The place was not exactly quiet because it was full. At its silent best, there was a steady din going around. All of a sudden for a few seconds, all hell broke loose. There were loud cheers and catcalls as if some celebrity had made an appearance. There was indeed one. Virender Sehwag had just stepped in.
Before him, not drawing attention and having a peaceful meal with his daughter and a friend was chief selector MSK Prasad. In the last few days, this place had Dinesh Karthik and Vijay Shankar among its visitors. Last year when the Indian team was in town for a Test, KL Rahul and Ravichandran Ashwin used to drop in to savour the specialities dished out here.
Welcome to Chennai Dosa, one of the several Indian restaurants in this city, which is fast making a name for itself as the favourite destination for Indian cricketers and fans. On Tuesday evening, it was almost choc a bloc, with the dosas, idlis and vadas doing brisk business. The parathas and naans were also in demand.
Located in the buzzing City Centre area, Chennai Dosa doesn't specialise only in the fare associated traditionally with its name. Along with the veechu parathas, they serve the North Indian variety as well, other than its own creations like Tuna Fish Masala Dosa. These have become quite popular, as the number of people presents out there suggested."Our clients are a mix of Indians and English, who like to taste the uniqueness of what we prepare. Business picks up especially during cricket matches when a lot of people visit the city," says David Diniz, who runs the place.
He is from Goa. Chennai Dosa is owned by a Tamilian person called Sid. It was called Namaste Kerala till about two years ago. When cricketers come here, David offers them specially made less oily dishes. "When Rahul and Ashwin came here last year, they told us to be not so generous with the quantity of oil. Mostly, when players from Southern India come here, they go for stuff like dosas and kuthu parottas. Otherwise, to keep everyone happy, we prepare different kinds of food. It's a mix of South Indian and North Indian favourites," says David.
With the Indian team set to return to Southampton for the match against Afghanistan on June 22, expect Chennai Dosa to be abuzz like it was a day before India's opening encounter.
