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BALANCE
FINE table matters
Coimbatore takes pride in
its own breed of specialty
restaurants. Catering to the
palate of the city's
discerning hard-to-please
foodie, standalone
restaurants are
experimenting with
flavours, textures and
cooking methods.
HARINI SRIRAM takes a
sneak peek at what's
cooking in Coimbatore…
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It's
not easy to crack the palate of a Coimbatorean. You might think that he
digs South Indian food. You could be right. But, every once in a while, he
likes 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 him
a bit more, and he gives up, and heads straight to Annapoorna for his favourite crispy
ghee dosa with generous servings of chutney and sambhar. The city's restaurateurs
know this only too well; which is why they tread the fine line between playing-it-safe
and experimenting, when it comes to cuisine. It's a balancing act, really.
When Rangeeta Murada, a qualified chef with work experience at the Marriott Group
in Mumbai, decided to return to her hometown, Coimbatore, she was determined to
open 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 opening
the restaurant, we realised that the city was not ready for continental food yet," says
Rangeeta, "So we re-did the menu, and gave it a North Indian touch." When That's Y
Food, their restaurant, opened on the swanky TV Swamy Road, RS Puram, in 2002, it
revolutionised the concept of standalone restaurants in the city. "Back then, there
weren't many standalone restaurants in Coimbatore, and the ones that existed served
only South Indian food. So it was a huge challenge," she says. Besides, people in the city
hadn'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 people
would 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 still
retains a conservative approach to food, and is sceptical about experimenting with
new, alien flavours. Erine Louis, General Manager at The Residency, Coimbatore
says, "Coimbatore has its own take on multi-cuisine, even international cuisine here
is 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 Chinese
restaurant specialises in Indian Chinese, and has been a popular joint for over 14
years. 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't
changed. However, their approach to food is changing, as they are now aware of the
importance of eating healthy, organic food, for instance. Authenticity of flavours is
also an important aspect, for the well-travelled foodie from the city."
Restaurants have been quick to adapt to the changing times and the tastes of
their 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 runs
another restaurant called On The Go, which specialises in serving continental
and North Indian food.
The opening of Cream Centre, on Race Course Road, last year, made the people
of Coimbatore swoon over the Mumbai brand's trademark channa bhaturas and
nachos. 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 and
multi-cuisine restaurants." Rangeeta agrees, "In fact, our restaurant leans
towards the casual side of fine dining. Fine dining would imply impeccable
presentation, an eye for detail, and it caters to a very niche segment comprising
of well-travelled, well-read clients."
What it lacks in fine dining though, Coimbatore more than makes up for in
terms of hospitality. According to Geeta Doctor, a Chennai-based food critic, in
Coimbatore, fine dining starts at the homes of its people, where rich South Indian
food is cooked and served traditionally. "The simplicity and hospitality with
which 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 up
elaborate English breakfasts, complete with marmalade and eggs, at the
Coimbatore Club. That was a long time ago; yet, the flavours were authentic, and
the hospitality, top-notch."
With its legacy of good food and hospitality, the city has had an exciting, if not
very adventurous, culinary journey, where traditional local food and other
cuisines continue to tease the taste buds of its people. Yet, the average
Coimbatorean's sophisticated, sometimes, whimsical food palate continues to
baffle restaurateurs!
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