I flew out of Bhubaneswar when the drama surrounding Kishore Bhaina’s Roadside Hotel was at its peak.
For those who came late; the drama started with the BMC authorities sealing his
eatery with the notice of non-compliance with food quality and hygiene
standards. It was not an isolated incident; they had done it at more than a
dozen such places as a part of their routine drive. It’s a known fact that the
evicted encroachments get back to business the very next day; while the media
and authorities choose to look the other way.
Kishore Bhaina did just that.
But then Kishore Bhaina was just not another roadside eatery, illegally
operating on public land. Kishore Bhaina Mutton has gained popularity because
of many content-hungry not-to-be-trusted food bloggers, who kept on describing
how it attracts thousands of foodies and how he in his own hand cooks 200 kg
of mutton every day. He with his 200 kg torso had gained cult status.
But popularity also attracts the visibility of undesirable kinds.
Kishore instead of lying low, chose to give Byte to some reporter - dismissing the claim of the BMC on his food quality and ingredients he uses as false. He had
gotten into the habit of speaking to the bloggers in his characteristic nonchalant way. Some
web portals carried his bytes and the whole news went viral. As it gained
traction, it turned into a public David (Kishore Bhaina) Vs. Goliath (BMC
Authorities) war where the incompetence of BMC was publicly criticized by the viewers.
To save its reputation, BMC had to respond to the challenge made by this
upstart. The duel was inevitable.
The next day BMC authorities marched into the same spot under full media
glare and razed the temporary bamboo structures of the fabled Kishore Bhaina
Hotel behind the Doordarshan Centre to the ground using heavy machinery. The
media and viewers got their quota of blood and gore which they had not had
since the demolition of the twin tower of Greater Noida.
In the ensuing kerfuffle, many issues surfaced.
The importance of street food as a symbol of local culture, its
relevance of it in society as it serves the need of a section of people, it as
a successful enterprise, and its importance as an employer of thousands of
unskilled labour. In the discussion the fact of poor food quality compromised
hygiene, public nuisance as an encroacher of public space and a major cause of
traffic snarls also surfaced. The viewers were divided in their support of both
the parties involved. Many saw this as the authorities showing seriousness
about administration and many saw this as destroying a successful home-grown
enterprise in the name of silly compliance.
Both sides were right in their ways.
But the major worry was the scenario where the society either has few legally established, tax-paying, norm-complying eateries like the Mayfair where
a humble dosa stands to make you poorer by 400 or we tolerate hundreds of street-side eateries where the owners and their families serve tasty (to some),
affordable (to many) at just cost-plus prices which are non-compliant to every rule of the administration.
Interestingly we want the best of both worlds. Eateries that are
legal, and hygienic, serve tasty food at an affordable price without the bells
and whistles of an upmarket joint which only adds to the cost of food.
I hear someone dismissing this by saying you can’t have the cake and eat
it too; then keep reading.
The next day after finishing my major work at Bengaluru, I was taken to
a nearby food joint called Asha Tiffin after a morning walk. The
cityscape of Bangalore dots hundreds of such joints. Names like Koshy’s, MTR
sit on history dating from the pre-independence era. They enjoy cult status.
VIPs and commoners sit shoulder to shoulder to partake in their staple. It’s the local
culture.
It’s not limited to only Bangalore. Every major city in southern India
boasts either its local brands or outlets carrying the franchise of some big
name. The knowledge and expertise of running a successful restaurant business
are centuries old in South India. One thing is common. They all serve their
loyal customers their signature tasty food in absolute hygienic condition at an
atrociously affordable price. One can see hundreds of people entering and
leaving medium-sized joints, where cooking, ordering, billing, serving, eating,
and cleaning operations can put any big manufacturing plant to shame.
I was surprised to see Asha Tiffin right on the major
thoroughfare of a premium residential colony, it was not sitting illegally on
public land. Contrary to its traditional name; it had a well-designed layout
with basic arrangements to eat either by sitting or standing. With absolute
modern signages and marquee, I was more than eager to experience the moment of
truth.
The billing counter was manned by three young girls who didn’t have time
to look at the customers -their fingers were tapping away on the keyboard
making the queue move at a steady pace. It expected the customers to go to the specialized counter serving a particular food category. Food was
getting continuously prepared and served. There were close to 50 people, and
some 10 food delivery guys on that premise. No one was seen jumping the queue,
speaking, reminding, shouting, hailing, or hollering. There was no owner or manager
providing oversight. We were eating our Dosa, Idli, and Vada with Sambar and
Chutney within 5/7 minutes of our entering the premises. And what taste! It was
superb. And price? Dosa at 40 and Vada/Idli at 20 – it was a steal. After
washing it down with a must-have filter coffee we were out on the road in 30/
35 minutes.
A weekend morning couldn’t have been better.
The format is an improvement over the traditional eatery format of a
typical South Indian hotel. The ordering and eating format has been optimized
to the changing requirements of the new age customer. I was told that some
new-age entrepreneurs started the trend with a brand called Taza Tindi at
Jaynagar and the format has caught on. Many eateries of this format have sprung
up across the city enjoying the loyal patronage of their hundreds of customers
who just want a good food experience.
So, let’s accept that food can be tasty, hygienic, and affordable simultaneously. It need not be someone’s wishful thinking. It's also true that BMC might have demolished Kishore Bhaina's hotel but can do very little for the hundreds that are operating illegally. They enjoy huge local and political patronage. It's time both BMC and
Kishore Bhainas of the world change their attitude and do their part to have dozens of Asha Tiffin-styled eating
joints in our city to serve every segment of its citizens.
