An Easy Life-Or Is It?

Life is easy in Chennai. Perhaps it is also a function of where I live-TNagar-centrally located, less than a km away from Mount Road, the 400-year old artery of Chennai. Anything and everything is pretty much a 20-25min drive away- pubs/bars, movie halls, theaters, malls, boutique stores, gym, yoga studio, fav cafes, Madras Club & Boat Blub, bakeries and delis, temples I like to visit, Ramakrishna Mission, beach, all my fav saree stores and of course all good restaurants! What more can one ask for especially in a country like India where big cities are synonymous with congested roads, and hour long traffic-jams.

Of course Chennai itself is quite a small city compared to other metros in India-nothing within the city limits is really that far away. I could perhaps go from Anna Nagar in the north to Besant Nagar in the south in less than an hour-which is saying a lot by Indian standards!!

I have been writing for a while on my experiences in Chennai. Many people have asked me whether the journey for the past two years has really been that smooth-a pertinent doubt given that I am not an insider in the city and Chennai is not known to be particularly friendly or welcoming to outsiders; or at least that is the perception ‘outside’.

The answer is-no, the experience has not always been that enjoyable. There were initial obstacles for sure. For instance, communicating with the Fast Track cab driver every morning on my way to office or communicating with the maids, trying not to get fleeced by the auto drivers despite the fact that I sure don’t sound like a local, getting used to wearing salwar-kameezes while traveling by public transport-not just because this is a conservative society per se, but this I guess is a good practice anywhere in India these days and is hardly a major ‘sacrifice’, getting habituated to the heat and humidity especially coming from Northern California, not being able to go on long walks given the lack of proper side walks almost anywhere in the city and of course given the weather-here 8am can feel like mid-afternoon, ignoring the fact that every time one boards a local cab, one would only get to listen to Tamil songs and nothing else (perhaps also because FM radio stations here hardly ever play anything else!), and of course the biggest downside being, not knowing anyone in the city to begin with.

Yes initially I used to feel frustrated. Coming directly from California and trying to live in Chennai was far from easy. I had my share of unpleasant days too, as I guess was expected. However very quickly I realized none of the above so-called obstacles is really that crucial when it comes to enjoying a good life. Once I got determined to discover Chennai in my own ways and on my own terms, without letting any sort of prejudice influence my judgment and more importantly, once I decided not to judge Chennai at all, but just to soak it in and find out what it is all about, all the above obstacles gradually stopped appearing insurmountable.

A few tweaks here and there and in a few months, I was all set to start my explorations around the city. Learning to communicate with the cab drivers/local vegetable vendors and flower sellers/plumber/electrician/auto drivers in broken English interspersed with a few Tamil words (like akka-sister thambi/anna-brother, pakatlema-nearby, appron-after, illai-no, amam-yes, vandi-car, nandri-thank you, nalai-tomorrow etc), helped carry on a basic conversation and was good enough for my daily requirements (it helps when local people get the feeling that at least you are trying!), replacing Tamil-speaking maids with a Hindi speaking one who also cooks non-vegetarian items including yummy chicken biriyani and fish fry masala (that was a bonus!), enlisting the help of the Hindi-speaking watchman to communicate with the water-supplier, the gardener or the guy I would sell my big pile of newspapers to, avoiding venturing out too much during daytime when the humidity can be quite oppressive and taking utmost advantage of one of the best technological innovations of all times-the A/C machine-at home, office and cabs, going to the yoga studio/gym only in the evenings when it is much more pleasant, joining expat/NRI groups to meet more people and make friends as well as hanging out with a few colleagues from work to gradually expand the social circle starting from scratch, putting earphones on inside cabs or better still, learning to appreciate Tamil music, and so on.

