“Food is a central activity of mankind and one of the single most significant trademarks of a culture.”
-Mark Kurlansky
(American journalist and writer)
I have always believed that cooking is the greatest form of art. It plays with all human senses. And what best can define the culture of a place than the food of the place. Street food to be precise.
Talk of street food and a kaleidoscope of colourful pictures starts revolving in my head. Hit the crowded streets and you will find good old rustic appeal, preserved for ages and just the way culinary and cultural heritage meet. Walk the streets, especially the old city areas, of any city and you are instantly hit by the gullies where time had once stopped.
On this note we start expecting a lot from the streets of Bangalore. A city with Nizami culture northward, Nawabi culture southward, Karavali culture westward, Andhra culture eastward, Malnad culture in the north-west, and Coorgi culture towards south-east is bound to be special. Despite being the political melting pot of the South, and the IT capital of the country, Bangalore does suffer from an image problem. “The city has no culture,” so they say. Well, to this myth, Sai Rams comes as a pleasant surprise!
Sai Rams is a quintessential chaat stall. Located in 16th Cross, 8th Main of Malleshwaram, possible the best example of a marketplace where tradition values are in perfect coherence with modern lifestyle.
The place is usually crowded with college going students in the evening but the quick service and the joyful atmosphere makes the wait worthwhile. Sai Rams surprises you with innovative chaats like Sai Ram special (my personal favourite), Kiss masala, Hong Kong masala, Nippat masala, Ting tong chaat, Disco chaat, and many more. The chaats don’t just have funny names, their taste is equally captivating. They are blended with traditional and modern ingredients which adds brilliantly to the charm.
By the way, the food here is priced brilliantly. Costs are usually not round numbers and they automatically reinforce upon the delicious taste in inspiring you to try one more dish here. Try the chaats of Sai Rams, Malleshwaram. You won’t regret it.
सौरभ राय | Sourav Roy 