An evening unveiling the Magnum

Who can say no to Chocolates? or for that matter Ice Creams, especially with Summer waiting to sneak up on us? Right! That is exactly what went through my mind when I saw the email invite to the Launch of Magnum Ice Cream event. 

On 27^th March’13, evening I landed at  The Hyatt Regency,Teynampet,Chennai along with few other Foodies and bloggers. 

The session began late, instead of 7.30 pm, it started at 8 pm and then went on for a good hour. We had a blast during the one hour session, tasting different kinds of chocolates, ice creams, making our own Sundae and having a few minutes with the Chef. Oh, and we noticed the place was packed with quite a few Page 3 celebs, including Actor Prashanth [who just stood in the background] and I did spot Arya as we were leaving the Hotel. 

The evening began with an introduction to Chef Abhiru Biswas of Barry-Callebaut. After giving us a sneak peek into what to expect, he asked us to turn out attention to the 3 bowls in front of us. They were labelled 1, 2 and 3. We tasted the chocolate chips in the 1st one, and then had to describe the taste; the same followed on 2 and 3. Finally, we were quizzed on which one we thought was the Belgian, Swiss and the French. Not many got it right, but it was fun guessing. 

So, if you are a chocoholic but have no idea what is different between the different kinds, here goes, 

 No.1 The Belgian Chocolate has the perfect blend of all that makes us go ga ga goo goo over chocolate- sweet, dark, bitter, smooth and chocolate flavours. 

 No.2 The  Swiss Chocolate was smoother, creamier and milkier in taste

And finally No.3 was the  French chocolate was very dark and very bitter.

Now, moving on the highlight of the evening, the unveiling of the Magnum Ice cream. From the renowned brand of Kwality Walls, Magnum is a new line of ice creams made with Belgian Chocolate. It comes in 3 varieties- Classic[ good ol plain vanilla], Almond [ the outer chocolate had a lovely almond crunch in it] and the last one was Chocolate Truffle [ chocolate all the way through]

Just like the taste differs in the 3 kinds of chocolates, the ice creams too were different. The Classic was smoother, creamier and quite good. The Almond was less sweet but filled with bags of flavour and finally, the Truffle was rich chocolate in and out. 

So, after we dug into the Classic choco bar, the Chef announced there was a fun activity up for us in the audience. There was a sheet of paper with about 20 ingredients on it. We had to pick 5+ a sauce and create our own Sundae. Whoopie, what fun! The sheet was passed around and we finally had our ingredients -

Orange Cake

      Rosemary 

      Black Pepper

      Chocolate Sauce

Crushed Hazelnut

and Kiwi slices. 

Since Rosemary was not available, we substituted it with Mint and for the ice cream, we chose the Almond bar. 

Took us about 5 mins, a whole bunch of us all pepped up, shouting out orders to those who were layering the ice cream, and finally it was done. We named our creation "Harry's Citrus Burst". Why Harry? well, the connection to Magnum gun from the movie Dirty Harry.   

The Emcee and Chef went around tasting the sundaes, but after about 2 tables, they left it to us to taste and pass judgement. Ours was quite good, I just felt we should have done away with the Orange cake [it was dry]. I loved how the Black pepper worked beautifully with the ice cream. Am definitely going to sprinkle some next time I bring home an ice cream. 

Soon, the event was nearing its end and we noticed most of the crowd disappear. The bunch of us piled onto a table, and started shooting questions to the Chef, satiating our thirst. 

Priced at Rs75, these yummy desserts will be available at the nearest Walls outlets soon. Get ready to beat the heat~!! 

Kettle Tea & Desserts, Chennai

I'm a little teapot,

Short and stout,

Here is my handle, (one hand on hip)

Here is my spout, (other arm out with elbow and wrist bent)

When I get all steamed up,

Hear me shout,

Tip me over and pour me out! (lean over towards the spout)

This is what i was reminded of when i heard the name "Kettle Tea & Desserts". Friends of mine had mentioned this place, and I also know they had a Tea making workshop couple of months ago. I drink tea, once a day, but now that has changed. I start the day with green tea and also have one more sometime during the day. And have also begun exploring the various brands and flavours available, the latest being Twinnings Mango, Orange & Cinnamon, thanks to a friend [she sent me a goodie basket for some help I did].  Without digressing further, when Nishanth mentioned the meet planned at Kettle, I instantly said "Aye aye cap'n" and looked forward to the evening. The only place that serves up a variety of tea in Chennai was Cha Bar, in Oxford Book store. Unfortunately they shut shop and we lost a nice cafe.Used to be among our favorite haunt. sigh... 