Chennai can be a foodie’s delight (as I have already documented several times in this space), it can offer a truly enriching experience to those with a cultural inclination (with its sabhas, dance recitals, year long theater scene etc) and it can be a shopper’s paradise! I have lost count of the number of times I have gone shopping for those gorgeous silk sarees and beautiful Kanjeevarams in Kumaran/Nalli/Sundari silk stores strewn all over the city, visited the perennially crowded Saravana Store or Pothy’s in TNagar and wondered how the shoppers actually survive inside, explored the 5-storeyed buildings dedicated to nothing but jewellery like Joyalukkas and GRT Jewelers-a concept entirely new to me (despite the fact that Bengalis in Calcutta love their gold too!), at the other end of the spectrum visited local boutique stores like Sarangi, Brass Tacks and Shilpi and attended one-of-a-kind clothing and jewellery exhibitions at Amethyst. And I have even gone around with jasmine flowers in my hair-an integral part of the local woman’s attire in Chennai and have loved every bit of it!

Above all, what perhaps helped the most was the fact that I learnt to accept instead of resisting at every step of the way. I accepted Chennai as a city and everything that comes with it. That helped me quite early on, to get rid of my pre-conceived notions and to start on a clean slate. Since then, I have been all over the city-the posh, green neighborhoods of Gopalapuram and Poes Garden, the crowded streets of Parry’s corner including the port (yes I have been there too!) and Saidapet, the temples and saree stores of Mylapore, the endless stretch of shops in TNagar, the ‘very Indian’ beaches of Besant Nagar and Marina, residential colonies of Kilpauk, Chetpet, Adyar and Thiruvanmiyur, cafes and restaurants from OMR in the south to Anna Nagar in the north, swanky malls in Royapettah and Velacherry, yoga studios, delis and bakeries in Nungambakkam and Alwarpet, 5-star hotels in MRC Nagar, Anna Salai, Guindy and Egmore, the fish markets of Kodambakkam and bus termini of Vadapalani and Koyambedu—the list goes on!

In fact, it is possible that I know the streets and roads of Chennai better than I know those of Calcutta-my hometown, perhaps because I have never really explored Calcutta on my own with precisely that objective in mind and have always relied on other people to find my way around. Needless to say, the more I ventured out on my own in Chennai, the more I learnt ways to cope in a city that at first had seemed so alien to me. Till I guess a point came, when the city took me in as well and somewhere down the line I stopped feeling like a stranger or an outsider.

It has not been that long since the day I first arrived in Chennai and moved into our service apartment on Kothari road in Nungambakkam, but now I can confidently say, when I finally leave Chennai, I shall miss it-a lot. Two years ago, I had never thought one day I would say this.

I have to admit though I still have not seen a Rajanikanth movie neither have I watched Chennai Express 😉

Chennai Weekends

It’s been a while since I documented my explorations in Chennai. Primarily because I have been traveling a lot lately and when I am not on a trip, I am basically planning the next one! However this also means that in the last several months, I have been to quite a few interesting places in the city, discovered new restaurants and pubs, watched new plays and attended stand-up comedy shows, figured out more enjoyable ways to spend the weekends and spent a lot of time in nice cafes 🙂 And as I keep saying, Chennai never ceases to surprise me, mostly always in a pleasant way!

Where do I start? Since I love eating and am a self-proclaimed foodie, let’s start with the new restaurants I have visited over the last few months, especially the ones I liked a lot as well as some of my usual haunts.

One restaurant I would love to visit again and perhaps one of my most favorite ones in Chennai so far is Spectra in the newly opened Leela Palace Hotel. The Sunday lunch buffet spread at Spectra is more lavish, extravagant, and diverse than any buffet I have ever seen in India-for a foodie, it is quite exquisite! From Mexican and North American to Japanese, Korean, Italian, Mediterranean, North and South Indian-it is a spectacular spread. And a heaven for dessert lovers-tiramisu, mud cake, gelatos, fruit pies, cup cakes, pastries of all colors, shapes and sizes, mouses, icre-creams..the list goes on. I went there on a certain Sunday afternoon with my Canadian and American girlfriends-forever curious about new places opening up in the city yet feeling apprehensive about what we would find. Needless to say all three of us were in for a nice surprise. We had a long, relaxed and sumptuous lunch for about 3 hours till we couldn’t stuff ourselves anymore with all those delectable food items!! 

