Its been awhile since my last post. Over the period of time, I have relocated to Bangalore from Chennai. After 2 months of the daily grind in Bangalore, I make my first post from Blore and my first sweeping judgement of the city - The tea shops in Bangalore suck! Chennai tea kadais rock!!!
You are starved for choices when it comes to tea here... and what makes matters worse is that there is not much of a choice in the biscuits and the cakes and the extra-curriculars that one can sip along while enjoying your cuppa. The biggest drawback is that the tea is more often than not pre-made and not made to order. So you dont really have a choice of strong, light, less sugar, more milk, no cream etc. etc. Only 2 choices - either u take it or u leave it!Miss the tea stalls in Chennai. Those Nair Kadais, even if the tea maker was a Bihari it's always a Nair kada. A tea maker in Chennai worth his salt will be called master! In Chennai, the tea master was like an extended family member.
Kannan, the tea master in my college canteen could make a decent tea and he had decent memory. Always knew what I wanted and considering he would serve on an average nearly 1000 teacups a day, it's amazing he would give me strong tea with less sugar, as soon as I gave him the tea token.
Shekar, the tea master outside HDFC, Nungambakkam branch worked for 3 days a week most of the times. Always thought he must be a Pakistani spy or something but he had a super variety of snacks and short eats and he always had change on him.
Anderson is a chain of tea stalls in Chennai that was started in Anderson road, Egmore. So wherever the branch has been placed its called Anderson. The branch which I haunted lies at the end of Jegannathan street, Nungambakkam. Favourite haunt of the TV pros from Vijay TV. Its close proximity to the Bhai kada that served delightfully hot, crispy and sinfully oily Samosas, bajjis and vadas was a major plus.
The nice mallu tea kada in Besant Nagar, opposite the Vinayaka temple with a lovely sit out reminiscent of the ones in the Elysees road in Paris. Ok major exaggeration in the last statement, but the tea I am sure would have been just as good as the one they serve in gay Paris.
Maybe I should just quit my job and start a tea stall in Bangalore. I am sure to do well, considering the lack of competition.
7 comments:
Have you noticed the number of Cafe Coffee Day outlets in Bangalore? Spread all over the city like the Onyx garbage bins in Chennai.
vinay...you are sure to do well for obvious reasons! haha jus kidding ;)
Hi Shekar, yep noticed the Coffee day outbreak, thanks to IT pros like you na ;-)
And Archs - Pray what may I ask is the obvious reason? ;-)
machan Tea Kadais in mumbai r very good though no one sells those soft cakes.. but they sell a long hard biscuit like thing which pokes and hurts ur gums and upper part of jaw..it is tasteless too. Strangely everyone has it along with tea.
gujju and muslim tea shops are the best..they keep their shop clean and have better ratios of milk as compared to water
My dad still raves about Irani tea kadais in Mumbai, although I think he just likes to show off about Mumbai a lot ;-) Me personally prefer more water than milk in my tea.
This hard biscuit thingy you talk about does not exist here at all da. Hope to come sometime soon and try out the Mumbai tea kadais
Dear Vinay Sekhar,
I am to start a tea stall in Bangalore. But getting water is the problem. Any water supplying agencies available?
vahabvailathur@gmail.com
Now, that you have obvious experience, the required backing from your well wishers, more than enough qualification, and know a lot about about branding, we wont mind one near office. perfect spot for the debut venture... Pledge you our loyalties for weekday evening snacks. May be this will be the most remembered IIM venture. Cater to the demand vinsamp!!!
Post a Comment