At Play Theory in Coimbatore, board games meet comfort food

Comfort food and board games at Play Theory

A white ghost sits in the middle of the table. Next to it are a green bottle, a grey mouse, a blue book and a red chair. Cards flip one after another, and hands hover above the table, ready to grab the right object.

We are playing Ghost Blitz, a fast board game where logic and speed compete with each other. If the card shows an object in its correct colour, you grab it. If the colours mislead you, you must identify the object that does not appear on the card. It sounds simple until the brain begins to overthink.

Their khaosuey Maggi brings Thai-style flavours to instant noodles. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

A few rounds in, the table becomes a theatre of confusion. My colleague lunges for the wrong object. Laughter erupts, and the next card flips before anyone has recovered. At one point, while we were trying to identify the odd object on the card, the ghee podi chicken and tandoori paneer wrap quietly finds our table. For a second the food looks like another piece in the puzzle.

The spice mix carries the warmth of podi balanced with ghee, clinging to crisp pieces of chicken. The heat arrives first on the palate, followed by the nuttiness of ghee that softens the spice. It is the kind of plate that encourages quick sharing, fingers reaching out between turns.

The ghee podi chicken | Photo Credit: Special arrangement