Until 15 years ago, night life on Venkatanarayana Road at Thyagaraya Nagar would wrap up by 10 p.m. Thereafter, only Corporation sanitary workers could be seen cleaning up the road. But in the last 10 years, this road has become a home for food-lovers. Several vendor carts have come up, and nightlife is getting more vibrant on the road, even if it tilts towards food.
People visit this area for a few more reasons. This road also houses the famous Venkateswara Temple run by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. Thousands of people visit this temple every day; on weekends, one has to stand in a long queue to enter the temple. Natesan Park also attracts huge crowds. “Thousands of walkers and runners come here in the evening. Over the years, the facilities at the park have been upgraded. There is a space to skate and exercise, and a space for children to play. Lot of children come here after 7 p.m.,” says Thangaraj, who has been visiting this park for over 25 years.
Food after basketball matches
On weekends, thousands of school and college students go to Venkatanarayana Road to play basketball and other games on a playground maintained by the Greater Chennai Corporation. Tournaments are organised on this ground even on weekdays. “Youngsters from across Chennai come here, along with their parents, to watch basketball matches, some of which last till late in the night. Once the match gets over, they try the food from the vendor carts around,” says S. Krishnamoorthi, a resident.
One of the most popular food joints is Sapthagiri, which sells delicious podi dosas. The team operates out of a vendor cart right next to Natesan Park. On an average, it sells over 2,000 dosas a day — and even more on weekends. A unique thing about Sapthagiri is that it does not add onions to the sambhar it ladles out. “Our clientele includes north Indians, especially Marwaris. Most of the Marwari food does not include onion, and that is the reason they come here,” says one of the persons at the counter. This place is also frequented by popular film directors and celebrities, he adds.
Right opposite Sapthagiri is Ramachandran’s vendor cart which sells a wide variety of non-vegetarian food, including gravies and starters. Another interesting food joint to visit here is Annachi Aappa Kadai, which is run by Rajan opposite the main entrance of Natesan Park. Rajan’s signature dish is freshly made Aappam and Muttai (egg) Aappam. These two men have introduced food from Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi in their menu cards.
Further down the road is Abdul Azees’s shop. This engineer-turned-entrepreneur first ran his business on a vendor cart. He has now picked up 220-square foot space following huge demand. “Our speciality is mutton dosa, chicken dosa and sandwich parotta. We also have green chicken and infused chicken and you won’t get them anywhere on this road,” he says. Over 500 foodies visit this shop on a weekday.
The nightlife starts at 6 p.m. and ends 30 minutes past midnight. R. Kannan, a flower vendor, says, “Ten years ago, this area would fall silent by 10 p.m. But, now, vendor carts here are open until midnight. And people from all parts of Chennai come here. The shops at Pondy Bazaar close late and employees of these shops also come here for dinner,” he says.