The Leela Palace is in MRC Nagar which also boasts of another nice restaurant named Burgundy’s. It is by the same Chef Willi who owns my favorite restaurants-Tuscana Pizzeria and Kryptos. Burgundy’s offers a weekend buffet as well-the food is good but perhaps not worth visiting a second time. However we were lucky to get access to the service apartments in the same building as Burgundy’s courtesy a common friend staying there, who took us up to the roof. The views from up there, of the Bay and the city, are lovely. They also have an infinity swimming pool which is super tempting!

Being a die-hard Bengali, I have of course been on the look out for a good Bong restaurant in the city. My wish was granted when I found Bay Leaf off Cathedral road. It serves authentic, flavorful, and delicious Bengali cuisine as well as north Indian stuff for those interested in variety. During my first visit I ordered only Bengali food and was heartily satisfied at the end of the meal. Their Dab-Chingri (Prawn curry served in a coconut), Aloo-Posto (Potatoes cooked in a poppy seed paste), Bhapa-Bhetki or Shorshe-Maach (Seer fish slow-cooked in mustard sauce), Kabiraji Cutlet (Fish cutlet) and Malpua (sort of a Pancake) are easily the signature items.

I have gone there twice more since then and have had a finger-licking experience in every visit 🙂

For salad-lovers, the best place to visit in Chennai is Kryptos by Chef Willi. They have 2 branches-one in Nungambakkam on Khader Nawaz Khan Road and one in Alwarpet on Chamiers Road. Their salad bar has lots of varieties-from fresh veggies with different kinds of dips and spreads to fruit platters, bread baskets etc. Recently they have also introduced a mini buffet with main course items, mostly of continental types. Overall a nice lunch experience especially during weekdays if one needs to grab a quick bite with colleagues or official visitors.

These three would be my top picks for this blog. Other than that I also visited and would strongly recommend Chao-a Singaporean and Malaysian restaurant in TNagar which is quite decent, Chap Chay in Raintree Hotel on St. Mary’s road which serves good Chinese, Malaysian and Thai-they also have a live counter where you can pick what you want from a wide assortment of proteins, veggies etc and it will be cooked in a sauce of your choice, Prego in Taj Coromandel known for its delectable Italian spread, 601 in The Park on Nunganbakam High Road which stays open 24 hours a day and serves everything from salads and sandwiches to pastas and and pizzas, and Azulia in GRT Grand Hotel in TNagar which serves authentic Turkish and Greek cuisine (do not miss their mezze platters!).

One other restaurant in Chennai that deserves a special mention here is Benjarong-the fantastic Thai chain restaurant on TTk road in Alwarpet. Before the start of every meal they serve an amazing array of complementary appetizers called Mein Kam which is a plate of spinach leaves accompanied by little pots of various fillings – small pieces of lemon, peanuts, onion, red chilli, ginger, flakes of dry roasted coconut and a base paste made of palm sugar. It is almost like eating paan wherein you wrap the ingredients with the leaves and pop them in your mouth for a refreshing taste! Their Gai Hor Baitaey described as succulent morsels of chicken wrapped in pandanus leaves and deep fried, Pahd Pong Kari which is red snapper cooked in Thai curry, and Thai sticky rice with mango are among the many delicacies I absolutely love-some captured in pics below.

For those who enjoy their alcohol, contrary to popular perceptions, Chennai does not disappoint! My favorite places so far have been Zara’s Pub off Cathedral road-they serve a wide variety of cocktails, though at times this pub can get very crowded and the music can get too loud, High rooftop lounge in Raintree Hotel that gives a fantastic view of the city from up above especially in the evenings, Tranquebar in the new ITC Chola Sheraton that also boasts of a Malt and Cigar bar, and Leather Bar in The Park hotel on Nungambakkam High Road. The the best part is they all serve liquor till midnight!

