Indian Food..

At least half of the Chennai eating places are vegetarian only - they advertise themselves as being 'pure-veg', and all of them have a vegetarian menu which is at least as long as the meat eaters version.   And I love indian food too, so it's great. However it gets a bit much if you have indian for lunch (as that's the most practical option given the location of the studio - although there are some regular bakeries and subway stores around),  then indian again for dinner.  And if I was super keen, I could have a traditional indian breakfast too - also quite spicey.  When I say 'a bit much', I mean more in volume, than in taste. I really like the spicey foods and the paneer dishes here are just fantastic so it's hard to stop yourself from indulging in the delicious curries and dahls and naan breads.  Yep - it's a volume issue, not a taste issue.  I've really enjoyed the days we go to the local diner/cafe for lunch near the studio. The food is delicious and quick and easy and we're surrounded by the local workers on their lunch break.

Eating with you hands is a real thing here too, only foreigners use cutlery, and just to add to the degree of difficulty, you only actually eat with ONE hand. I've managed it pretty well but it's an unusual experience. Washing hands both before and after eating is a really big thing here - there are hand washing sinks often right out in the dining area for this purpose.