Lunch @ Andhra Bhavan

Who will ever believe that you can treat yourself to unlimited delicious andhra food right in the heart of delhi?

Yes, I'm talking about Andhra Bhavan canteen that is located a stone's throw away from India Gate.

Look at the joy writ all over Lalitha as she puts a finger on the thing she is going to enjoy the most: the red hot mango pickle.

At 70 INR (that's a dollar and a half), the value is incredible. The moment you step inside, for an andhrite, it is coming home right in the capital city. You suddenly hear and see all that is part of your DNA: swarthy faces that speak telugu, women in cotton saris, the larger than life statue of lord Balaji, and yes, the unmistakable smells of andhra food.

The guy comes and lays your 'unlimited' thalis and proceeds to fill it up with hot rice and dal and pickles. The katoris of sambar and rasam quickly follow. Heavenly. We typically do 3 or sometimes even 4 helpings of rice to do justice to the number of dishes, from pickle to curds.

In less than a hour, you end up feeling like you never gonna get up from that table and do anything. Satiated is the word.