At Sri Ramaiah Mess and Caterers, Prakasam Road, Governor Peta., Vijayawada

                       

In Vijayawada this mess is located in the busy area of Governor Pet and we find it always very much crowded. This is one of the oldest restaurants and it looks simple without much decorative show. To get the real typical flavor of Andhra food this is a must visit place. One gets a very tasty and sumptuous meal with many curries, soups and chutneys with spicy flavor. The service is quite prompt and good. Most of the employees are women clad in saris and covering their heads with napkins. The typical chutneys like gongura and mango pickle tickle our taste buds. Ulavacharu with milky cream tastes very good. There are many other items like fried rice, dal, sambar, rasam, curd, halwa, badam milk and ice cream concluding with a very tasty sweet Pan. In the restaurant there are three sections for thalis of three types costing Rs. 100/- 150/- and 200/.The Wooden board with words "Annam Parabrahma Swaroopam" suggests that one should not waste food as it is a form of supreme God.

The items are served fresh and hot. The surroundings are maintained neat and clean. Catering services are also available .  Parcel service is also done. In many marriages and functions their catering services are held in great esteem. The working hours are from 11.00 a.m to 4.00 and from 7.30 to 10.30 p.m. in the evening.  Here only payment in cash is accepted. It would be better if payment by debit and credit cards is also accepted. We felt a sense of satisfaction that we have dined here in one of the oldest and popular mess and catering centers. We also realized that taste and good service matter more than just outward trappings and sophistication.

27th January, 2018                                  Somaseshu Gutala

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At Babai Hotel, NRP Road, Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh)

Babai Hotel

                 

     

During our stay at Vijayawada, we visited the most popular restaurant “Babai Hotel” to have the pleasure of tasting the south Indian dishes prepared in a traditional manner . This hotel was started in 1942 by Patruni Sambamoorti who fondly used to call his customers “Babai” which means father’s younger brother. The hotel is in a small house with four or five tables. Old photos showing celebrities like politicians and film actors are displayed on the walls. Famous personalities like Sri Vajpeyi, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy,Sri N.T.Rama Rao,  Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Savitri, Chandra Mohan came here to have their breakfast.

 Most of the customers buy coupons, and wait for their turn to taste the idilis topped with a lump of fresh white butter along with coconut chutney, sambar and spicy powder. Forgetting the simple surroundings they enjoy eating idlis which are prepared by using natural ingredients without adding any artificial substances. They follow the same old menu and old techniques and the surroundings also remind us the good old times when we used to sit in a homely restaurant without any showy splendor. Tiffin items like Idli, Upma, pongal , Pesarattu with Upma and Dosa are staple menu all prepared in a traditional manner and served in plates with banana leaves.The steaming cups of coffee in steel glasses with tumblers remind us the traditional way of serving coffee. At the reception counter also we do not find any computer. The manager just writes the bill on a slip and hands it over with a friendly smile.

 After Babai’s demise in 1985, his nephew Valiveti Narasimha Rao became the proprietor. In 2007 the building of the hotel was renovated with addition of two upper floors accommodating twenty five people on each floor. The working hours are from 7.00 a.m. to 1.30 p.m and from 6.00 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. Only tiffins are available here. This hotel is looked upon as a heritage hotel with a long history of serving great people for the last seventy five years. Don’t miss the chance of going to this place if you go to Vijayawada.

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22nd January, 2018                                                  Somaseshu Gutala

About my stay at Hotel Southern Grand, Vijayawada

Deluxe Room

Conference Room

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Restaurant

         

     

  The Southern Grand group of hotels is an associate of the well-known Southern travels Private Ltd, Which arranges travels and tourism within and outside our country. Apart from Delhi and Jaipur, it has set up a hotel with 37 rooms spread over three floors in Gandhinagar, Vijayawada in 2012. We selected this hotel as it is located in the heart of the city and is very near to tourist sites and temples like Durga Temple, Bhavani Island, Undavalli caves, Rajiv Gandhi Park and Prakasam Barrage. Hotel Southern Grand is just o.5 km from Railway station, one k.m from the Main Bus stand and 19 kms from Gannavaram airport. It is a 3-star hotel with deluxe, Executive deluxe and Royal Southern types of rooms.

The room tariffs vary from 2,800/ to 4,500/- depending on the type of room selected by us. The room is spacious with all modern facilities like wifi, cable T.V. A.C. tea/coffee maker, mineral water, mini-fridge, storage space, laundry service, electronic locker, and study table and bathroom toiletries. Complimentary pick up and drop are arranged from Airport/Railway Station/ Bus Stand on advance information. But as we booked rooms through booking.com site we were not provided this facility. Complimentary breakfast is also given to customers at 8.00 a.m. As we were three persons we were given one spare bed beside the cots. The hotel authorities kindly permitted us to stay for four hours beyond check out time (12.00 noon) by charging a nominal amount.  On the first floor there is an air-conditioned banquet hall available on rent with a seating capacity of 200 persons for organizing conferences, parties and functions. 

There is Arya Bhavan restaurant on the ground floor where you can have pure vegetarian items of both South Indian and North Indian types. Though there is parking space, the room provided for drivers is not neatly maintained. The room service is quite pathetic as soaps, towels and mug were given only after we asked for them. Housekeeping staff should pay more attention to clean maintenance of the rooms. Pamphlets giving information about neighboring tourist places and temples may be provided. Tea /coffee may be provided at 6.30 a.m. in the morning along with complimentary newspaper. One finds quite cosy and comfortable stay in this hotel which has all facilities and is quite near all tourist places.

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20th January,2018                                                        Somaseshu Gutala