**The MAST KALANDAR Effect **

When you wantsomething, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it- Paulo Coelho

"Take your akka-anna for chawal channa” went the tagline and for once the fare inside lived up to the tagline outside. You may wonder what this mast kalandar effect is all about. I will wax eloquent about all of it shortly. I am still reveling in the after effect of eating out at MAST KALANDAR – a north Indian eat out joint promising authentic desi combos. All the details of this place in greater granularity a little later.

I want to give the exact sequence of events that led up to my best gourmet experience in Chennai thus far. In retrospect, I would like to say that there was a positive aura when I set out from home yesterday. Let me list out all the “positive and good” things that happened en route-

• I was taking a walk after a long time (Yes, finally I can come out of the guilt trip)
• I was walking to the beach (yippee!)
• On the way to the beach bought a book for a good bargain (a real good omen, isn’t it?)
• First visit to a temple after coming to Chennai
• A quiet and peaceful half a kilometer trek along the serene coastline
• Sinful cup of chocolate mousse at a French bakery

Now the moment arrived! I was on the walk back home with the friend and we just spotted this funky and riotously colourful signage – Mast Kalandar, the name did it. We decided to check it out. I have to admit that I liked it from the word go, the spacious interiors, peppy colours of the walls, the comfortable seating, the LCD screen displaying the Italy-New Zealand fixture and the aroma of dal-makhni and paneer curry.

We ordered the quintessential North Indian fare – butter naan, dalmakhni, paneer – the food was lip smacking and along came the complementary raita, which had just the right amount of salt, sugar and spices and a smattering of coriander. After finishing the meal I had a beatific smile on my face. I didn’t know what I had been missing so sorely until I stepped into Mast Kalandar. Finally I can recommend a restaurant to my colleagues (up until now I was always bugging them to suggest decent places). Mast Kalandar, you surely have found a new patron!