Food served in college canteens attract students, but not the faculty. From everyday Idli and chapatis to sandwiches and soft drinks, private colleges offer a variety to satiate the hunger of their students. In some city colleges, non-vegetarian food is also served. At the College of Engineering, Guindy, the erstwhile canteen would overflow with students and sundry crowd during lunch time that would stretch till 4 p.m. and it used to serve ice cream, sugar cane juice, meals, and snacks. The building has since been razed and a new facility is coming up. A few hundred feet away, the food court is now the new joint. For Anjana and her friends, it is the go-to place. “Sometimes we order chole batura,” she says, her eyes mirroring her excitement.
The coffee in the canteen is good, she adds.
As with hotels, the size of the tumbler can be debated, but when it comes to chole batura, there are no arguments. The newly constructed National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) has a swanky canteen that is more preferred by professors. A professor says, “I prefer the NCSCM canteen as it is quiet and we can talk without having to raise our voice.”
