BFH#4 : MIT Cafeteria

It is that time of the year again.

We are in a state of war! The Exam halls are our Normandy, the thick books, rifles and the library, our trenches. But to keep this war going, we need our fair share of ration, and in in that endeavor, laziness will not do. We need to find better nutrition. And not unlike a country at war, we face a lot of economical challenges. Well simply put, we’re broke. (Or at least, I am)

Since it’s not always possible to go back for lunch to our respective messes, or for people like me who do not have a mess card anymore, we try to find good food around, but end sems macha, no time to go out, eat, come back and then start studying.

I found my savior in the most unexpected of places, the cafeteria. Why, one may ask?
One, because broke scenes. Two, because there is so much variety, and the prices range from ten rupees to a hundred and twenty.
I can have just twenty rupees in my wallet, and buy myself a plate of idly, which when dipped in enough sambhar, tastes surprisingly good. Get myself a cup of coffee to wash it down, (10 rupees) and breakfast sorted. On the days that you’re exceptionally broke, buy yourself upma. For a measly 15 rupees, you get a scoop or two of upma, which when eaten with sambar and chutney, is pretty decent. But hey, can’t complain, 15 rupees.

You can always have one of the many dosas they serve, but it’s my third year here now, I am bored of the dosas and the oreo shake. For a south Indian college cafeteria, (sorry for the subtle racism) , they make really good north Indian food. Depending on how much you want to spend and how much can you eat, you can look for a lot of things. The kulcha paneer is pretty good, so is the paneer tikka masala, and even the chole kulche are pretty decent. The Aaloo paratha is really good, but i will not lie, I have had aaloo paratha for the chutney they serve with it, now that, is amazing. The parathas, Aaloo, paneer, egg are all nice and decently priced (somewhere between 30 and 50), the pao bhaji is bearable but cheap (at 35 rupees, it’s pretty flliing), you can always have the paneer pao bhaji or the cheese pao bhaji (45 each) and the bhel puri (25 rupees) works if you’re looking for empty calories. The ‘north indian meal with sweet’, as it is mentioned in the menu, is priced at a lowly 65 rupees, and is something you should definitely if you’re looking for a decent meal. Ask the regulars though, apparently the chole are good.

The sandwiches , especially omelette sandwich and cheese sandwich are something that should not be missed. There is a long list of pastas and pizzas that these people serve, which i have never had the pleasure of eating, but I’ve been told (by my trusted sources) that the Italian fare is decent too. The chinese, however is horrible, and so is the biryani. Basically do not buy rice and that should work for you.

For something sweet, there is always ice-cream and other sweets in the display counter, you can even get yourself sweet lime soda, (which, for twenty rupees btw, is a find), and if like me, you too are bored of the oreo shake, you should definitely try out the Mousambi juice (healthy) and mango shake (full of fat, but heavenly). Good way to cool yourself down.

So yeah, that’s pretty much it. As I need to pass tomorrow, I shall be taking my leave.
Thanks for reading. 🙂