HOW THE TABLES HAVE TURNED

A 20-year journey through Chennai's dining scene, from cautious beginnings to bold experiments, told by the experts shaping its future

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TWENTY YEARS AGO, anime fans in Chennai could only drool over bowls of ramen drawn on a manga page or flickering on a TV screen.

Today, those noodles land steaming on their tables here in the city, in neon-lit ramen bars. In two short decades, our city’s food story has gone from steady staples to bold experiments, unfolding with just as many twists and turns as the dramas we binge-watch.

Ashutosh Nerlekar, executive chef at The Park, has watched this change closely. He says what stands out today is the sheer range, “Dining and everything around dining has evolved. From frequency and choices to spending power and the variety of options available, the landscape has transformed—spanning from five-star hotels to 12-seaters, hole-in-the-wall concepts serving exceptional food.”

Te Yuan Peter Tseng, culinary director of Pricol Gourmet, recalls how limited standalone dining once was. “At that time, most of the standalone restaurants were concentrated on local cuisines across a broad spectrum of messes, tiffin rooms, biriyani centres, and regional speciality restaurants. There were just a handful of standalone restaurants serving international cuisine.” For years, the fine dining scene was led by hotels. Peter recalls how these kitchens not only set the tone but also built an ecosystem. He says, “These five-star hotels helped in developing the skill sets of the local chefs at par with international standards, established the logistics and supply chain of gourmet ingredients in the city, and at the same time, introduced the best of international cuisine to the diners.” He also adds, “The city has seen a huge influx of migrant workers from other states, thanks to the recent boom of the IT sector, automotive manufacturing hubs, and BPOs across the city, increasing the frequency of dining out and expectation of what they experienced in other metro cities.”