Come Margazhi, connoisseurs of Carnatic music flock to the sabhas of the city to experience the magic of kutcheris, dance and theatre shows. And it's not only the performances of artistes old and new that the city looks forward to - it's also the food that's offered by the sabha canteens. Hungry rasikas gorge on scrumptious far as they hop from one sabha to another. Dr. Kamala Selvaraj, daughter of yesteryear actor Gemini Ganesan and a regular at these sabhas, says "The saying goes we 'Eat to Live' but during Margazhi we 'Live to eat'!"
The canteens usually cater to weddings, and since December is not a popular wedding season, it becomes a win-win, as the crowds at the music and dance shows are as large as wedding crowds.
Mount Sreenivasan, Dr. Deepu Selvaraj and Mountbatten Mani Iyer
Well-known danseuse Anita Ratnam, points out that Chennai is a melting pot of cuisines and that one can find dishes from all over South India on the menus of the canteens, which are usually pop-ups. She says food is such an important part of the sabha experience that some aficionados actually decide which show to attend depending on who is running a particular canteen! The danseuse believes that these sabhas keep their food authentic despite tweaking the amount of sugar or ghee that would have traditionally been used, in deference to the average age of the customers - over 40.
Talking of her experience with Meenambiga Caterers at the Mylapore Fine Arts Club, she says "It was excellent."
Sri Balaji Catering Services have set up their stall at the prestigious Music Academy this year. They tell us that the menu is changed every day and that lunch is almost as grand as the classic ‘kalyana elai saapadu.’ More than South Indians,
North Indians and NRIs turn up because they love having food on a banana leaf, they say.
This year they have introduced a menu dominated by millets, a healthy alternative to rice, including millet-based sweets.
Every sabha-goer makes it a point to taste the food at the Mountbatten Mani Iyer canteen at the Parthasarathy Swami Sabha at one time or another.
Dr. Kamala's son Dr. Deepu Selvaraj says “Lunch is a must-do at Mountbatten Mani Iyer's and Balaji Pattapa’s as it is on a banana leaf.”
The sabha canteens are open all through December until January 1.
