As the city goes to sleep, these ‘chefs’ reach their respective stalls to ignite the gas stoves to prepare several yummy dishes at the Night Food Court alongside the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation stadium on M.G. Road.
Like bees attracted to flowers, the “night-munchers” (read foodies) gather in large numbers at these neatly line-up food stalls offering items such as the all-pervasive steaming idly and spicy biryani.
The Night Food Court (NFC) launched in December in 2014 by the then top cop A.B. Venkateswara Rao is a hit and has set a new dimension to otherwise dull night life.
In fact, it has turned out to be the best night-out destination for families and non-locals who visit city on various purposes. Passengers from the bus and railway stations directly head towards NFC to satiate their odd-hour hunger.
Asked what was drawing the crowd to the court, food stall owner K. Babu Rao spontaneously said that the zeal to experience this new culture was the main reason.
“Though people come in search of food in late hours, many make it a special programme to visit this place to relish food items. Families come at midnight, while the working class leave before that”.
The foodies include visitors to the Chief Minister’s Office and the staff of new departments coming up in the city. The food court,which offered snacks, is now dominated by the city’s favourite dish — the biryani.
More than 10 Biryani stalls have came up, and each of one of them is catering 300 customers every night starting from 10 p.m. to 3.a.m., according to the organisers. Tastybryanis are sold for more or less the same price at the budget hotels — Rs. 160 per full and Rs. 100 for half.
A similar kind of ambience and response are seen at NFCs at Benz Circle and BRTS Road, but what is missing is the Biryani stalls.
Ice cream parlours, close to the Stadium, have come handy to the foodies, who, after a sumptuous hot and spicy fill, are heading to these shops to down their favourite flavours. For the lovelorn couples and youngsters, these parlours are coming handy for long chats. Gradually Vijayawada is imbibing the culture of Hyderabad.
Says E. Rupesh, a visitor: “I am a busy man. I find time only in the night to meet friends. This is best place to hangout. I completely feel safe with the presence people and police”. Police continuously guard the area until the crows disperse by around 2 a.m.
