Indira Canteen is best

The crowd was so large that canteen staff were finding it hard to keep their calm and serve food. For the breakfast on the opening day, most canteens received more than 200 customers. While most people were happy to be able to buy food at `10, the quality of the service was something many people complained about. That certain essential items were missing from the South Indian meal was a common grouse.

Akaiamma Kumbhar, a sanitation staff, said she missed the quintessential papadum from her lunch.

Some others were not happy with the consistency of the coconut chutney served with the two idlis for `5. They even complained about the size of the idlis. Clearly, best conversations happen over food. And for the cross-section of the crowd that had gathered at the canteens — sanitation workers, blue-collar workers, college students and office goers — it was chatting about politics of food over food that added to the experience.