Inside each one of us is a child .. with a million fantasies and desires.. And I am no different. Some of my desires are downright silly and childish. Well I can say that with a calm mind.. but can never say so when I am “in the zone”. When I was a kid, visiting temples was one thing we did very very often, thanks to being in the temple town of Trichy. Each time, as we walked past the shops lining the entrance, selling knick knacks, myriad plastic toys and the likes, I would desperately hope that dad would let us ransack the shop and buy everything there. That never happened.. But I grew up and realized that these shops weren’t any different from the others in the city and I could very well get whatever I wanted from the other shops itself.. Except of course.. the temple related memorabilia.. for which i developed interest much later..
While I did outgrow the temple shops, one thing that I can never outgrow (i hope) is the urge to eat at every single eatery in any public place.. like the Marina beach for example. Even today, after many many trips to the loveliest place in Chennai, I still can’t help but look expectantly at the various shops there and try to stuff myself with chat, corn, peanut sundal, ice creams and everything else sold there.
The recent addition to this must-eat-at-all-shops addiction was the stretch along Hussain Sagar lake in Hyderabad. Ever since I went to the Lumbini park last year and saw that the street on both sides was dotted with all types of street food vendors.. I’ve been wanting to go there and pig out. Yeah yeah nothing new there.
Last week, the MP, Ajju and I decided to go on an impromptu ride to Hussain Sagar and spend some time walking along. The moment we got down from the car, while the cold wind welcomed us, the aroma of corn being roasted on coal made me go Zombie eyed. First stop masala roasted corn. After munching it off in 3 minutes flat, the 3 of us moved on to the peanut bhel vendor nearby. The vendor wasn’t anywhere in sight and his stand stood all alone there. So decided to talk a walk. Cracking non sense jokes and walking hand in hand, we reached a chat vendor. Pani puri, Bhel puri, aloo puri and every other type of puri he had were flying off his shelves into our stomachs.
Next stop, the peanut bhel vendor next to this fellow. The spice of the chat and bhel finally got to us and we moved on to milk parlour nearby for some ice-cream and lassi. That done, the lone roasted peanut seller was the only guy whose shop we hadn’t stopped at. 
All bases covered, we walked back with a paper cone full of hot roasted peanuts.
The walk back to the car seemed to be quicker. But I wasnt complaining. What with a full stomach and the MP and Ajju playing perfect gentlemen and letting me have a go at everything in sight.. I had my fill that night.
Thankq MP and Ajju for the lovely walk along the lake.. Look forward to more such outings.. with the food stops of course..
* Long time desire.
pala naal asaigal sila natkal mattume niraiverinaalum oru naalum marakka mudiyadavaiyaga irukkinrana……..
enjoy maadi!!
The last time I did some impromptu eating when I was in Delhi resulted in me spending a whole day throwing up in the youth hostel. Alas! I’m cursed with a bad digestive system
Awwww
So glad that you could fulfil your long-standing desire!
This sounds so much like us. When we go to a new place (in Bangalore or outside), we love to try out foodstuff at all the eateries there. I am better than the OH – I try out stuff that is new to me. The OH, for example, wanted to try out sundal at ALL the sundal vendors at the Pondicherry beach, and there were some 30-odd guys out there! :O