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BALANCEFINE table matters

Coimbatore takes pride inits own breed of specialtyrestaurants. Catering to thepalate of the city'sdiscerning hard-to-pleasefoodie, standalonerestaurants areexperimenting withflavours, textures andcooking methods. HARINI SRIRAM takes asneak peek at what'scooking in Coimbatore…

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It'snot easy to crack the palate of a Coimbatorean. You might think that hedigs South Indian food. You could be right. But, every once in a while, helikes to experiment. That's when he likes his kebab platter, or a plate of dim

sums; if he is adventurous, he opts for a serving of ravioli or sushi, perhaps. Push hima bit more, and he gives up, and heads straight to Annapoorna for his favourite crispyghee dosa with generous servings of chutney and sambhar. The city's restaurateursknow this only too well; which is why they tread the fine line between playing-it-safeand experimenting, when it comes to cuisine. It's a balancing act, really.

When Rangeeta Murada, a qualified chef with work experience at the Marriott Groupin Mumbai, decided to return to her hometown, Coimbatore, she was determined toopen a restaurant. Together with her sister, Ranjana, who lived in Tirupur at the time,she put together a continental menu. "Based on the groundwork we did before openingthe restaurant, we realised that the city was not ready for continental food yet," saysRangeeta, "So we re-did the menu, and gave it a North Indian touch." When That's YFood, their restaurant, opened on the swanky TV Swamy Road, RS Puram, in 2002, itrevolutionised the concept of standalone restaurants in the city. "Back then, thereweren't many standalone restaurants in Coimbatore, and the ones that existed servedonly South Indian food. So it was a huge challenge," she says. Besides, people in the cityhadn't quite warmed up to the idea of reserving tables prior to that. "They got so used to

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walking right in and occupying any empty table at the restaurant. Many peoplewould gete offended when we asked them if they had a reservation! Now, of course,all that is changing," she adds.

But the change has been very gradual. As many experts agree, the city stillretains a conservative approach to food, and is sceptical about experimenting withnew, alien flavours. Erine Louis, General Manager at The Residency, Coimbatoresays, "Coimbatore has its own take on multi-cuisine, even international cuisine hereis tweaked to incorporate local flavours. That's why Indian Chinese is popular here,like anywhere else across South India!" Chin Chin, the hotel's in-house Chineserestaurant specialises in Indian Chinese, and has been a popular joint for over 14years. He says, "People here like to stick to familiar flavours; even when they eat out,they like to stick to the kind of food they'd eat at home. So, in a sense, that hasn'tchanged. However, their approach to food is changing, as they are now aware of theimportance of eating healthy, organic food, for instance. Authenticity of flavours isalso an important aspect, for the well-travelled foodie from the city."

Restaurants have been quick to adapt to the changing times and the tastes oftheir customers. "At That's Y Food, for instance, we have a universal menu now, with

favourites like pasta and other international dishes,apart from North Indian food," says Rangeeta, "Yet,

people are hesitant to order food that is outside of their"comfort food zone". If I am on the floor, I suggest some of our

regulars to try something different, if they do not like the taste,they do not have to pay. We hope that this will encourage people to be

more adventurous when it comes to placing their orders." Rangeeta also runsanother restaurant called On The Go, which specialises in serving continentaland North Indian food.

The opening of Cream Centre, on Race Course Road, last year, made the peopleof Coimbatore swoon over the Mumbai brand's trademark channa bhaturas andnachos. In Coimbatore, big hotels co-exist alongside standalone restaurants, local

eateries and fast food joints. However, most restaurateurs feel that the concept of"fine dining" may not really take off in the city just yet. As Erine Louis says,"Coimbatore does not have a single fine dining restaurant. It has specialty andmulti-cuisine restaurants." Rangeeta agrees, "In fact, our restaurant leanstowards the casual side of fine dining. Fine dining would imply impeccablepresentation, an eye for detail, and it caters to a very niche segment comprisingof well-travelled, well-read clients."

What it lacks in fine dining though, Coimbatore more than makes up for interms of hospitality. According to Geeta Doctor, a Chennai-based food critic, inCoimbatore, fine dining starts at the homes of its people, where rich South Indianfood is cooked and served traditionally. "The simplicity and hospitality withwhich it is served is what I cherish the most about food in Coimbatore," she says,"My favourite moments in the city were spent sipping tea and gobbling upelaborate English breakfasts, complete with marmalade and eggs, at theCoimbatore Club. That was a long time ago; yet, the flavours were authentic, andthe hospitality, top-notch."

With its legacy of good food and hospitality, the city has had an exciting, if notvery adventurous, culinary journey, where traditional local food and othercuisines continue to tease the taste buds of its people. Yet, the averageCoimbatorean's sophisticated, sometimes, whimsical food palate continues tobaffle restaurateurs!

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