Barodian chopsuey

If you want to have a Gujarati thali in the streets of Baroda, it's a tough ask. Chinese is a better bet at the handcarts which dot the roadsides. Be it Chhani in the north, Makarpura in the south, Gotri, Ellora Park, Karelibaug or Manjalpur, the entire city seems to have a penchant for Chicken Lollypops, Chilli Chicken, Vegetarian Manchurian and Triple Schezwan Rice. And, it being Gujarat, you also have the odd but mandatory Jain Fried Rice and Chinese Bhel. Business at these carts is brisk, if you consider the standard of living of the personnel of two such road outlets - China Town and Frank. The staff here come in scooters and, the owners, Nepalis from Gorakhpur who came penniless to the city, have houses of their own today. Needless to say, quite a crowd frequent them.

Popular roadside eating joints

What Chinese stalls have gradually overtaken in popularity are those selling omelette/scrambled eggs (bhurji). The latter however still have their takers, the most famous being Raju Omelette Centre on VIP Road and Yusuf at Sayajigunj. Sellers of South Indian food like masala dosas aren't far behind either, with many of them having graduated to owning restaurants.

That the Barodians thrive on eating out is evident, both at the spread of outlets and the variety of food. From Malabar and Keralite cooking at Periyar to sizzlers at San's Sizzlers; from Momos at the Tibetan Market to Thai, Indonesian, Malaysian and Mongolian at Colours of Spice on Gotri Road, the variety is a delight. The older parts of the city which is dominated by Marathas, since the time of the rule of the Gaekwad era, serve delicious 'sev-misal' and 'sev-usal' besides the regular vada-pav, which range around a trifling Rs 15.

For a city that is not too large, the maximum distance from anywhere to anywhere being around 12 kilometres, Baroda has an impressive number of restaurants too. And in these, Gujarati thali is en vogue, always served with a healthy dash of hospitality for prices which come between Rs 50 and Rs 150. At restaurants like Kansar and Hotel Surya in Sayajigunj, Amantran and Express Hotel in Alkapuri they don't stop serving you until you beg them to stop. Usually a loud burp signals the end of the meal but at times even that is not enough to convince them that you are through as they smile and put some more 'dhoklas' in your plate.

Different zones of the city have differing specialities. The walled city area of Salatwada, an amalgamation of various communities with a large component of Muslims, is the place to be for Mughlai food. Dishes to try there include Fish Masala, Prawn Fry, Chicken Mughlai and an astonishing variety of mutton for prices that range from Rs 10 to Rs 45. The place is abuzz through the night (or until stocks last, as they say). For Parsi fare delivered to your doorstep, head for the Parsi Agiari at Sayajigunj. Near there a few Parsis stand taking home delivery orders for Chicken and Mutton Biryani. Cosmopolitan and Millennium on Fatehgunj are also good choices for 'biryanis', all for Rs 35 to Rs 50.

Laxmi Vilas palace, home of the Gaekwads, former ruler of Baroda

The university is another food-spot. M S University attracts 33,000 students to its portals every year from all over the country and is a vital point of Baroda. Located right in the centre of the city, the university spans across places like Fatehgunj, Sayajigunj, Pratapgunj and Nizampura. A vibrant student culture pervades here and this is reflected in the food habits. Food is available at every nook and corner with cold cocoa, coffee, pav-bhaji, pulavs, bhajiyas, farsan and dabeli centres dotting the road.

Evenings in Fatehgunj Road are fun-filled with the entire student population and locals swooping down - sitting at the 'chai-gallas', the Afghani Fry Centres, Kalyan Restaurant and at Frigtemp, a favourite of the youth crowd. In fact, the main stretch of Fatehgunj is a kilometre-and-a-half long with an impressive 20 restaurants. The other local hang-outs for students are Alkapuri's R C Dutt Road at places like 'Concorde' Building, Siddharth Complex and Centre Point where many are usually found sitting on the pavement, their bikes parked by the road. R C Dutt Road is also an interesting place to hog on 'farsan' like 'cocktail samosas', 'kachoris', 'handvo', 'dhokla' and 'patra'. One can also shop for clothes there. If by night you haven't had your fill, there's always 'tumtum', 'anda pulav', and 'anda tikka masala', waiting till two in the morning, again at prices ranging from Rs 10 to Rs 25.

Alkapuri, which houses R C Dutt Road, is also known for its posh bungalows built by Indians who fled from Uganda during the '60s. A lot of them shifted to the US and UK making themselves much richer in the process. It is therefore not surprising that the place is a shopping point with malls sporting designer labels. Eight major shopping complexes have come up within an area of three kilometres on the same stretch of road.

Fatehgunj also has Vishnu who sits at his designated spots from six in the morning till five in the evening, selling coffee (Rs 4) and tea (Rs 3) to students from the university. There is also Salim, who owns a tea stall outside Kamatibaug opposite the university. These chaiwallahs are landmarks in themselves, famous enough to attract even businessmen there.

Why does Baroda have such a fetish for food? One reason some locals say is because of the limited number of entertainment options in the city. There are only two multiplexes and since alcohol prohibition is in force in all of Gujarat, the main options for entertainment are eating out and shopping.

The second question which arises is the secret behind Baroda's eclectic cuisine spread. This too has a simple explanation - viz, Baroda has a diverse spread of people. It is a city of the working middle-class due to the mega public sector units in and around the city like IPCL, ONGC, Petrofils, GSFC, GACL, and many state-run corporations which have led to people from all parts of the country coming here. The melting pot of cultures is also evident in the number of religious institutions. From two Syrian churches, where they still pray in Syrian and Aramaic, to Sufi darbars to temples, the city has it all for the devout.

To add another pinch of variety to this eclectic mix, Baroda is also home to the engineering unit of the Indian Army.

Though prohibition exists, alcohol is not in short supply. And nightlife is almost nil because the only disco in town has downed shutters following drunken brawls. Drinking is not much of a problem since the police generally leave the tipplers alone unless one starts creating a problem. Parties in Baroda, mostly private, are known to go on till the wee hours of the morning. But these are only for the few who are in the know of the circuit. For the rest, entertainment is watching a movie, shopping and that having done with, eating out and eating out again. In Baroda, that's about the best form of time-pass.

Going Around

Avoid travelling by the local buses. Other than being very uncomfortable, getting to know the routes is tedious. The best mode of transport in the city is the rickshaw which are available everywhere and at any time for a fixed rate (minimum fare begins from Rs 9).