BLOOD IN THE SAMBHAR

Nirupama Subramanian tells the story of the life and crimes of dosa king P. Rajgopal

- G. Krishnan

For decades, Chennai had few places where the whole family could eat a meal in cleanliness and peace. The few eateries that dotted the metropolis were largely “military hotels”, hole-in-the-wall places serving cheap non-veg to an all-male clientele. All that changed in the 1980s with the mushrooming of several clean, air-conditioned restaurants specialising in regional cuisine. But vegetarian eat and-run places were still few. Vasantha Bhavan, Saravana Bhavan and other chains, each enjoying brief moments in the spotlight, have now carved out the market among themselves.