If you need tasty food outside of your house, ask my father. That was the rule those days. He would say where you could get what. "Best coffee? Go to Central Station." - this is forty years back - "Dosai? Go to this Udipi restaurant." Spread throughout Chennai for each delicious item. And he would not hesitate to taste food in roadside shops. Those thelawallahs. He would enjoy even those. And I have never heard of his stomach getting upset.

Maybe my elder brother took to this fad of ‘restaurant-eating’ a bit. And that too was a long time ago. Now, with failing health, he eats little. On the contrary, I never found enthusiasm to satisfy my palate outside of my house. Occasional forays, yes. But otherwise, I detested. Even now, I am not fond of going to restaurants. But once I am there, I eat without complaint. Very rarely do I experiment with unknown dishes. In the U.S., the only place where I feel comfortable eating other than Indian vegetarian restaurants is the Thai vegetarian restaurants. All those pizzas, pastas, and Mexican food, which are so domineering on your stomach but so welcoming to your palate, are okay once in a while.

Why should I move away from the tastiest South Indian food and dishes?

People now talk of the benefits of black pepper, turmeric, ginger, and such other stuff which are a normal part of South Indian food. So why should I move away from a healthy one and fall into the well of pizzas and pastas?

There was a time when I loved deep-fried food. Even spicy ones. Very often, I would have chapathis with gun powder - molaga podi - with mango pickle - 'avakkai' - and spicy potato and onion curry. Imagine the total amount of spice involved. But young age, it suited. If you ask me now, I would not touch it with the longest pole.

Continued in 297. Bud Bugs - Part 3