New Indian chef in town

Pandi waves a piece of pancake for a roti prata in a buffet restaurant in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui province, June 14, 2012. [Photo/People's Daily Online]

Pandi throws a piece of pancake as he makes a roti prata in a buffet restaurant in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, June 14, 2012. Pandi, a 35-year-old man, now works in a buffet restaurant in Hefei, making India roti prata.

He came to east China's Shanghai as a cook in 2010. Before long he went to Hefei and continued his roti prata works. Roti prata is a kind of traditional snacks in India which is quite popular among the folks. Pandi mastered the roti prata skills in a culinary school of his hometown, Chennai.

Everyday at the launch and dinner time, Pandi shows up at his operating table to serve the customers in the restaurant. After a series of process including kneading, rotating and flipping, a mass of dough gradually turned into a piece of thin, large pancake.

After being fried with diced fruits or chive, the golden roti prata was served in porcelain plates for the customers to take. For most people who eat in the restaurant, not only Pandi's Roti prata are feasts to the stomach, but also the making process is a feast to the eyes.

Pandi learned the Chinese language after he arrived in Shanghai. It not only brought him the opportunity to chat with customers, but also a group of Chinese friends. He likes to hang out with his friends after work, sometimes going to the karaoke, sometimes simply a chat over coffee.

On his future plans, Pandi says that he has heard lots of interesting places in China and he would like to visit them one by one. But after the tour, he will come back to Hefei. "I've got a lot of acquaintance here, so living in Hefei makes me happy," Pandi said.