Having visited Amethyst and a few other cafes in town, I have finally concluded that my favorite cafe in Chennai is Chamiers Cafe in Alwarpet, also sometimes called Anokhi Cafe since it is in the same building as the Anokhi boutique. I have lost the number of times I have been there! They serve different flavors of coffees and teas, have a nice breakfast menu that includes sausages, bacon, pancakes with maple syrup, omlettes with various fillings, fresh fruit juices etc as well as a lovely lunch selection consisting of pastas, sandwiches, salads and grilled stuff. They used to offer free wi-fi the whole day but recently they have begun charging for this service. The cafe primarily caters to a large expat crowd mostly from nearby embassies and consulates. One of the walls of the cafe is lined with black and white pictures of random people from all over the city-gives quite an interesting character to the place.

Another place close to the Chamiers Cafe that is like an urban oasis is the Madras Club. It’s become a favorite of my husband who has visited it way more than I have but I enjoy spending an occasional evening there as well or maybe go for a walk amidst all that greenery or just have a lazy coffee by the pool. Their library is a nice place to hang out and their bakery is perhaps one of the best in town! Visiting the club is easy even without being a member, if you have reciprocal membership from any other club outside Chennai. It is truly a world away from all the humdrum of the city.

Finally, for those women who love to pamper themselves with an occasional spa visit, I would highly recommend Oryza Spa in the Raintree hotel on Mount Road (would strongly recommend their frequent-flier anti-stress full body massage for 2 hours!), Ananta Thai Spa in Nungambakkam or the Senza Spa in Besant Nagar-the latter specializing in foot reflexology massages!

Well, this in a nutshell is how I have been spending my weekends discovering Chennai-especially it’s culinary side! I have also been attending several events such as stand-up comedy shows, music concerts and dance recitals, as well as plays. The months of July and August are especially exciting for theater lovers as this is when the Hindu Metro Theater Festival comes to town. So this weekend for example, I am off to one of their plays called The Circus which is a take on Charlie Chaplin’s movie of the same name. I shall talk about all these events in my next blog..so watch out for this space 🙂

 

Thus commence Chennai diaries…!!

After 3 months in my new job, 4 months in Chennai, 5 months since I relocated back to India, and 7 months since I left California and hence Santa Cruz, I feel settled enough to get back to what I enjoy doing (aka writing) and start documenting my experiences of not just moving back to India from the US, but more importantly of living in Chennai! Why is Chennai so special relative to other Indian metropolitan cities as far as I am concerned? Well let’s see..I don’t speak the local language (Tamil), I don’t have a single friend or relative in this city and neither does my hubby, let me reiterate here-both of us put together we don’t know anyone here, and we are super-strictly carnivorous (Bengalis!) in this city of vegetarians. In fact other than the religion and nationality, I am not sure we have anything in common with 90% of the Chennai-ites!!!! Hence, moving to a city like this from California was to say the least a massive ordeal. As one of my South Indian friends from Bay Area put it-‘you are moving from Santa Cruz which is more liberal by American standards to Chennai which is more conservative by Indian standards..good luck and condolences!’ Hahahahaha!

So needless to say when we decided to move here (primarily dictated by my job which by Indian academia standards is quite a cushy and comfy one! Well there has to be something to lure us to this city :P) I was a bundle of nerves–full of apprehensions, anxieties, coupled with severe pangs of having left California-a place where I had spent the 5 best years of my life so far.

However…4 months in the city and I shall say this–Chennai may not be half as cosmopolitan as Delhi or Mumbai or Bangalore and yes there maybe several issues with language and food and weather over and above the usual problems of life in India like poor roads, bad traffic, etc–but if I now had to choose a city where I would move back to from the US especially with only one person earning and the other looking for a job, I would easily choose Chennai.

What I now like the most about this place is its laid-back, relaxed and chilled out attitude and coming from California, this particular aspect of the transition was hardly that difficult. People here are by and large friendly, helpful, and most importantly for returning NRIs, non-interfering! I can be myself here without anyone bothering me or asking questions-I guess the language barrier perhaps is a help in this case rather than a hindrance 😛 Everyone lets you be and the city moves along at a nice and easy pace–nothing even close to the break-neck speed of Mumbai or Delhi which can drive anyone crazy after a few days.

