If you have enjoyed the Indianised menu at the Subway outlets recently, as opposed to their previous mostly international one, then you need to thank the Chennai Food Guide (CFG). And if you think that there are a ton of positive changes at the Casa Picola on Khader Nawaz Khan Road, yes, the credit goes to CFG again. With over 8,000 members on the Internet, CFG was initiated in 2004 by a group of food lovers. “It was the period when Orkut was the most happening thing and different people with different passions were coming together and the availability of good food in Chennai was what brought us together,” says Mohamed Ali, a founding member of the group and adds, “There are about 40-50 members who are active.” Considering the following the group has, online, with most of the members maintaining regular food blogs and the rest constantly updating their status messages and tweeting, restaurants and hotels invite them to review their food and provide feedback on ambiance, quality and quantity of food and service. “Some of the blogs our members have even get upto 3,000 clicks per month. So, put together 10 bloggers and you have 30,000 odd people reading about the restaurant and that’s basically free publicity for the restaurants,” explains Ali. “Eight thousand people is also the focus group that goes out to eat. So, restaurants come to us to find out what satisfies them and find out their expectations,” he adds. The group meets once every two weeks and this week, they reviewed the food spread at Burgundy's in MRC Nagar. Seated with the owner Vipin Sachdev (who shared quite a few anecdotes), they discussed the food even as some of them carefully dissected the kebabs, chaat and pizzas, among other dishes, peering into their plates before expertly popping it into their mouths. Ali and other bloggers constantly took notes, careful about getting the names of whatever they ate right. There was also an elaborate photo session of each plate, before they dug into it. “Orkut was less eye candy and more text, but Facebook gives us the opportunity to upload photos and video and be more graphic,” says Ali. “There is also much lesser spam and it is more secure,” offers Raghavender Mahalingam. And of course, there are intense discussions on Masterchef Australia. And if you have already formed an image of the group as a bunch of snobs that go around eating at only fancy restaurants, you’re wrong. They sample even the smallest of eateries, provided the food there is good or there is something new. “Our motto is anything and everything about food in and around Chennai,” explains Ali. With most members having the blog posts out within the same week or sometimes even on the same day, restaurateurs have found a big difference in their customer numbers. “We have seen immediate results with the number of people walking in after the CFG review and the increase remains that way over a period of time,” says Vipin, who also runs Tuscana Pizzeria and Kryptos, among others. The members of CFG also help out each other and others in various food related issues. Arjun Balaji, one of the members will soon be opening a restaurant at Royapettah, with guidance from the group. “We have helped a lot of people who are new to the city to find what they are looking for and also people with specific needs such as Jain food and so on,” explains Ali. The group will soon be partnering with a radio station to provide food updates on alternate days and some of their blogs can be read at www.incorrectmystic.in, www.chennaifoodie.com, www.theharriedcook.blogspot.com and www.saapaturaman.wordpress.com.
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