One joint where you find good English Breakfast is at the Hotel Residency Towers in T-Nagar. Breakfast is served between 8am and 10am. So I suggest you arrive there early. Reservation not required though. Not only is the food great, the ambience of the restaurant reminds you of London's streets. You also get fresh omlettes made to your taste.
Besides Kalpaka and Tharavaad, you also get bloody good Kerala food at Kumarakom in Nungambakkam, just around the corner from The Park. It has more variety than Kalpaka, though I have to agree with the author that Kalpaka's beef fry is delicious.Must-try dishes at Kumarakom are the kappa-meen kari (fish curry and tapioca), the karimeen polichattu (masala-coated pearl-spot wrapped in banana leaves and steamed)and the beef chilly.
Besides which, is Verona's on Besant Nagar beach still in operation? Their burgers were to die for. No-holds barred beef burgers at very reasonable rates - a double patty, double cheese and ham slice burger used to set me back 70 bucks. I also feel that that old institution near Central - Velu Military - definitely deserves a mention. Not for the faint-hearted, one must agree, but culinary paradise if one's stomach is strong.
This article has completely ignored trditional Chennai food outlets... Some places that come to my mind are 1. Hotel Saravana Bhavan (branches all over Chennai) 2. Rathna Cafe (Triplicane) - Best idly in the whole world! 3. Annalakshmi (Anna Salai) 4. For cheap spoof of HSB, try Vasantha Bhavan
My all time fav is the Peters Road Saravana Bhavan restaurant....Great ambience, gun metal utensils....
The pongal/vadai of Murugan Idly is better than their trademark idly...For Chat food, Egmore/Sowcarpet area has lots of outlets (try Ajnabee or Chatpat Chat-Nungambakkam)...For Lassi, there is a small shop near Tambaram bus stop (somewhere near Bhats hotel)... For any juice-try Fruit shop on Greams road- my fav from them is the Walnut Twist....American food - New Yorkers (Gemini flyover).... For Sundal (Chickpeas) and Molaga Bajji (Chilli Bajji) - Marina beach vendors rule...
Apart from these we have numerous roadside vendors whose taste cannot be matched by any big hotels...
...I know I have missed many...But one thing is sure - Saravana Bhavan is the best hotel that you can find anywhere in the world (any true Chennai vaasi can vouch for that statement)..!!
RE:lots ignored..
by Tamil Ponnu on Dec 20, 2005 09:08 PM
Yes,I totally agree. This stupid author in an attempt to show off his poshness has wantedly omitted the best restaurants of chennai,Saravana Bhavan ,which is famous worldwide (Any foreign tourist would remember the name for sure ,for its taste,I dont know why this Indian author is so pined to stress the greatness of Japanese (uvvvvey) and Chinese (?) food leaving our traditional tastes) and the simple delicacies around Marina beach.
RE:lots ignored..
by on May 20, 2007 05:39 PM
Not everyone is from Chennai nor does everyone ONLY eat local food. Open you mind and explore what the world has to offer. No one is forcing you to eat at these places. Calling the author stupid is not classy at all.
A Chennai food review without the mention of authentic tamilian cusine (veg and non veg) is not compelte. What about Military hotels and those innumarable small cubby hole eateries in Mylapore etc.
What I would really like to read though is a piece on Vada Pau's of Mumbai (not the Jumbo variety) the regular one which is available on street carts all over the city. Another one is on Sandwiches of Nariman Point (though I dont know if it is still a big trade there).
Lastly I have always felt best food is always on the streets and if you could do a section on street side food nothing like it.
RE:Very Broadbased review
by Priya on Mar 10, 2006 04:33 PM
Well said.
For the people who would love to try typical south indian dishes like "IDLI" and "DOSA" ,can try it out in a foodjoint near ,Brilliant tutorials ,T.Nager.
It's hottest hang out for bachelors ,spinsters and families too during weekend.Taste is yummy and cheaper.
Chennai and Bangalore are a paradise for vegetarians. There are so many excellent restaurants in these two places catering to vegetarian needs. There are so many varieties of tasty vegetarian dishes at affordable prices in these two cities. Even foreigners I find prefer the vegetarian dishes and many have turned to vegetarianism after a visit to Tamilnadu and Karnataka. And our dishes are so popular in California. Your endeavour seems to propogate nonvegetarianism. Killing innocent animals and eating their wounds for food is THE sin of the first order.
boss very well informed.. didnt know abt japanese resaturents in chennai... however being a carnivore... u shld mentioned military hotels (velu) too..uniquely chennai
