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Once upon a time eating out for the middle class Chennaiites meant
a visit to the nearest Saravana Bhavan with the entire family
and the upper middle class and the elite had a handful of restaurants
in the star hotels to choose from. But eating habits are changing
fast in this bustling metropolis which is shedding its laidback
image and moving into the fast lane. Today you have a plethora of
choices to choose from to spend an evening out.
 A
lot of fast food joints have mushroomed in the past few years around
Chennai where you can either grab a quick bite or enjoy a a family
meal. For the fast food lovers there is the Pizza Hut at
Gee Gee Emerald , Nungambakkam and Kasturba Nagar, Adyar where you
can enjoy a quick Pizza or even have a sumptuous lunch or dinner.
A value meal here could cost you Rs 65/- and a meal for two could
go up to Rs 300/-. Similarly there are the Pizza Corner outlets
on L B Road, Adyar, and Nugambakkam High road. Dominos offers
a more affordable option among the non-Indian pizza outlets. Spread
across the city, there are other 'desi' pizza outlets like the Hotbreads,
ChefExpress, Pizzadeli etc. Although late in arrival, Marrybrown
with its outlets at Anna Nagar, Ispahani centre and Planet Yumm
are also fast becoming a favourite with fast food lovers.
 If
you are in a mood for some speciality cuisines, don't worry! Chennai
can offer you more than just the regular idli-vada and sambar.You
can choose from a host of cuisines like Punjabi, Japanese and even
Chinese. Canton on Nungumbakkam High Road along with the
Golden Dragon at the Taj Coromandel and the Shanghai Club
at Chola Sheraton are places where you can have a taste of good
Chinese food. A meal for two at Canton would definitely be cheaper
than the other two Chinese joints. For those wanting to taste some
'Danburi or Sushi' you can visit Dahlia which is anexclusive
Japanese restaurant, again on Nungambakkam high road . There is
also Akasaka situated on L B Road, Thirunvanmiyur which caters
to epensive Japanese taste buds. A meal for two here could cost
as much as Rs 900/-. If you happen to be a North Indian food freak,
there is the Dhabba Express on Cenotaph Road, Pathankot
Punjabi Restaurant, on L.B. Road, Thiruvanmiyur, and Sanja
Choola in Egmore.
For people still preferringf South Indian food a number of speciality
outlet have opened up like, exclusive Chettinad cuisine offered
by Karaikudi on Dr R K Salai, Usilampatti on Peters
Road, Royapettah and Paramakudi at Annanagar. For purely
vegetarian South Indian food, one can go to Komala's on Kodambakkam
High road and of course the Saravana Bhavan outlets across Chennai.
 Annalakshmi,
in the heart of Chennai on Mount Road, the Red-E-Food Court
at Salsburg Square, offer good multi cuisine options with minimum
prices for a single meal being as high as Rs 350/-. While Annalakshmi
offers purely vegeterian delicacies from India, Malaysia and Indonesia,
Red E Food Court at Salzburg Square allows you to take your pick
from five vegeterian and non-vegeterian cuisines - Continental,
Indian, Mexican, Italian and Oriental. Kafe 2000 at Pantheon
Road and Tulsi on College road also offer a wide range of
multi-cuisine choices and are preferred by the business executives.
 Although
Coffee has always been the most preferred beverage of Chennaites
across all stratas of the society, the recent growth of Coffee shops
has been phenomenal. You can have a good filter coffee at any one
of Saravana Bhavan outlets spread across Chennai or indulge yourself
into some wide variety of coffee from across the world at the Qwiky's
outlets in Nungambakkam and T Nagar. Then there is the Coffee
day outlet at Ispahani centre with coffees priced lower then
Qwiky's and Barristaa, the later is located on Khadar
nawaz khan Road , Nugambakkam. These have become one of the major
youth hangouts of Chennai. But if you prefer to have your coffee
far away from the maddening crowd, Coffee? on the Greenways
Road is the best place.
The concept of Food malls which is relatively new in Chennai is
also fast catching up. There are already two such malls named Planet
Yumm in Chennai one at Anna Nagar and the other on the Elliots
Beach at Besant Nagar. These food malls comprise of a a whole range
of options from South Indian food to pizzas and burgers, Chaat items
to coffee and Ice cream shops.
All in all the food scene in Chennai has really improved a lot,
it is today a far cry from the days when the only options were either
sambar with idly and dosa or sambar with rice.
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