Tucked away in 10th Main Road in Anna Nagar, it is on the road next to RR Donnelley in Shanthi Colony [past Shree Mithai]. Located on the 1st floor, you need to climb up the stone staircase to reach the Tea house. The light, the colours and the space instantly catches your eye. It resembles a small house, with multiple rooms. As soon as you enter, on the right is where the cold stone ice creams are made, when you proceed further inside, you see the counter meant for Tea, displaying containers of varieties of Tea [20 in total], and a blender as well. There is seating in all the rooms, 2s, 4s or more. Apart from these 2, there is a room tucked away with sofas that can accommodate about 10-15people. When the weather is pleasant, or during the evenings, you can enjoy a cup of tea sitting in the outdoor seating area. I wonder if the Metro work noise spills over here, might be a pain.

The room had pastel shades of the wall, and beige colour sofas with a huge center table. We were all packed around it, with a few floating in and out. The menu is quite extensive, not restricted to Tea alone. They serve a variety of Pastas, lasagne, sandwiches, desserts and cold stone ice creams. We were welcomed with the Black currant Tea- it was yumm, though a tad sweet for my liking. It was also the 1st time I tried the scones, they were interesting and I did like them, they were served alongside butter and jam.

The Tomato Basil soup was a hit among most of us, only suggestion was to use plain butter and not salted button on top.  Next up were the salads, us vegetarians got a Sprout Salad - a good, healthy option/also a filling meal/snack. Suddenly i noticed a plate with neatly arranged triangle slices of mushroom on toast, followed by the the egg white omelette served with grilled tomatoes on ciabatta bread (looked more like a hot dog bun), these two were alright! In between the food, I ordered a cup of Chamomille tea that I really liked it especially with honey. Another sandwich we tried was the Pesto Paneer Sandwich - it was alright,I felt the paneer was chewy & dry , and so it was difficult to eat. 

Wait, we were not done. There were a few non veg dishes that floated by, a chicken salad served with banana fritters. Another dish that came along was the Lasagne, which was quite delicious and the pasta stood its ground, but then the Curried Pasta, a Pasta that tasted like an Indian korma, something I've never had before came along making us wonder what was going on in the Chef's mind.. It is good for those who like Indian masalas and flavours. I dint take a fancy to it!!

The sips of tea in between the bites was good, kept us all happy and feeling light.The only tea that was bleh was the Organic white tea- it dint have any taste, felt like I was drinking hot water. Wonder why?! A friend infact commented that it was her favorite and normally quite flavorful. 

"Woah that looks good"- yes that is what came to my mind when I saw the desserts placed on the table. Some of the desserts were excellent. The Tiramisu was nice, I fell in love with the "Love for Strawberry Ice cream" served in a waffle cup and actually liked the Oreo ice cream as well. Oh, how can I forget the Carrot cup cake. The expresso brownie was also good, while the Pot de crème had a weird texture and was not a favorite among the lot. Hang on, I know there was one more dessert, ah yes- White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake, it was quite good. Few other teas that the group ordered were Masala Chai and Assam tea. 

Overall, it is a fun place to hang out or hold a meeting at. Do visit, am sure you will enjoy Kettle. 

Location:

Kettle Anna Nagar, No 3362V, AE Block,

10th Main Road, (Near Anna Nagar Post Office)

Anna Nagar West,

Chennai - 600040

Hours of Operation

7 days a week 

11:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Call Us!

Ph: +91-44-2622-3006/07

Email: info@thekettle.in

   

Disclaimer:

The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-) 

Cook & Dine, Rhapsody, Chennai- II

There I was, back in Rhapsody, after nearly 8-9 months. And I was here to attend the Cook & Dine event at Rhapsody, Courtyard by Marriott. It is a cool concept, people who are interested in cooking come over, be a part of the event, and get to not only sample dishes made by the Chef but also a lavish buffet lunch at Paprika, the coffee shop. 

