T Nagar and the residential hub, West Mambalam. While you can see hundreds of food joints cater to different taste buds in T Nagar, it’s just the opposite in West Mambalam, as one has to swirl around for good tasty food. But if you’re ready to sacrifice the luxury of sitting comfy in an air conditioned restaurant over hygiene, Kameshwari Fast Food where the Station Road leads you to, is the place to be.Perhaps, it’s called Fast Food not because they prepare the dishes instantly, but they have to make some items in the menu every half an hour as they vanish from the shelves in no time. Their pleasant- tasting Rose Milk is a case in point, as in just about two hours, they had to prepare it for the fourth time. But there’s more to the menu than the drink.“Eight varieties of rice, you can get for lunch,” informs M Chandrasekaran, who runs the food joint along with his brother, M Subramaniyam.“Lemon, tamarind, tomato, vatha kozhambu, brinjal, sambar, coconut, curd,” he narrates. These apart, pudhina rice and malli rice are offered in alternative days.And you can’t deny Chandrasekaran’s contention that the hotel is service oriented. For a coupon that costs `22, you can go for two scoops of different varieties. This means you get to taste four varieties for just `44.I chose my combo — vatha kozhambu, tomato, pudhina and curd — and cornered to indulge in.Vathu kozhambu and curd rice seem to be their trademark, as they taste authentic. “We don’t use pasteurised milk to make curd, but the direct cow milk. It’s our customer’s favourite,” claims Chandrasekaran.The pudhina rice was savoury, too.Dishes are offered with a pocket of chips on a plastic plate masked by banana leaf and you can choose to either sit or stand to eat. But, their most interesting factor is their token system. Tokens have been sealed in a plastic cover and it’s the same tokens that do the round between customers and Chandrasekaran. “It’s a way to reduce the paper consumption,” he says.Their curd vada is also a must relished dish. With another coupon for `22, you can have both curd vada and rose milk.Kameshwari Fast Food is 20 years old and a famous food joint among both residents and outsiders.“Whoever tastes food at Kameshwari will always come here thereafter,” Chandrasekarn enounces.He pointed out a regular customer, Githendran, a sales executive from Purasawalkam.“I always eat here, as I get good food for reasonable price,” he said. Chandrasekaran claims that many cine stars are their customers too.(Kameshwari Fast Food is located at 15, Station Road, West Mambalam and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. For details, call 24743624)