Woodlands Drive-In rides again, in Poonamallee

-- by Geeta Doctor

It’s Mangalore bonda time at the Woodlands Drive-In restaurant on Poonamallee high road. 

You bite into the tiny puffballs of fried batter light as air. Dip one half of the bonda into a steel katori with white coconut chutney and take a swipe of the sambhar next to it and Poof! You feel like you’re Alamelu in Wonderland who’s fallen into a sink-hole at Gemini’s and emerged in Arumbakkam. There’s even a white horse named Rajastanding at the entrance to the dining hall tossing its golden mane.

You’re back where it all first began at the iconic Drive-in Woodlands of the ‘60s located in the magnificent botanical gardens that bordered one crescent of the Gemini Circle. 

The brain child of Ram Bhatt who runs the Mathsya chain of Udupi style eateries he’s created a mini- garden restaurant out of one acre of derelict land on the frantically busy Poonamallee High Road. Suchitra Rao, the grand-daughter of the original Woodlands founder Krishna Rao and daughter of K.L.Rao, is a fellow dream maker. 

“I had a one-acre plot to begin with but first we had to clear off many layers of accumulated rubble before we could start planting our trees. We now have a wonderful landscaped garden of mixed species of trees with a small waterfall,” explains Bhatt as we stand on the verandah of the raised pavilion with the restaurant at the far end of the plot. 

As you enter from the frantically busy Poonamallee High Road, past the uber classy Kun Kia showroom and the D.G.Vaishnav College on the left, the entrance to the Woodlands Drive-In entrance is on a slight bump sloping down sharply to what seems like an airport runway covered in greenery. The parked cars are also aligned in two lanes facing each other in an arrow formation. There are slots designated as service areas along the sides all the way to the pavilion. 

“I’m trying to procure the trays from the USA to be attached to the cars as they used to be. These will be of fibre or plastic so that it doesn’t damage the paint of the very expensive cars that people drive today. And, no, we don’t charge a parking fee at the moment,” explains Bhatt as we disembark at the steps of the pavilion. 

“I’ve seen two heavy rains and we survived,” confesses Bhat when I ask him whether the prospect of flooding does not hamper him. “I’ve done about 15 rain water harvesting pits connected to the underground water-tanks. We also re-cycle the water we have collected to water the garden and the trees.” 

The large spacious verandah with tables and chairs is dominated by a lively mural that takes you back to the Gemini Woodlands. Just as there always used to be a white horse in the stables attached to the dining area, Bhatt has enlisted the support of a groom who stands holding the reins of a wonderfully garlanded and be-ringed white horse just as you enter. There’s also a ramp and a wheelchair for those who might find it difficult to negotiate the steps. 

Geeta with Raja.

“Yes, the horse, Raja, is for kids to ride on weekends. We charge Rs. 100/- for two rounds.” 

There’s a Party Room and a large spacious main hall where all the action is taking place, currently. The speckled granite topped tables, the diner style green rexine covered seating, the rattan backed chairs, the flat round aluminum plates lined with circles of banana leaf and the cutlery in racks with paper napkins remind you of the golden age of Udupi tiffin parlours. Even the drinking water is free though the bearers wearing hair-nets over their heads, regardless of whether they are young women or men, do ask you whether you might prefer bottled water. 

While opinions may differ on how close to the original the garden aspect might be when it comes to the food there’s no question, but that it’s the Udupi specialties that take the ghee roast. 

A couple of dishes. Pictures: Ram Bhatt.

We opt for all the old favorites, the Topi dosa that comes with two chutneys and sambhar. Or you can ask for the pale yellow potato ‘sagu’. There’s their spicy ‘Rasa Vada’ and curd vada as well as all the variations on the theme of ‘Vada’. Some clients only ask for the North Indian dishes, the channa batura and the triangles of ‘bread-peas masala’ in the evenings. There are also a number of Indian-Chinese items though I did not notice my Uncle Gopi who had gone to Manchuria. 

The dessert items of the day are noted on a board outside, so we tried the Kashi halwa, that was made out of pumpkin cooked in pure ghee. As ever the last item, the fabulously rich and frothy Woodlands coffee served in small white cups makes the meal. Rich in aroma, stirred with nostalgia, brewed with love, the coffee takes the prize. Drive-in Woodlands rides again.

Address: Woodlands Drive-in 477 Poonamallee high Road, Mangali Nagar, Arumbakkam, Chennai. T.N. 600 106. Open from 7 am to 11pm. Aprox. Rs. 200 to 400 per person.

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