Delhi's Different Kind Of Eating Culture

Delhi Diary By M.Santhiran M.Santhiran, Bernama's correspondent in New Delhi shares his take on the Indian capital city and its unique social nuances. NEW DELHI, April 13 (Bernama) -- For those who love North Indian cuisine or Indian street food, Delhi is one of the best Indian cities to explore. The city offers a different kind of gastronomic and eating experience. Traditional Kashmiri to south Indian to rich Maharashtrian cuisines are available to those with strong bellies and deep pockets. Here dinning in style could prove to be costly. With Malaysians back home are critical on the six per cent GST and additional service charges, I can tell you that the taxes here are even higher. On top of service charges and VAT, most outlets charge additional taxes which vary from one state to another. Thus, if the price on the menu states 500 (RM30) rupees the final bill including the taxes might work up to between 650 to 700 rupees (RM38 to RM45). (US$1 = RM3.70) Also, Malaysians who are used to eating at anytime of the day at their favourite Mamak stall or hawker centre may get disappointed here as they have no luxury of eating around the clock. Most eateries shut their doors by 11.00 pm, a testament that Indians keep up to their meal times and avoid eating again after meals. I did write in early February of the good dietary habits of Indians under the title "India's Three Meals Vs Malaysia's Six Meals" a day. THE DINNING CULTURE HERE It is always advisable to make reservation if you wish to dine at popular restaurants or you will end up waiting 30 to 45 minutes for a seat. Those without reservation, have to inform the waiter or security guard and wait for the name to be called. Also do note that though the eateries may state they start business at 9.00 am, but the food will only be served at 10.00 am. This very much due to the business culture here where business owners seek divine blessings for a good day and the auspicious time to serve their waiting customers. If you are contemplating of a non-vegetarian fare, based on my experience dinner will be a better option than lunch because most non-vegetarian dishes are only available from 3.00 pm to 10.00 pm. The menus at the non-vegetarian restaurants are mainly chicken or mutton dishes. Fish items rarely appear in their menus and I was told Kerala in the South is where one should go for seafood. The popularity of vegetarian dishes and the limited non-vegetarian fare is because most of Delhiites are vegetarians, especially on Tuesdays and Fridays that are considered auspicious days and where only vegetarian fare is consumed. A vegetarian lunch will cost about 200 to 300 (RM12 to RM18) rupees per pax. At the non-vegetarian outlets the bill may be costlier but customers can expect a large serving, where back in Malaysia two or three people could share the same portion. You can request for a smaller portion but the bill will be the same. Normally it cost about 500 to 600 rupees (RM30 to RM35). Usually, I will pack the balance and heat it up for dinner. NAAN, ROTI AND CHAPATTI POPULAR STAPLE Malaysians visiting north India should also note that rice is not a staple here. Here wheat based naan, roti or chapatti is the mainstay for lunch or dinner. Indian meals includes appetizers before the main course itself is served. Normally, meals come with a starter in the form of sweet candy or sweet rice. This will be followed by one piece of chapatti and finally the main course (nan, rice, dishes etc). My only advice is that if you are not a big eater always avoid “thali”, set meals, that come with eight to 10 side dishes. Another aspect about dining in any part of India is make sure to drink only bottled mineral water of reputable brands to avoid dysentery and parasitic infection. This may be a problem here because if you visit any house, you will first be served plain water. Either you take a few seeps or politely ask for warm water. On street foods, it is only recommended for those with strong bellies or those want to avoid the Delhi Belly (traveler's diarrhea) as hygiene is often an issue. The roadside tea stalls serving hot masala "chaia" (tea with cinnamon and etc) in small glasses may be tempting but will not satisfy any Malaysian tea drinker as it just takes one gulp to finish the tantalising tea. If you want fast food, there are lots of options available. Almost all major fast food outlets cater home delivery services. However, they too don't operate 24 hours like back home due to good dietary habits of the Indians. MY TAKE ON DELHI DELIGHTS Relatively, I find that eating outside in Delhi is quite costly compared with eating out in Malaysia. As for me even though I am fond of South Indian food, it took almost two to three weeks to get use to bread, naan and chapatti. Even though I miss my roti canai, nasi lemak and teh tarik back home, I find the alternatives here being much tastier and healthier. -- BERNAMA