Bombay Anand Bhavan

Bombay Anand Bhavan has history ...and little else. About 60 years old (it was started in 1949), it is remembered today more by people who have worked (yes, most have retired) in all the dozens of South Central Railway offices scattered around the Secunderabad station, as a popular tiffin hangout of their prime. You could eat dosas, idli and vada downstairs, and have meals upstairs - and it was a popular stopover on the way to and from office, located right next to the Secunderabad bus stop.

What happened? Mostly, time. The environment came of age in the last decade or two - Swati Tiffins and its wannabes being an important part of it. There's been an explosion of low-cost eatouts around the area, and while no one really makes South-Indian tiffins like they do in interior Andhra, they are all aggressively wooing all the hungry stomachs. Plus, Bombay Anand Bhavan does itself no favors - you should taste the bland biryani there. And see the place from outside to understand how little they understand the word "facelift".

Indeed, Anand Bhavan looks dilapidated from outside, and the wooden seating inside shows the signs of all the age despite the decolum. The upstairs section is closed now - the managers cite vague workers' problems, but you can take your own guess - and the place can therefore accommodate just about 20 people at a time, with a separate family section having another 4 tables.

The menu has the standard South-Indian tiffins - idli, vada, puri, an array of dosas, biryani, meals - and they are all priced quite low. Plate meals cost Rs. 25, a masala dosa Rs. 15, and a couple of persons cannot run up a bill of more than Rs. 75 unless they are truly famished. The food is in general bland, especially if you like the Andhra style of cooking more than the Udipi. If you have memories from Samalkot or Srikakulam, lower your standards right away.

Make no mistake, the place can still be crowded - anything in this area would be, especially if it has seating and is so small. Plus, the loyal customer base is not entirely gone. Only, it's not going to grow in a hurry either.