Edited By: Ananya Khandelwal
Having started and experienced an entire year of university life through my laptop screen, my curiosity in campus food had been piqued by the name of my cohort group: Cohort Garlic Bread. Over the span of several group meets, it had been established that once we were all on campus, we would find ourselves a spot at the Hunger Cycle and gorge on this snack.
If you are someone who keeps tabs on the latest cafes and oldest bakeries in your city, an important detail that remains shrouded in mystery for you is what can be expected from campus when it comes to your taste buds. Consider this an attempt (by someone who just like you is impatiently waiting to go to campus) to reconstruct what a day at Ashoka might feel like through food (and countless stories narrated by my seniors).
Imagine mornings at Ashoka – students frantically rushing to their classes, some returning from their previous ones and others trying to work on their pending assignments. The Mess stands witness to the occurrences of the day – the Fuel Zone and the Hunger Cycle in particular. From around morning till late in the evening, you will often find students swarming the tables surrounding the Fuel Zone, fueling themselves with coffee or some quick bites – sandwiches, potato wedges, ice cream, and sometimes hot or cold chocolate. Its neighbor, The Hunger Cycle caters to the overwhelming demand for fries, garlic bread and milkshakes, and chicken. Students typically fill the gaps in their schedules by eating and spending their time here and on the nearby mess lawns.
If you walk farther away, tucked close to the Sports Complex is Dosai – a much-beloved eatery visited most often for either a heavier meal in the afternoon or at night. It spoils you with its range of Dosas – chicken curry, simply chicken, plain butter, and more. Waiting for your order might be the perfect time to run to Rasananda – the Juice Bar and grab yourself a beverage. And for those who might crave some garlic bread from the morning again, the walk to Chicago Pizza will not be as tiresome.
The one place that remains your constant companion through wet summers and foggy winters, and hasn’t found a mention yet but can pride itself in being a universal favorite at Ashoka is the Shudh Desi Dhaba. While Ashoka itself is in Sonipat, the Dhaba feels like a piece of Sonipat inside Ashoka. On some days, it is a group of students chatting and having mouthfuls of garlic naan and dal makhani with their professor. Other times, it is parents who have come to visit or groups of friends hungry for Maggi and paranthas after a taxing day.
While Delhi, an hour away, stays awake through the night, our tiny Dhaba finds visitors scurrying towards it for a cup of chai and honey chili potatoes at the same stroke of nightfall. For anyone with a sweet tooth, its chai and jalebis make for the perfect dessert. In fact, it is so famed that an entire article has been dedicated to the Dhaba’s round, crispy, and delightfully sweet jalebis.
And these, you should enjoy guilt-free. As the saying goes – the number of jalebis you eat must never be counted!