The “Real” Chennai Food Guide – Part I
The “Real” Chennai Food Guide – Part I
I spent almost 3 years in our Chennai, where I landed in my first job.
Those days were so much fun, not much to do at work owing to the Fresher status, and we got a really big nice city to roam around.
I was staying with 3-4 north Indian friends in a rented flat in Adyar. We had appointed a cook, who prepares roti some sabji, daal and rice. The menu is almost the same daily – just the daal and the sabji will change. If you have noticed, there is a stark difference between the tamilnadu chappathi and north Indian roti. The former has lot of oil and difficult to consume after few hours of preparation. Anyway that is not the matter of discussion now.
I spent almost 3 years in our Chennai, where I landed in my first job.
Those days were so much fun, not much to do at work owing to the Fresher status, and we got a really big nice city to roam around.
I was staying with 3-4 north Indian friends in a rented flat in Adyar. We had appointed a cook, who prepares roti some sabji, daal and rice. The menu is almost the same daily – just the daal and the sabji will change. If you have noticed, there is a stark difference between the tamilnadu chappathi and north Indian roti. The former has lot of oil and difficult to consume after few hours of preparation. Anyway that is not the matter of discussion now.
Even though we had home made and healthy food, it started sounding boring to me and doesn’t appeal to my palates. So I started our quest with like minded friends to try tastier options. We tried almost all options right ranging from exotic Park Sheraton, Savera, Anjappar, Arasappar… to exciting thattu kadai, thallu vandi, road side stalls etc. I have excluded the well classified star hotels and other famous restaurant chains which appear in the Chennai Online and other websites
Statutory Warning: This is only for those adventurous people and who have a strong stomach and really strong immune system. Please stay away, if you are so called sophisticated and used to dine with fork n knife. Also, if you choose venture out the places mentioned, you should not worry about the service levels in these places. The prices vary from very cheap (5-10), cheap (20-40) to moderate (100-150) and most of them are easy on your pocket. The signature dishes in each of the eater is given along the title
Alsa Mall, Egmore – Bread Omlette
Just stick to the plain vanilla item – Bread Omelet, with tangy green mint chutney. The cheese, grilled and the vegetable sandwiches are not up to the mark. There is similar one stand-up sandwich stall available near the SQL Star Training Center on Nungambakkam High Road, but it can’t match the taste of the egmore cousin.
Pattani – Samosa, Opp: Satyam Theater
There are quite a few shops which serve samosa, with hot pattani kuruma, but this one is right in front of the main gate of the satyam complex. Note that the pattani is not Chenna(chick peas), but green dry Peas. Two hot samosas are smashed and hot pattani with gravy is poured over tem and handed out to you in a small plate. Ask the guy to add extra onion to your plate. After I became a regular customer with my friend Dileep, we get a plate of fresh sliced tomatoes as compliment :-) .
Statutory Warning: This is only for those adventurous people and who have a strong stomach and really strong immune system. Please stay away, if you are so called sophisticated and used to dine with fork n knife. Also, if you choose venture out the places mentioned, you should not worry about the service levels in these places. The prices vary from very cheap (5-10), cheap (20-40) to moderate (100-150) and most of them are easy on your pocket. The signature dishes in each of the eater is given along the title
Alsa Mall, Egmore – Bread Omlette
Just stick to the plain vanilla item – Bread Omelet, with tangy green mint chutney. The cheese, grilled and the vegetable sandwiches are not up to the mark. There is similar one stand-up sandwich stall available near the SQL Star Training Center on Nungambakkam High Road, but it can’t match the taste of the egmore cousin.
Pattani – Samosa, Opp: Satyam Theater
There are quite a few shops which serve samosa, with hot pattani kuruma, but this one is right in front of the main gate of the satyam complex. Note that the pattani is not Chenna(chick peas), but green dry Peas. Two hot samosas are smashed and hot pattani with gravy is poured over tem and handed out to you in a small plate. Ask the guy to add extra onion to your plate. After I became a regular customer with my friend Dileep, we get a plate of fresh sliced tomatoes as compliment :-) .
This dish should not be compared with the ‘chaat’ dish Chennai samosa, but it’s very much a local Chennai dish. Ideal time for this outlet is evening show timings in Satyam. For 5 bucks, you can enjoy your plate of samosas as well as feasting your eyes on the colorful crowd in the satyam movie complex.
Sree Bhavan, Thiruvanmiyur – Onion Rava Dosai
LB Road, near the Telephone Exchange, right on the signal to bezant nagar
This hotel is always crowded in weekdays, due to bachelors and family crowd and closes its kitchen around 9-9.15 pm in the night. The onion-rava dosai and onion othappam are very good here. Ask for an additional cup of sambar, when ordering the dosa itself (of course, at no extra charge). If you want eat here, u have be to present by 8 pm , after which u will get liquefied chutney and watery sambar, and one of the 3 colored chutneys will be missing.
