A taste of Kohli’s favourite ‘chole bhature’
"Go to Rama Chole Bhature, order the onion-carrot chutney. Eat the chole bhature with that," Virat Kohli had said in an interview, describing his favourite roadside eatery back home in Delhi.
Kohli doesn't get to spend a lot of time in Delhi now. But whenever he returns to his hometown, he apparently doesn't miss the chance to grab a bite from Rama.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The 'Rama Chole Bhature' eatery is right besides the Tilak Nagar Metro Station and has been serving food for 28 years. The dining tables of the restaurant are placed on the road, so it seems fair to call it a roadside restaurant.
In early morning, the place was packed with customers, who were so lost in the flavour of chole bhature that none of them seemed interested to talk.
When the correspondent spoke with the middle-aged gentleman sitting behind the cash counter, he said, "Yes, Virat Kohli, Ishant Sharma eat at this restaurant. But Kohli doesn't come here by himself any more."
Another gentleman, who was paying his bill, chimed in, "Kohli started eating here in his school days. Now, naturally he can't come here any longer. So he sends his driver."
Till 2008-09, Kohli used to regularly come here to eat. Kohli's love for the place is common knowledge around here. But that's not the only reason behind this place popularity.
"The taste of this restaurant's chole bhature is unique, and as it's so close to the metro station, you can have your breakfast here and then leave for work," said Gautam Rathe, a youth enjoying his breakfast at the restaurant.
The restaurant offers four types of food: chole bhature, chawal chole, salty lassi and sweet lassi. Bhature looks like luchi from the outside and has a cheese filling. The bhature dipped in the spicy chole creates a flavour that many here are fans of.
So, when did Kohli last visited the place? The correspondent asked a few of the workers at the restaurant, but nobody could remember it. It goes without saying that if the global cricketing superstar arrives at this roadside eatery now, it will create a massive scene.
The manager, however, informed that Ishant Sharma had come to the restaurant around a year back. At first, nobody recognised him as he was wearing a mask. But his height and hair style gave away his identity very soon.
At one point, Kohli was a massive foodie. He couldn't stop himself from devouring delicious food and, as a result, was a bit overweight. To elevate his fitness to the next stage, he had to change his ways and eliminate many of his favourite items from his diet.
But whenever the Indian team has a series or a match in Delhi, people wait around at the Rama Chole Bhature restaurant, hoping to see their beloved superstar arrive at the restaurant on his car. Even if he sends his driver to pick up the parcel, maybe they would be able to catch a glimpse of him from inside the car.
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