Also Chennai is quite small by Indian metropolitan standards-hence commuting from one place to another is quite smooth in terms of distance and time. Public transport may not be the best given the absence of cabs on roads but autos more than make up for it-yes I had to master the art of bargaining else they would have fleeced me every day but now I am totally comfortable hailing an auto and negotiating in broken English and am getting better at this 😛 (Only the other day I paid Rs 40 to go from TNagar to Nungambakkam when usually they charge Rs 50/60!..lol!)

Chennai surprisingly (well esp for people like us who were so ignorant before and I guess most Bengalis are about this city unless they have lived here!) has quite a few good quality restaurants serving multiple cuisines and since we love to eat out, we have already been exploring the culinary joints of the city extensively. So far our favorites are Benjarong (Thai) and Momoyama (Japanese) in Alwarpet, Azulia (Turkish/Greek/Lebanese) in TNagar, and Anjappar (Chettinad)-everywhere! We love the Chettinad cuisine especially their yummilicious fish preparations! Momoyama has mouth-watering sushi and Azulia is authentic Mediterranean food at its best! They have a Turkish festival coming up this month which am totally planning to attend.We also have a few more on our list like Cornucopia (Italian) in Adyar, Kyungbokgong (Korean) and Teppanyaki (Japanese) in Alwarpet and Zara (Spanish Tapas) on Cathedral road as well as a few highly recommended restaurants in Taj Coromandel, Park Sheraton (we have had their Chinese and it is fab!), and Marriott Courtyard.  Planning to try these in the next few months before the weather gets bizarre!

Delicacy @Saravana Bhavan

Sake & Tea @Momoyama

One major tip to live well in Chennai having moved back from the US is actually to do exactly that–live well! This includes finding a nice apartment in a posh neighborhood preferably close to some kind of a hub area (cost of living in Chennai is substantially lower than in Mumbai or Delhi and hence affording a plush and sprawling apartment in the ‘Bandra’ of the city is not that difficult!), of course buying a nice car (though we survived pretty well the first 3 months thanks to autos and rental cars!) and splurging on dinners and drinks in 5-star hotels, again something that would be difficult to afford in Mumbai for example! We were lucky enough to find a lovely and big, furnished apartment in TNagar which happens to be the heart of the city-so while our neighborhood is a quiet and posh one, we are located at a walking distance from everything–branded stores, nice gyms, high end beauty parlors(:P), good bookstores, cafes, multiple grocery stores, lending library and of course restaurants and pubs! There are two very good bars/pubs in the neighborhood-Bikes and Barrels and 10 Downing Street and that of course makes like much easier 😉

And a decent place to hang out in weekends is of course the Besant Nagar beach! I really enjoy going there once in a while, sit on the beach and hog on beach-junk-food while enjoying a gentle sea breeze, looking out towards the blue Bay of Bengal with ships in a distant horizon about to dock in Chennai port, or sometimes sip a latte in the adjoining Barista or grab a bite from French Loaf–lovely! The pace of life is so easy-going and relaxed here that any day can feel like a weekend and I love that! Especially from Mid October to February when the weather is actually quite pleasant!!Next time will prolly go there with a book and spend more time by the sea.

Other than that we have also been hanging out at the Madras Club (thanks to reciprocal memberships from Kolkata clubs!) which is par excellence especially their swimming pool, the Madras Gymkhana Club which is decent too but a bit far from the heart of the city, Amethyst-a delightful coffee shop in Royapettah and occasionally at the Express Avenue Mall which is….HUGE!

Madras Gymkhana Club

So in a nutshell–my pre-conceived adverse notions about life in Chennai have definitely been wiped away to a great extent. We still complain about the garbage and the water-logged streets when it rains but traffic is so much more manageable here than even Kolkata and life in general can be quite smooth if one knows the right places to go to I guess 😛 For a couple of years I would not actually mind living here now!

I hope to document my adventures in this city during the coming months in this blog from time to time and hopefully this will also help some others like me who have recently moved or are thinking of moving here from abroad with very little clue about life in Chennai..my first advice to them-move here with an open mind and who knows..you may actually enjoy living here in the short run!!