Saravana Bhavan Sydney: A statement on Vegetarianism

By  Shashi Narasimhiah

When we announce that we are Vegetarians, we often get asked what exactly we eat if we don’t eat chicken, beef, pork, lamb or egg. Let them all be surprised. Saravana Bhavan Vegetarian Restaurant at Parramatta in Sydney would provide an eloquent answer to this question. With the campaign for the Vegan Planet gaining momentum the world over, we need more restaurants like Saravana Bhavan which is a true ambassador for Vegetarianism and where a great dining experience awaits us. A visit to Saravan Bhavan will provide ample demonstration of the wide varieties of tasty, healthy and satisfying vegetarian food and nourishment.

My visit to the restaurant on a crisp Spring Sunday morning started when they offered me that typical South Indian “Filter Koffee”. This also provided me with an opportunity to meet with the Partner Shekar Mani for a detailed conversation on how the place is managed. I quickly realised that this level of professionalism could only have been achieved by an MBA from a premier institute that Shekar is. In addition Shekhar also brings his rich experience of launching mega five-star hotels in India such as Taj Bengal in Kolkata and Taj Connemara in Chennai. Previously, Shekar has been the retail head at KFC and was also involved in relaunching Coca Cola in South Asia.

Shekar went on to provide a brief history of Saravana Bhavan which is one of the world’s biggest Vegetarian restaurant food chains which started in Chennai with humble beginnings in 1981. They now have more than 33 outlets in India and 47 around the world. Their first venture outside India was in Dubai in the year 2000.

While giving me a tour of the kitchen Shekar explained that all their raw materials except the raw spices are organic and are locally sourced. The masala for various exclusive patent items such as Rasam, Sambar, pickles etc are ground fresh on-site, they use fresh raw materials such as fresh coconut and fresh vegetables. The cheese used is vegan too. The main reason for the authenticity of food is – the chefs’ specialised training in their respective food items. They have all undergone their training in Chennai and come with many years of experience in traditional South Indian cooking. The cuisine is globally standardised which means wherever in the world you dine at a Saravana Bhavan outlet, you will be served with the same standard quality of food and service.

When you visit Saravana Bhavan you can expect Pure vegetarian food, highest level of hygiene, cleanliness, very prompt, polite service and a very unique menu. There are certain trade secrets and patents no one would like to share – how is the idli so soft yet so firm? How do we get such crisp thin dosa and yet bent into a cylinder? How can urid vada be so crisp on the outside? How can upma be so soft but yet not pasty? How does poori puff up into a ball? Of course, there are answers to these questions, but, let us leave it to the magic of the expert chefs of Saravana Bhavan. All we need to do is – simply enjoy the South Indian food and ambiance there.

The people of Chennai are known for many talents – such as the Bharatnatyam, innovative Tamil Film Industry, abundance of Karnatik Musical Stalwarts, Google Chief etc. But one of the lesser known specialities of Chennai is the early morning filter coffee served in a shining stainless steel cup that most of them need to kick start the day. As a Sydney sider, you don’t have fly 13 hours and spend heaps for that Chennai experience. Instead, just drive to Parramatta and visit Saravana Bhavan on a morning for the genuine Chennai filter coffee experience.

Another main attraction of the restaurant is the all-you-can-eat buffet brunch on Saturday and Sunday which consist of a range of South Indian delicacies such as Dosa, Idli, Uttappam, Upma, Poori, Bhaji, Korma, Kesari Bhath and finally filter coffee. This speciality of Saravan Bhavan and is available for an incredibly low price of $22.90 pp ($10.99 for kids under 11).

The restaurant can cater to large wedding parties, in-house banquets and the restaurant is licenced. Saravana Bhavan also serves some North Indian food with their own unique and special taste. In addition the restaurant also caters to Vegan  and Jain diet – but this has to be pre-ordered.

While Shekar and Vinod are the Partners, the one who manages and runs the show on a daily basis and ensures your comfort, convenience and the fine dining experience is H Ramaswamy – an impeccably dressed very polite and customer friendly Manager. When you visit the place don’t forget to say Howdy to Ram.

Did we know – there are over 600 million Vegetarians in the world? This is bigger than The USA, England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – all put together!! If vegetarians were one nation they would be bigger than the entire 27 nations of the European Union. Experts say that optimum amount of meat for a healthy human diet is – precisely ZERO. It takes humongous amount (around 50000 litres) of precious water to make one kilo of beef. Reducing meat production and consumption by 10% will feed 100 million hungry people. Can you name one disease which is specifically attributed to Vegetarian diet? So, come on, why not try Vegetarian? It is ecologically and economically more sustainable. And Saravana Bhavan at Parramatta, Sydney is a great statement and ambassador to vegetarianism. In future it is not just at Parramatta that you can get the Saravana Bhavan experience, there will soon be another outlet at Miller St in North Sydney and in Auckland in New Zealand too. Let us wish well to Shekar in his mission of taking Vegetarian South Indian cuisine to the world.