 Woodlands Drive In
Where: Cathedral Road
What you get: North and south Indian delicacies
 Woodlands Drive In... Though it has been there for ages, it has taken me the almost the same time - ages - to get there and check it out. I was visiting the international film festival which was taking place at Pilot theatre a couple of weeks ago, the first competitive one in south India, and decided to grab a bite there between movies because that’s what my aunt wanted and it was convenient.
I saw that the green canopy was well maintained. Much needed oxygen when your lungs will be filled with so much of system-clogging, polluted air. So this place is a breath of fresh air. Literally.
We found a good place to park our wheels. Our waiter turned out to be pretty chatty as he seemed to know my aunt for a long time. So off he went chatting about his son and how he was moody. After listening to that prattle, he let us order. So my aunt, my cousin and I decided to order a plain dosa, channa batura, and pav
bhaji.
 I got to know that Woodlands were the first to introduce the channa batura. The concept was brought down to Chennai by them. It was first called chole bature, as it should be called, and then watered down to the present name, which has stuck almost everywhere. Nice, I should say. We got a first taste of a classic dish if I may say, of Punjabi cuisine. Coffee and Mountain Dew were our choice of liquids.
The following day, we found ourselves in Woodlands again. And this time round we were a team of five. My mom, aunt and cousin with a friend. We ordered dosa and idli, all of us. We didn’t feel like having something special.
As much as Woodlands is a haunt for many, there are scores of celebrities who come there (and I know for a fact that the veteran singer P B Srinivoss comes there regularly). But the dosa and idli were abysmal. Yeah, it’s a strong word. But really can’t help it. The chola batura and pav bhaji were passable. And on the subsequent day, I had asked for a particular brand of lemon fizz and the waiter came with an opened bottle of a different one. Liberty taken. But then, I didn’t want to be difficult and ask him to take it back.
 One nice thing I noticed at Woodlands was the park. And I headed for the swings. I had the time of my life and it feels good to wake up the kid in you now and then. Gives a feeling of letting go and being free. The air rushing in your ears, the feeling of surging up into the air. I am pretty content with the swings and don’t really wish to have wings. And when I went back, my family was looking for me and hadn’t the slightest clue that I had been swinging away ;)
I wanted to end the review on a good note. Yeah, this column is not about what I feel about the swings but I had to end on a good note. I would sincerely apologise to all those who worship Woodlands, but I would like to draw your attention that this is a decree of a particular day, and it happened to be a bad one. Rather two bad ones consecutively. One wouldn’t expect a messed up dosa and idli at Woodlands.
Woodlands Drive In is hugely popular but, as a foodie, I wish they had given me a better fare.
Chinmayi
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