Friend's Corner

What do you do when you're stuck on an arid road during a typical Hyderabadi summer's afternoon with a parched throat and a bottle of lukewarm mineral water for company? Well, if that road happens to be anywhere near Marredpally, you stop off at Friend's Corner, sit on hot plastic chairs in the negligible shade of the awning, and have the longest, coolest sip of the best anaar juice in town. Satisfaction guaranteed.

If you're not a big fan of pomegranate (anaar) try any one of the others - chikoo, apple, mosambi or grape. These are the contants. When the weather is fine you'll also get custard apple, musk melon and litchi milkshakes here. The chickoo, in particular, is very good. It's a big ol' mugfull with little slices of the fruit on top. Good to the last drop, and quite filling too.

The place has excellent fruit-salad, and their super-sweet faluda also has its share of takers. Slightly more expensive than other juice-stalls, Friend's Corner scores because of the freshness of the fruits it uses; which also means you can go sugar-free without any unnecessary suffering.

Many people prefer to either take away or have their juice in the car; Friend's Corner doesn't have too much seating space, and during the late evenings the crowd sometimes gets lecherous. But it's not a serious issue as this is a residential area and generally safe. Besides, they now have a bigger outlet in Begumpet, at the complex that adjoins Shoppers' Stop.

Friend's Corner is the kind of place you'd travel to for the specialties. And so far they have been no wasted trips reported.