No compromise on authenticity

A visit to ‘Bharathi Refreshments’ on Wilson Garden Main Road is not complete without a cup of hot filter coffee and a plate of Chettinad-style parotta. Started in 1986, the eatery has maintained its taste and flavour, attracting customers from all parts of the City even today.

Manjunath, one of the owners, remembers how his father RN Sethuraman first began this eatery. “It was his dream to open a restaurant and to bring authentic Chettinad vegetarian food to the City. He passed on the recipes to my brother and I. So, we know how to make each of the dishes that is prepared here. That is how we have managed to retain the same taste over all these years,” says Manjunath.

What’s really appealing about the eatery is the space. There is ample space for people to stand and eat. There is also seating space for those who have time on their hands. Yet, on any given day, this place is packed with customers gorging on the steaming hot idlis and the delicious pongal. Aravind, a professional, who works close to the eatery, says that he has his breakfast here. “The idlis are light and soft and you can make out that they don’t put any soda or artificial colours in their food. And I feel the crowd here is proof of the fact that they are good,” he adds.

The meals here, which are served in the afternoon, are filling and delicious. The vegetarian fare comprises of two vegetables, parotta, sambhar, rasam, rice and curd. It is priced at just Rs 33.

Manjunath adds, “More than making money out of this business, we want people to love our food. When they step out of here after a meal, we want them to be our well-wishers. Their satisfaction is our success.”

In the evening, the menu shifts back to the snacks. During this time, people make a beeline for one of the more popular items on the menu — the kothu parotta.
“We are known for our parottas. That’s why we include it in our meals. It is very affordable compared to other eateries. There is always a huge rush during that time,” says Manjunath.

Apart from the parotta, another crowd-puller is the filter coffee. The balanced taste of decoction and milk has people coming from all parts of the City to taste the coffee. “We sell close to 5,000 cups of coffee in a day and we have one person handling the entire thing by himself,” says Manjunath. Open on all days from 6 am to 10.30 pm, the eatery is closed only on Sunday afternoon. ‘Bharathi Refreshments’ is located at No. 34/02, 8th Cross, Near Agadi Hospital, H Siddiah Road,
Wilson Garden.