NEW DELHI: Devouts who went to Jama Masjid to break their day-long Ramzan fast were caught by a pleasant surprise after they found Congress leader Rahul Gandhi feasting on a scrumptious meal and trying an iconic drink the Old Delhi offers.
Hundreds of people thronged the streets in the Jama Masjid area to get a glimpse of the former MP who tried a little bit of everything that the area had to offer. The foodie and rare face of Gandhi's scion were on public display as he strolled around the Matia Mahal area. Gandhi’s bon appetite started from the Bengali market where he enjoyed Gol Gappas and headed straight to dine at Al-Jawahar restaurant.
Meanwhile, the staffers at the restaurant said that Gandhi ordered multiple dishes for the dinner. In fact, his platter got so big that no space was left on the table to keep the trail of dishes that were ordered. At one moment, the waiter had to turn back with brain curry but Gandhi made space for that on the table already overflowing with delicacies, a staffer said.
According to the restaurant, Gandhi ordered an array of dishes which include, kebabs, tandoori chicken, nihari, brain curry, chicken burra, mutton korma etc. The staffers said that Gandhi was seated on the upper floor of the restaurant which was cordoned off to give him privacy. However, he insisted on sitting with the other customers. “He was very polite in calling us and giving orders. He asked our names and addressed us by bhaiyya. He even posed for selfies after finishing his dinner,” said Prem Singh, the manager.
The owner of the popular eatery said that the restaurant and Rahul have a connection. According to him, Jawhar in the restaurant’s nomenclature is not a coincidence. “It was inaugurated by Nehru Ji in 1947. My grandfather was so fond of him that he named the restaurant after him,” said Akram Qureshi.
The third-generation businessman drew similarities with Gandhi. “Both of our grandfathers started their journey in 1947 and we are forwarding their legacy in our respective fields,” Qureshi said. When asked whether he charged money from Rahul, Qureshi said, “It’s our good fortune that he visited us. Though he insisted, the feast was on the house.”
Gandhi also visited a shop and tried ‘Mohabbat Ka Sharbat’, which has gained a lot of popularity. The shop owner said that he offered a piece of advice. “He appreciated the drink and said just like the sharbat, the flavour of love is also sweet; spread it to those who believe in love and also to those who want to spread hate,” said Nabeel Ahmad, the shop owner.
After being stripped of the Lok Sabha membership over a defamation case, the former Congress chief president was busy after campaigning in poll-bound Karnataka. He returned to the national capital two days ago.
