Dine out in style. But spend LESS moolah

Image: Debdatta strikes a pose

Text by: Tanya Munshi

wealth takes stock of how working professionals spend their money. And offers some value-for-money spending mantras.

Tanya Munshi spoke to Debdatta Das, 24-year old journalist and self-confessed foodie, who works with a television news channel in Delhi and loves to eat out, for a taste of home.

DEBDATTA recently visited Oh! Calcutta along with six other Bengali friends, to enjoy some authentic Bengali cuisine. The damages: Rs 5,000. Was it worth it? "We could have an identical meal for much less at home. But we all live alone and miss homemade food, sorely. So, Oh!Calcutta provides some respite," she confesses.

Golden rule: go dutch. "We split the Value Added Tax and tip, equally," she adds.1

Dining out, inflation and my wallet

Before her last appraisal, Debdatta would spend approximately Rs 500 per meal, twice a month. Now, the figure has escalated to Rs 3,000 per month and she eats out almost every weekend. Has inflation curbed her dining habits. No! She swears by Rodeo, a Mexican restaurant in Delhi, and Ego Thai, which according to her are expensive (Rs 1,000 per head). "But I feel satisfied with the food, service and ambience, and feel good when paying up!" she adds.

On a date
When she dines out with her boyfriend, whoever has the money, pays. "We don't let money become an issue at least when it comes to food, since he is a big foodie, too!" she adds. "Gone are the days when men had to foot a humongous bill in the name of chivalry," she observes.

Value-for-money nuggets

Before visiting a new restaurant, Debdatta asks her friends who may have dinned at the spot, already. Yet, sometime this can backfire. She recalls her experience at Mozerella, an Italian restaurant in Delhi. "When the food arrived, the fettuccine (long strips of pasta) was boiled too much, the pasta sauce had no salt and the mocktail was bland," she groans. Well, Mozzarella has shut shop, and Debdatta has bought herself a copy of the Times Food Guide. "It comes handy when I decide to eat out," she says.

Published in MoneyControl, on July 30, 2008
Link: http://wealth.moneycontrol.com/features/smarten-up/dine-out-in-style-but-spend-less-moolah-/6441/0