Dimapur | January 4 : Nagas love food and the mushrooming of restaurants in Dimapur and the emerging ‘going-out-for-food’ culture is hence, no big surprise. There has been an explosive increase in the number of fast food restaurants and delis that have opened recently. From fine dining experience as promised by The Oracle, to the best service experience by Zephyr Lounge, to the funny sounding ‘Tom Yoon Goong’ located at Midland, there is definitely no shortage of eateries, and good eateries at that.
A foodie is always the right person to approach for any city/towns best places for food. Beyond consumption, a foodie is also the most aware on the development of the food scene. Yanger, a self confessed foodie shares that earlier, in Dimapur, the only place available for food was Saramati restaurant or the very synonymous Plaza restaurant. These one or two bare restaurants, were the only available ones and it was a luxury to even visit those places, he says. Other foodies like him also contend that popular Food served at these restaurants were mainly indo-Chinese, which actually most Nagas do not like. “Except for chowmein and the other odd dish, most Nagas prefer junk food,” another says.
However, in recent times there have been not only newer restaurants launched but the introducing of a new culture of food. Delis, pastry shops, lounges, express counters, coffee shops, coffee shops clubbed with music platform etc. the list is varied and exhausting! One is really spoiled for choice.
Betoka Swu, proprietor of Hiyo Cafe, located at Dimapur agrees that there is lots of restaurant if we compare to those old days. He also said that the food scene in Dimapur is the usual as before, with people still preferring chowmein and momos over any other food. Betoka also shared that he would love to see some new restaurant with European and Western food with take away facilities. He also wished that someone would invest in chain food stalls like KFC, Subways, or TGIF. To the much touted question, if people are ready to indulge in dining and going out experience, he vouched that maybe people finally are, “People are ready to pay for the good food,” he believes.
Besides fulfilling the palates, the food avenue has also served as an avenue for employment. A look at the newer restaurants and one realizes that most of the proprietors are young folks and the customers also comprise mostly of young folks. This also invariably means fresher concepts, latest trends and livelier food and a helping hand in the economy!
