Good old flavour

Patna, Feb. 2: Spanish food may be famous for colour and Greek for its variety, but the residents of the state capital prefer Chinese cuisine above everything else.

Not because there is a dearth of options for them. Hotels and restaurants in the city offer a plethora on their menu cards, like Mexican, Italian or Japanese. Diners, however, turn up their noses at alternatives to chowmein and chilli chicken.

So what if most of them don’t know how to use a pair of chopsticks? A dinner out means the good old Chinese that their palates are used to.

Asked why he orders the same dish every time, 20-year-old Alabh Krishna said: “I love chilli chicken so much that I hardly feel like trying anything new.”

He added: “I don’t know why I order the same thing every time. I feel if I try something new and don’t like it, it will be a waste of money and spoil the evening.”

Restaurateurs and culinary specialists in the city also rue their patrons’ hesitance to try out something new.

“We serve Continental, south Indian, Italian as well as Chinese. The demand for Chinese delicacies is always more. Old or young, people prefer only what they are sure about,” said Y.S. Raghav, deputy general manager, Chanakya.

Food festivals, claim other experts, are a good space to introduce new dishes. P.B. Thapa, food and beverages manager, Maurya, said: “We organise food festivals to develop a taste for other cuisines among out patrons.

Not everyone is willing to experiment, though. Twenty-five year foodie Nimesh Kumar, who once tried a Spanish dish, said: “I didn’t like it one bit. The taste was horrible and I regretted ordering it. I always prefer Chinese and order it when I eat out.”

Asked if he knew how to use chopsticks he said: “No, I use a fork and spoon.”