Sapthagiri Hotel, T Nagar Natesan Street – Parotta Salna
After a 2nd show in Devi Theater or Satyam Theater, you will be damn hungry to eat what ever u gets hands on!! As a ground rule, you would have skipped dinner so that you scramble to get tickets for the movie.
Sree Bhavan, Thiruvanmiyur – Onion Rava Dosai
LB Road, near the Telephone Exchange, right on the signal to bezant nagar
This hotel is always crowded in weekdays, due to bachelors and family crowd and closes its kitchen around 9-9.15 pm in the night. The onion-rava dosai and onion othappam are very good here. Ask for an additional cup of sambar, when ordering the dosa itself (of course, at no extra charge). If you want eat here, u have be to present by 8 pm , after which u will get liquefied chutney and watery sambar, and one of the 3 colored chutneys will be missing.
Sapthagiri Hotel, T Nagar Natesan Street – Parotta Salna
After a 2nd show in Devi Theater or Satyam Theater, you will be damn hungry to eat what ever u gets hands on!! As a ground rule, you would have skipped dinner so that you scramble to get tickets for the movie.
Due to Chennai police’s stupid policy, almost all restaurants close by 11 pm. There are quite a few rebel ones, which are open past the mid night also. One such is this Sapthagiri hotel, in the Pondy Bazaar area. You will always get hot parotta/ salna and the usual half-boil n egg varieties. DON’T ever try any of the briyani or chicken dishes in this hotel; it might be a dead crow or some other wild bird also. Juz kidding !!
Midnight Express, Alwarpet - Muttai Appam
This is good for take away, when u return from office so late. The dosa varieties and muttai-appam are good here. Living up to its name, the hotel is open till 12.30 past the mid night, but after 11.30, you might not get all the items on the menu.
Woodlands Drive-Inn, Cathedral Road – Masal Dosai
The menu is very limited and the pick among them is Masal Dosai. The ideal time to visit Woodlands is 5-6 pm in the evening. For folks, who don’t drive-in, you got to resort to self service.
Rathna Café, Triplicane – Idli Sambaar
I consider idly as one of my foremost enemies in south Indian cuisine. But served in proper form, I can much quite a few of this. Rathna Café serves idly soaked in a bowl full of steaming sambar. You need to consume it piping hot, damn tasty man!!
Hotel Ponnusamy – Unlimited Meals, Rabbit Masala, Kaadai Roast
This hotel is best visited of lunch on a weekend, Order an unlimited non-veg meals (you get chicken, mutton and fish gravies) and feast your taste buds with a Kaadai Roast or Rabbit Masala or Crab Meat. The chettinaad chicken masala goes will with steamed rice. I usually prefer the crab dish with shells, though the shell less version is also available, for the less adventurous. Never try any of the veg, Chinese or tandoori dishes here. Also I warn pure veggie people not to enter the hotel as you will feel out of place. There are quite a few branches of this chain, though my favorites are the Besant Nagar and Egmore branches
Hunter’s Choice, Perungudi Road - Masala Stuffed Egg
This hotel is midway on the road connecting Old Mahabalipuram Road and Velachery. They have one heck of a dish called Masala Egg, in which they stuff some kind of spicy Masala with friend onions inside a boiled egg. I forgot the name of other Burma dishes, most of them are lip-smacking stuff. This small hotel opens only in the night. If you are lucky enough to find this hotel, don’t forget to try out the noodle like stuff with spicy sauce.
Hotel Runs, Adyar – Special Mutton Briyani
This is a typical mallu style (porcelain plates – glass tumblers) non-veg hotel. ‘Runs’ is located right in front of the Adyar Bus Stand, next to the petrol pump. The egg and mutton briyani dishes are vary good (don’t try the fish or prawn). The special briyani comes with some cashew and decorated with egg slices. Butter chicken is juz too good and the egg masala also a perenniel favorite with this hotel. Make sure you get the Egg Masala and not the Egg Curry – both are different dishes. Never try any of the vegetarian dishes in this hotel, they are really pathetic. This hotel is open till 11 pm, making it very convenient for bachelors.
Plantain Leaf, Thiruvanmiyur – Andhra Meals, Fish Fry
This is a usual Andhra meals hotel. The meals is average but the soups are good and the vanjiram fish fry is better than many places in Chennai. So take a parcel of the fish fry and enjoy with curd rice in the comfort to the home.
Located in Vannanthurai, Besant Nagar
Kalpaga Mess, RK Salai – Kerala Beef Fry
This small dingy Kerala mess is located next to the Music Academy. You get the Kerala meals with big grain red colored rice. The service is pathetic but the Beef Fry done with pepper and coconut slices is just too good to resist.
Shakes n Creams, Adyar– Fig n Honey
You will find crazy pizzas like Panner Butter masala pizza, chicken tikka pizza – but they are very tasty and good value for money. The chicken lollipop is also a good starter but all the main course are passable.