I noticed it was all women, and many of them have been regulars, infact 2ladies told me they have not missed a single session. They actually said there was another friend who joined them but she was currently travelling. Another lady I met is an Expat [like most of them who were there for the session] said "I enjoy the food here and so to learn how the Chef makes some of the dishes is fun, apart from this I also get to meet so many other interesting women. There is a contest held during the event, and we partner with whoever is willing, so language, nationality, nothing matters. It is fun". There were 3 women who had brought their kids, one was a baby in the stroller, while other 2 were probably around 1.5 to 2 yrs of age. The kids were running around, but were quiet, oh and did I mention they were adorable!?

So, what did Chef Paul stir up during the session?? Lo behold, it was all Salads and one dessert. What a treat it was. 

Caesar Salad  came first. With Romaine lettuce being the star of the salad with a dressing made with egg yolk, anchovies, parmesan cheese, worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic and garlic croutons sprinkled on top for a bit of crunch.. A nice creamy/cheesy salad. For vegetarians, just make mayo minus egg and anchovies or buy them off the shelf. :)

Next up was Tuna Nicoise. Pan seared Tuna that had been gently coated with salt and pepper served on a bed of fresh crunchy salad made of green beans, potatoes, olives, cherry tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, lemon juice, aragula [rocket leaves], capers, olive oil, salt & pepper and one boiled egg. I tried the salad minus the tuna and it was good, light and filled with flavour. The chef used boiled baby potatoes, a nice touch [I havent used potatoes in salad, should try]

\

The 3rd salad was Grilled chicken salad with honey mustard dressing. The salad had Asparagus, cherry tomato, spring onion, mixed lettuce, thyme, honey, boneless chicken breast, olive il, mustard sauce, lemon juice, salt & pepper. The ladies in the row ahead of me exclaimed this was their favorite [after the tasting]. The Chef did add a bit of blue cheese which he said was optional.

Then came the Italian Rustic salad with Balsamic. This was my favorite salad of the day- it had grilled bell peppers, garlic confit, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, zucchini, mushrooms, mixed lettuce, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard sauce, salt & pepper. It was so yummy, I loved it. You can do away with garlic if you dont like the taste/dont eat.

Now, onto the healthiest salad of the day- Healthy mixed sprout salad - as the name states, it was a salad that had a mix of bean sprouts, green peas sprouts, black chick peas, white chick peas, onions, tomatoes, mixed lettuce. The dressing was Yoghurt based- yoghurt with roasted garlic, thyme, lemon, olive oil, salat & pepper. I make something like this at home, but I prefer the chick peas boiled, not raw. 

And then came the last of the salads- Cobb salad, made the traditional way. Hard boiled eggs, bacon/turkey, cos lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, blue cheese, mustard sauce, red wine vinegar, worcestershire sauce, garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper. The salad was bright and a feast for the eyes. 

When I went around speaking to some of the ladies, I came to know there were different Chefs who handled this event, and some better than the other. They all said they enjoyed the contest as it gave them a chance to experiment, test their cooking skills and take home some goodies.. :D 

Oops, wait, the event is not over. There was the dessert yet to be made.. It was Oats & Honey Granola pie, quite an easy dessert. All you need to do is make the tart, fill it with either oats granola bars, or add oats, raisins, dry fruits, walnuts mixed up and bake in oven for about 25- 30 mins. It was heavenly, loved it. 

Phew, finally, all were glad to get off their seats and walk around. Earlier, in the other section of the restaurant, I noticed a table with various ingredients and wondered the purpose behind it. And the answer was revealed when the Chef announced it was time for the contest, today's theme was "make a salad of your choice, not necessarily what you had seen during the demo". There were 5 teams, all had about 5 to 6 members except for one that had just 2 women. Each one churned up an interesting salad, some used all ingredients, while others used minimal. Infact,the team that had used minimum ingredients but packed a punch was the one that WON!

Add caption

And that is when the curtains came down on yet another session of Cook & dine! toodle doo till next time!

If you wish to attend one of these, all you need to do is register with Rhapsody, Courtyard Marriott, pay Rs800 and you get to spend 3-4 hours learning. This event is held 3rd Friday every month. 

Contact: 044 66764000 to know more..

