E-Paper
Night Food Street reopens with tasty and budget fare in Chandigarh
Closed for a makeover for almost all of last year, the Night Food Street, popularly known as NFS outside Panjab University, has reopened from January 5, complete
Closed for a makeover for almost all of last year, the Night Food Street, popularly known as NFS outside Panjab University, has reopened from January 5, complete with fairy lights and healthy and lip-smacking but budget fare. The cold winter nights are made warm and welcoming with the aroma of butter melting on paranthas, a drizzle of soya sauce spicing up hakka noodles being tossed by the chefs, and a tinge of tamarind sweetening the sambhar in which delectable dosas are being dipped.
A faux green belt has been laid outside the premises. Adorned with white flowerpots, the stalls have vegetarian and egg dishes as part of north and south Indian and Continental offerings. Of the three counters, all run by NVT Hospitality, only one stays open in the day when there’s not much of a rush, except for patients and attendants from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research and policemen on duty nearby.
DOC STOP
As of now, “PGIMER doctors form a large chunk of the customers. Though the hospital has a 24/7 mess, it is always nice to come out for some fresh air. At the PGI canteen we still carry the tag of doctor, nurse or patients but at this canteen we can all eat together,” says the president of the Association of Resident Doctors, Dr Uttam Kumar Thakur.
Vimal Rawat from Dehradun, who has come to Chandigarh for his father’s treatment, finds it “so convenient, I walked outside the PGIMER campus looking for a place to eat and there it was. The food is hygienic and cheap, I eat here every day,” he says.
The stalls which were like dhabas earlier have been upgraded, says Garry Singh, manager of the Indian outlet. “The premises are cleaner, the cooks wear hairnets and gloves while working. Fly traps have been put up near the tables and a station installed for washing hands.”
The food, though marginally expensive now, is still cheaper compared to other eateries in the city.
EVERYTHING UNDER ₹100
So you get aloo parantha for ₹20, noodles-manchurian plate for ₹60, veg manchurian for ₹50; veg burger for ₹30; masala dosa for ₹60 and rajma chawal for ₹50. “The most expensive item on the menu, the thaali, is priced at ₹80, lesser than what other outlets opening at night charge. People also like our paranthas, which sell from ₹20 onwards,” Singh adds
On the special features of NFS 2.0, NVT Hospitality general manager Vineet Chaudhary says the changes aren’t just aesthetic, but make the place secure too. “NFS now has 24 working CCTV cameras with four bouncers stationed here every day after 8pm till 6 am. There were security issues earlier but we now ensure safety for all patrons,” he says.
It’s too early, however, to call this venture a success even though the response has been satisfactory, adds Chaudhary.
NFS is good news, says the president of the Panjab University Campus Students Council, Chetan Chaudhary. “Many students are in the library till late at night. It’s nice they have an outlet nearby for subsidised food. I hope the increased security measures can put a stop to any untoward incidents here.”
