Soul Curry

Tucked down a service lane in Chennai, far from the world of swanky fast-food joints, is a nondescript restaurant. Here, the guest is god and the waiters are doctors and engineers who work for free. eye checks out the recipe for spiritual food

In the world of golden-arched fast food joints, the customer who is king jostles for a table to sit, chomps on trans-fat-laced burgers dished out on plastic trays and is sent off with a rehearsed smile. But walk into a nondescript restaurant tucked down a service lane on Chennai8217;s arterial Mount Road and the trappings of takeaway eating are left behind8212;women in gilded Kancheevarams and men in crisp kurtas usher you in with a gentle greeting, lay the exquisitely carved tables with religious care and glide softly through the restaurant as they bring you the finest vegetarian fare. This is Annalakshmi restaurant, where the 8220;guest is god8221;, where you can find a band of volunteers8212;doctors, engineers, housewives and professors8212;providing service with a smile.

If you are the well-heeled Indian who demands nothing but the best international standards, it needs be told that Annalakshmi is also a global chain in its own right. From Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, and Coimbatore to Perth and Penang, it has busy branches across the world. Two more are coming up in the US8212;in Washington and New York.

This unique chain was founded by a spiritual leader from Tamil Nadu, Swami Shantanand Saraswathi. After his guru died, this seer from Thirukoyiloor village in south Tamil Nadu left for Sri lanka and then shifted base to Kuala Lumpur in 1968, where he opened various centres for culture the Temples of Fine Arts, community service, Temples of Service and a string of restaurants that serve food for the soul.

But let8217;s step back to the old-world splendour of Annalakshmi, where Chennai-based Dr Usha Mittal has just ushered in a group of slightly awestruck guests. The entrance is framed by flaming oil lamps and an urn brimming with flowers. At the centre of the ground floor is an idol of the deity Annalakshmi, the goddess of food.

Mittal has been a volunteer here since 1994. 8220;I used to wait at the table initially. Now age is catching up. So I just usher in the guests,8221; she says. At another table, S. Sathyamurthy has just served the Rajalakshmi Bhojan, a mouth-watering spread of 22 dishes, served in pure silver.

The restaurant has around 50 volunteers at its service. On a given day, a team of 10 runs the show in the morning and evening, setting and clearing the table, taking orders and serving and ushering the guests. They also wash and press the linen. It8217;s an experience in humility and service that most seem to enjoy. While Mittal serves on weekends, Sathyamurthy is at work three days a week. His 28-year-old son Karthik, a software engineer in the US, never fails to find time to serve at Annalakshmi whenever he is on vacation in Chennai, says Sathyamurthy.

Other volunteers include Prof Rajkumar, head of the department of mathematics at the CBM College in Coimbatore, and Dr Kannan and wife Poornima who work at the Annalakshmi branch in Coimbatore. People who are used to standoffish waiters or fawning stewards are taken aback by the quality of service.
8220;Most are very shy to place orders. Then they get used to it and begin chatting with us,8217;8217; says Mittal.

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So impressed were some of the guests that they turned volunteers. A couple now work at the Temple of Service, the chain of clinics in the city which provide free treatment to the poor. The restaurant8217;s clientele comprises the cream of Chennai society8212;President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was a patron when he was the scientific adviser.

The sumptuous but homely food is cooked by devotees of the Swami. The menu includes both south and north Indian dishes. If you choose Uttarayanam, you can pick from an array of rotis, pilafs, dals, vegetables and curries. Dakshinayanam comprises sambar, rasam, kootu and poriyal vegetables.

Annalakshmi is best known for its range of bhojans. The Preethi Bhojan, priced at Rs 350 per meal, is for those who want to go easy on their wallets while the Rajalakshmi and Swarnalakshmi Bhojan are a favourite with the swish set and Europeans. Kalam, a man known for his simplicity, always went for the Preethi Bhojan.

If you plump for the Swarnalakshmi Bhojan, priced at Rs. 1,500, you can decide the 35-course menu. The food fit for kings will be served in gold-plated vessels.

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8220;It is a combination of things. The service, the homely food and the spiritual vibrations within the restaurant all draw customers,8217;8217; says Mittal. 8220;We serve the rich and the famous as well as feed the poor on the street.8217;8217;

The prices are a new feature. The first Annalakshmi restaurant which opened in Kuala Lumpur in 1986 envisaged it as a place where people could eat as they wish and pay as they feel. The practice continues in Malaysia and Australia.

Now, in India, only the branch on the way to Mettupalayam in Coimbatore trusts the guest to be generous. In Chennai, the restaurant scrapped the system when it found too many freeloaders gorging on the food and leaving without paying.
Sometimes, the guest-as-god is only a customer looking for the best bargain8212;and soulless takeaway food his just desserts.