[Recipe] Semiya Dosai

Dinner was Idli... And I will eat Idli only if it is the last thing available on earth, that is when the plants, bugs, and everything else has perished and I was left with nothing but an Idli. So, that evening my mind was buzzing - wondering what to cook for myself. We were watching TV, and suddenly on came Vineet Bhatia, in the Twist of taste show, and where was he? He was in Madurai. :-) I sat up straight and glued in, waiting to see the places they featured and if I knew any of them. [background story- we lived in Madurai and that is when I began school]. 

Vineet walked around Meenakshi amman temple, tried his hand at Bun parota [that looked like a fluffly version of the parota], sampled some dosa and nonveg side dishes at Konar hotel. The show then moved to the studio where he announced he was making an interesting version of the dosa[with masala] and chutney.  I noted it all down in my head and quietly snuck away to prep for the Dosa [decided to try the masala and chutney another day]

Semiya Dosai 

Ingredients

Roasted vermicelli- 1 cup

Rice Flour- 2tbsp

Beaten yoghurt- 1.5cups

Water- if required to dilute the yoghurt

Salt- a pinch

red chilli powder- a pinch

green chillies- 2

coriander- a bunch[optional]

Oil- as required

Roasted Vermicelli/semiya

Dosai that I had with a side made with leftover karamani and a nombu adai

Method:

In a pan, roast the vermicelli with a tbsp of oil if not pre-roasted. Take it off the heat. In a bowl, pour the yoghurt, and add all the ingredients, finally adding the vermicelli and mixing it well. Set this aside to soak for about 5-10mins. [this is so that the vermicelli will become nice and soft]

Take a dosa making pan, add some oil, pour out a ladle of the batter and allow it to cook on both sides. [Each side will take about 2mins to cook]

Variation:

Add grated carrots, sliced onions, more coriander, dosa milagai podi to the dosa and make it like an oothappam. 

Bon appetit! 

[Recipe] Spinach Daal

What you need:

Spinach: 2 cups

Onion: 2

Green chillies: 2

Cooked green gram dal/moong dal: 1/2 cup

Tamarind: 1 small sized ball

Tomato: 2

Urad dal: 1/2 tsp(for tempering)

Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp(for tempering)

Oil - as much as you need

Salt- to taste

Curry leaves - 4-6

Taken on mobile- BB

Method-

In a pan, heat oil and add mustard, urad dal and curry leaves. to this, add the chopped onions and green chillies. When they turn to a golden brown, add the chopped spinach and fry well for a couple of mins.

Put a pan and the green dal to cook in it, once that is done, add to the fried spinach and onion along with the tamarind(that has been soaked in water n strained), chopped tomato and salt. Boil for about five minutes..

If you want, you can grind the spinach.. but i like spinach as it is.. and it sure tastes yummy with Roti and Steamed rice.. enjoy~~~

Make me a Master Cook with Shazia Khan

Friday night around 8pm, or was it 9pm? I forgot. All I remember was getting a message from Manju Madhu saying "Congratulations, you have won..  want to take up Masterchef workshop". I did ask her my other prize options, but then decided to take this workshop ticket up, esp since my gal pals were going to be there! I knew of this event for weeks, or maybe a month earlier cos a dear friend Tasneem Akbari of Konceptz Galore was part of the duo that had conceptualised and brought the show to town.   Who was the other? Maaria Kulsum of Adoniya fame!! 

Honestly, even though I do enjoy cooking, a workshop wasn't really my thing. I get bored, distracted or tune out and start cracking up [which I anyways do]. And since I was unsure of my plans, I dint pick up a ticket. When a Facebook contest was on, I participated and who would have thought, I won a ticket to the workshop!! 

Cottage Cheese-semolina cake with grilled pimento topping

Bocconcini Cheese [ buffalo Mozerella] 

 Grilled Zucchini cups

Burmese Veg khow suey

There was one more dish, cant find the picture though- Red bean bites with methi cream sauce  & spicy pineapple salsa...

The beautiful light fixture I could not resist clicking

Shahi tukda with caramel sauce and fresh figs 

Half a day spent in the company of good friends

Watching a Master Chef Runner up cook 

A video cameraman who refused to oblige

and 

Hunger pangs building up with every minute... 

I sat there, watching, nodding, wondering

Clicking, observing and drooling

did i mention wondering?

yes, when lunch would be served

Saturday morning with friends

and the evening i knew 

was gonna be fun

for it was going to be in the company of more friends... 