This is a popular hang out for the Anna University and IIT crowed, so don’t dare to get a table in the weekend. I don’t suggest this place for eating, but for its mouth watering ice-creams, with Fig n Honey being my all time favorite. Don’t forget to order the extra portion of cashew and honey, to complement your ice-cream.
Fruit Shop in Greams Road, Besant Nagar – Sheik Shake
The Sheikh Shake, is essentially a dates milk-shake is the pick, though their entire menu is invariably good. Also note that this is a “chic” juice shop and the price factor is 30-40 bucks for a milk shake or fresh juice. Ideal time to visit the shop is after 11 pm in the night, once you finish you sightings in the Besant nagar beach
Midnight Express, Alwarpet - Muttai Appam
This is good for take away, when u return from office so late. The dosa varieties and muttai-appam are good here. Living up to its name, the hotel is open till 12.30 past the mid night, but after 11.30, you might not get all the items on the menu.
Woodlands Drive-Inn, Cathedral Road – Masal Dosai
The menu is very limited and the pick among them is Masal Dosai. The ideal time to visit Woodlands is 5-6 pm in the evening. For folks, who don’t drive-in, you got to resort to self service.
Rathna Café, Triplicane – Idli Sambaar
I consider idly as one of my foremost enemies in south Indian cuisine. But served in proper form, I can much quite a few of this. Rathna Café serves idly soaked in a bowl full of steaming sambar. You need to consume it piping hot, damn tasty man!!
Hotel Ponnusamy – Unlimited Meals, Rabbit Masala, Kaadai Roast
This hotel is best visited of lunch on a weekend, Order an unlimited non-veg meals (you get chicken, mutton and fish gravies) and feast your taste buds with a Kaadai Roast or Rabbit Masala or Crab Meat. The chettinaad chicken masala goes will with steamed rice. I usually prefer the crab dish with shells, though the shell less version is also available, for the less adventurous. Never try any of the veg, Chinese or tandoori dishes here. Also I warn pure veggie people not to enter the hotel as you will feel out of place. There are quite a few branches of this chain, though my favorites are the Besant Nagar and Egmore branches
Hunter’s Choice, Perungudi Road - Masala Stuffed Egg
This hotel is midway on the road connecting Old Mahabalipuram Road and Velachery. They have one heck of a dish called Masala Egg, in which they stuff some kind of spicy Masala with friend onions inside a boiled egg. I forgot the name of other Burma dishes, most of them are lip-smacking stuff. This small hotel opens only in the night. If you are lucky enough to find this hotel, don’t forget to try out the noodle like stuff with spicy sauce.
Hotel Runs, Adyar – Special Mutton Briyani
This is a typical mallu style (porcelain plates – glass tumblers) non-veg hotel. ‘Runs’ is located right in front of the Adyar Bus Stand, next to the petrol pump. The egg and mutton briyani dishes are vary good (don’t try the fish or prawn). The special briyani comes with some cashew and decorated with egg slices. Butter chicken is juz too good and the egg masala also a perenniel favorite with this hotel. Make sure you get the Egg Masala and not the Egg Curry – both are different dishes. Never try any of the vegetarian dishes in this hotel, they are really pathetic. This hotel is open till 11 pm, making it very convenient for bachelors.
Plantain Leaf, Thiruvanmiyur – Andhra Meals, Fish Fry
This is a usual Andhra meals hotel. The meals is average but the soups are good and the vanjiram fish fry is better than many places in Chennai. So take a parcel of the fish fry and enjoy with curd rice in the comfort to the home.
Located in Vannanthurai, Besant Nagar
Kalpaga Mess, RK Salai – Kerala Beef Fry
This small dingy Kerala mess is located next to the Music Academy. You get the Kerala meals with big grain red colored rice. The service is pathetic but the Beef Fry done with pepper and coconut slices is just too good to resist.
Shakes n Creams, Adyar– Fig n Honey
You will find crazy pizzas like Panner Butter masala pizza, chicken tikka pizza – but they are very tasty and good value for money. The chicken lollipop is also a good starter but all the main course are passable.
This is a popular hang out for the Anna University and IIT crowed, so don’t dare to get a table in the weekend. I don’t suggest this place for eating, but for its mouth watering ice-creams, with Fig n Honey being my all time favorite. Don’t forget to order the extra portion of cashew and honey, to complement your ice-cream.
Fruit Shop in Greams Road, Besant Nagar – Sheik Shake
The Sheikh Shake, is essentially a dates milk-shake is the pick, though their entire menu is invariably good. Also note that this is a “chic” juice shop and the price factor is 30-40 bucks for a milk shake or fresh juice. Ideal time to visit the shop is after 11 pm in the night, once you finish you sightings in the Besant nagar beach
1 comment:
Yaenda, Nile nadhi karayoram ukkanthoma, sight adichoma, thoonginomannu irukkame, yaenda ipdi echhil ooRa vaikkure? ;-)
I liked the Chicken something Pizza which we had in Shakes and Creams, and the coffee shake in Planet Yumm on the Besant Nagar Beach. Way back in December 2002.
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