Eating in your school and college canteens is a fond memory that always brings a smile on your face. And if these memories are being revived by two of the most natural and affable hosts on television, the fun goes up several notches.
In the latest season of the popular show Highway On My Plate, Rocky Singh and Mayur Sharma hit the road yet again to check out canteens, dining rooms, favourite hangouts, cafeterias and addas.
The meat-eating host Rocky Singh recollects fond memories. "We have had contacts with lots of youngsters on Facebook and Twitter and felt that this was a good way to reach out to them. This season has been so much fun and full of energy," he says.
Agrees co-host Mayur Sharma, the hardcore vegetarian, "It's the same, still it's different. For one, this is not on the highway, and instead, focuses on youngsters and places around campus. We use food as the hook, and we view everything through a younger lens." The duo have shot for 13 episodes and another 13 is likely. The list of places were chosen based on a list of 40 well-known schools, word-of-mouth, as well as the hosts' own choice.
The obvious question then is which were their personal favourites? "I would hate to pick one place as all the places we ate in were fantastic. I enjoyed the involvement of kids with their teachers and principal at Symbiosis in Pune.
Woodstock in Mussoorie had a great mix of international crowd. At the Motilal Nehru Sports School, the campus is incredible with a full-scale astro hockey turf. Basically, the experiences we had at each of these places was wonderful," says Rocky.
"I liked Woodstock in Mussoorie especially because of the fresh air and the distance the kids had to walk to go to school. The food was also quite nice and all the children sit in a
quadrangle and enjoy their meal. Symbiosis, Pune, was also good fun.
We had a juice drinking competition, which started with about seven to eight people and by the time we finished, there was a crowd cheering us along with 30 different juices on the table.
It was a great experience," adds Mayur. Considering the show has been going strong for over five years now, the popularity of the show is primarily due to the hosts' infectious charm and camaraderie.
The duo have also authored their first book, Highway On My Plate — The Indian Guide to Roadside Eating, which recently won a Gourmand World Cookbook Award for 'Best TV Celebrity Cookbook' at a function at the Folies Bergere, the famous Paris revue venue.
Currently working on the second part of the book, they are also working on their magnum opus titled India Street Food. The duo's next season will feature a 26-episode series that Rocky says "is top secret and something that every Indian wishes they could do." Mayur chips in, "We are working on a couple of concepts and for sure, we'll be talking to people on the road again and will be trying on different costumes. You can expect lots of food, laughter and leaner boys — we have a month off!"
With the current season being all about fun, food and friends, get set to revive memories of samosas, pakodas, paranthas and gossip! Now, that is a great reason to go back to school or college.Tune in to the show every Sunday at 8 pm on NDTV Good Times.