Kudos to the team for a gala event... Next time, just give me a ping if there is a contest going on

Am itching to win some more!! ;o) 

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Chennai

S: Have you been to it yet? I have, it is huge and so many shops. Only about 1/3rd are open. Do make a visit. 

Me: But it is so far off. I have to spend like half a day if I wanna visit. 

Cut to few days later... 

F: Hey, How about we visit the place before we head to dinner?

Av: Sounds good

Me: Super, that sounds like a plan

F: let us meet there at 6:30pm, spend about an hour and head over to Tadka Talk for dinner meet. 

Av & Me: Roger that! 

So, that fateful Thursday  I headed out of home around 5.30 pm and thought I was going to make it there by 7 which would mean I barely had time to look around as dinner was planned for 7.15. But luckily, there was no traffic beyond North Usman road and I made it by 6.15. Yayy!! 

Curious to know where I was headed? Phoenix Market City Mall, Velachery! Those who know me, know I am not a mall person, and the only reason I visit a mall would be for the Book store, a movie or to meet friends. I am not into shopping at all. 

So, this day, at Phoenix, I entered, spoke to F and Av, who were already there, got directions that dint really help because they had approached the place from a different entry. Decided to just take a chance, hopped on the escalator, walked down the 1st floor and there it was- "The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf" cafe. It was a small cafe, located right across from Rajdhani [which is tucked away inside a left], and looked quite cozy. 

"Founded in 1963, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® is the oldest and largest privately-held chain of specialty coffee and tea stores in the United States. With a reputation for excellence, the company is a leader in product innovations, having developed the original Ice Blended® beverage."

Av was already there sipping on tea, F said he was full, and so I went ahead and ordered a Peach Iced tea. The place is fairly small, can seat about 20-25 people max. There were a few others and I also spotted a few tuned into their laptops. The furniture is all brown, wooden, and has a very earthy feel to it. I waited, and waited, and then went to the counter only to be told the waiter had forgotten my order. The manager took over and made sure I got my Iced tea in a few minutes. Chatted with him and came to know he was in the Bangalore outlet and had been sent to Chennai to train and get the place going. 

While we walked out, we couldn't help it, we had to pause and oggle at the muffins and cheese cake. They were huge, and looked divine. But then, we were headed to dinner, so with a promise of repeat visit we left, making our way to the parking lot.

Facebook page

URL: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf,

1st Floor, Phoenix Marketcity,

Velachery Main Road,

Chennai – 600 042.

Tel. No: 044 30083411

Disclaimer:

The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-)

Thirsty Thursday... Long Island Iced Tea

Yet another drink I enjoy is the "Long Island Iced Tea" . Was introduced to this by a friend at TGIF, Bangalore.  It so happened that the time we landed there was Happy Hours, and so we each got 2 drinks for the price of 1. I quite enjoyed the Long Island Iced Tea but it was a huge glass, and we spent nearly 4-6 hours there-  talking, catching up,eating, drinking, trying to finish 1 drink before moving on to another.. I recall she ordered something different, equally big and heavy.. It was fun.. 

I've had this drink in many other places, and it tastes the same, but comes in glasses of different shapes and sizes. At 10Downing Street and Fusion 9, it comes in a regular glass, but somewhere else [I forgot where], it came in a beautiful tall glass [like the one Cream center uses for their Iced Tea and it is a tall glass indeed]

From the 1st sip, I was curious what the drink had. And i managed to dig out this image I have saved on my Hard drive on how the Long Island Iced tea is made.. ;o) There is another drink called Long Island Beach Tea, but the ingredient[s] are tad different and I dint really like the taste of it.

And for those of you who follow The Big Bang Theory, this is one howlarious episode...

Submitting this for the Thirsty Thursday theme from Chennai Bloggers Club

The Curry Club, Chennai

 

A tinge of violet, an inkling off Indigo, a generous dash of blue, a pinch of green, a sprinkle of yellow, a shade of orange and a final swirl of red- all these come together to make a beautiful rainbow. Even though not all colours are clearly visible, they all join hands to shine in the sky. Why am I talking about colours when writing about a new Multi cuisine restaurant in town? Well, I kinda feel these restaurants are like the Rainbow. They have so many different cuisines, some shining bright, while others lay low.  

