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Chicken back on menus

The bird flu scare is forgotten as non vegetarian eating places buzz back to good business

MAKING A COMEBACK Avian flu is a thing of the past as chicken reappears on the dining table

The crowds are back at the restaurants they had avoided a couple of months ago. The near-barren restaurants which saw waiters whiling away time and over-indulging the few customers, now have no time for a breather.

After a lean season, the hoteliers, especially the ones that cater to the general crowd, are really having it good for the last month. Popular walk-in restaurants, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, are packed as people cram in to eat their favourite foods - chicken being the most in-demand in the latter.

Says Hassair, manager of Fry's, "Fish and meat were in demand when the bird fever was a threat. But since there are not many varieties in fish, and meat is a no-no for cholesterol, chicken is back on the serving tables. There are more chicken items, since we serve tandoori and continental."

Biriyani Hut's Shaju agrees. "Most coastal people prefer fish. Otherwise chicken dishes are still in demand. When asked whether people make any comments or speak aloud their apprehensions about bird flu, he observed, "Probably 3-5 per cent are slightly bothered, that's all."

It's probably true for most people, more so for those Keralites studying outside the state. "I remember my son was eating chicken even when I was speaking to him about the bird flu during that peak time," says Beena. "We didn't eat chicken out for a long time, but we order it when we eat out and even pack and bring home."

February-March as such is a lean period for hoteliers. Only this time the bird flu also took its share. With vacations on, more and more families have started eating out. "It's only the people who are travelling who prefer to eat vegetarian food," says manager Jaiprakash, Hotel Dwaraka. In most vegetarian hotels, the numbers are back to the usual after that rush.

But there are others like Rema who have turned vegetarian ever since the bird flu scare. "It started with tsunami when I didn't eat fish for some time. Then the avian fever made me stop eating chicken. Now vegetarian food has become a habit. I suddenly feel I don't need non-veg."

Archana, a lecturer at St Theresa's also does that. Take a break from non-vegetarian grub. "But once in 2-3 months we eat non-vegetarian. I can't say that I have become completely vegetarian."

Dinesh of Hotel Bharath says that he's having good crowds and even the return of chicken delicacies has not affected his business. "I feel that there is a continuing reluctance to eat chicken. As this is a holiday season also, people go for outings and come back for snacks or meals.

Like during tsunami, the price of fish had come down enough for the poor to eat fish everyday. So did the bird flu.

"We were eating chicken every day, a couple of months ago," reminisces Annamma, who works as a maid. Now chicken is a luxury. "An indication that things are back to normal for everybody. "Well, that's God's way of tilting the balance once in a while," she consoles herself.

SUDHA NAMBUDIRI

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