Where was I headed this week? It is to the new restaurant in the city, in the post locality of Haddows Road. If you drove down the road and took the last left, 2 doors down on the right you will spot the huge signage "The Curry Club". Yes, MASH was here earlier, but now has been replaced by this swanky place. 

With a seating capacity of over 100, the restaurant also sports a nice conference/banquet hall on the 1st floor near the open area. It comes with dual lighting options, a pull down screen, and options to fit in a projector for those presentations. Or host a private party in this hall with upto 20 people and enjoy the cosy evening. 

Rohit Zachariah is the man who owns MASH in Besant nagar [on the beach] and The Curry Club as well. While chatting with him, learnt that he along with his cousins opened MASH as a place for them to hang out, casual and comfortable. This was back in 2007 and the place is still home to many who come to spend a few hours on a lazy Sunday. The Curry Club on the other hand is a place that offers different cuisines- North Indian, South Indian Chinese and Continental. 

We tried dishes from their South Indian & Chinese sections and they were quite interesting. Started with the veg Manchow soup, I also tried the the mushroom pepper fry, which was cooked in a tomato based sauce, then there was the aachi varuval [ which was cauliflower bhajji of sorts]. For the main course, I opted for their "Choose a curry and get Unlimited Dosa/Idiyappam section". The staff recommended the Nilagiri Vegetable Khorma for the idiyappam. The gravy was made with spinach and herbs, haven't had something like this. They also had a dish called "pal katti  pattani masala- I was very curious on what this pal katti was. Discovered it was the good ol paneer. :-) They also had few other veg side dish options, felt good seeing there was equal importance given to veg as well as non veg. I did sneak in a few French fries and roasted veggies from the Non veg orders. They were yumm.. 

And for dessert, I tried a spoonful of the phirni, one of the Crème brûlée  and the sinful Mud pie [a brownie that was hot and gooey chocolatey]. Oh, how can I forget, the mud pie is served with a scoop of pan ice cream. I don't eat Pan, but the ice cream was brilliant. 

Should visit them once and try the dishes from other sections as well. 

A meal for two should cost around Rs700- 800

You can view the Menu on Chennai Food guide portal

Address:

3/2, Haddows Road, 2nd Street, Nungambakkam, Chennai-34

Ph- 044 28211555

Karaikudi Restaurant, Chennai

Visited Karaikudi in Besant Nagar after ages and must say the only thing i like here is their Vazhapoo vadai.. 

This time, went with a friend and both of us ordered Fresh lime soda salt.. The waiter served us the drinks, but one sip and I knew something was wrong. Requested the manager to try it, and he graciously replaced them with 2 others which did true justice to the drink we ordered. 

For starters we ordered Vazhapoo vadai. Oh they call it banana flower vada now and when i quizzed about name change the waiter told us "madam, lots of foreigners come, so we change name to something everyone can understand".  And yes, i did notice quite a few foreigners in the place. The vada was yumm, but they brought the green mint chutney only after my friend asked for it. 

For Main, we ordered egg biryani, and my friend ordered chicken varuval. The biryani was good, had 2 eggs tucked away inside. It was served alongside onion raita and a gravy of sorts [not sure what it was, just knew it had onions, curry leaves and a korma sort of taste]. As always, we skipped dessert and headed out to be greeted by gentle rains. 

The bill for 2 of us came to Rs630[approx]. The service here is good, food was alright [3/5].. Most people who come here are looking for a quick lunch, and good non-veg dishes. 

I personally prefer the egg appam, but that is available only post 7pm. They have also introduced a new Special chettinad thali [for lunch]- rice, sambar, rasam, vegetables, curry, koottu, fish gravy, chicken gravy, roti/poori, dessert, papad for Rs129/- 

Service: 4/5

Ambiance: 3/5 [still the same ol run down building]

Price: 4/5

Address:

Annai Velankanni Rd, Besant Nagar  Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Ph: 044 2491 0900

Directions: If you drive down from Malar hospital, take the left, go down the road, all the way to the end, and then turn right at Rajaji Bhavan and drive straight down. It is the corner building

Alternatively, you can go down the road from Bessie beach on Velankanni temple side, and will find it near the left turn.