Yaa.Mohaideen at Pallavaram

What to eat: Mutton Briyani

Where: Yaa.Mohaideen, Pallavaram, Chennai

Google Map: (Location of the old shop)



Verdict: Had to meet a friend in Medavakkam late morning. So decided to get some briyani from mohaideen's newly launched restaurant for lunch at home. I used to get mutton briyani before couple of years from their old stall where people used to stand in queues for at least 1 hour to get briyani. But today is a lucky day as there was no crowd at their new restaurant located near Pallavaram bridge on GST road.

Got couple of packs of mutton briyani(230₹) and a pack of chicken 65(150₹) just within 5 mins of time. I never got briyani in short span of time in Mohaideen in my previous visits. Last time I had to wait for more than an hour to get briyani packs. Another important change is they have started accepting plastic cards in their resto. Not sure if they accept a card at their old stall.

Mutton briyani was pretty large in quantity, made with long grain basmati rice, not much oily with at least 4 to 5 medium sized pieces (along with bones). It has brinjal thokku and onion raita as sides. We have a half pack left over....kept it aside for dinner ;) Also had yummy pineapple kesari which comes free with briyani.


Chicken 65 pack had a lot of succulent fried chicken pieces. Only problem is the coloring they have added.

Vegetarians, sorry to say but please stay away from this place.

Overall it is a must visit place for mutton briyani lovers as they serve one of the Chennai's best mutton briyani for a decent price.

Uttar Bhojan

What to eat: Noth Indian Vegetarian Cuisine

Where: Uttar Bhojan, Opp. Nilgris Supermarket, Arcot Road, Valasaravakkam, Chennai

Google Map:

Verdict: After an hour of window shopping at Big Bazaar, my friend look me to a small eatery from where he used to get aloo parattas home delivered thru swiggy. It is a tiny place with space for max 16 people can be seated.

We ordered for Aloo Gobi Paratta (140₹ per plate / 2 pieces), Mooli Paratta (125₹ per plate / 2 pieces), Paneer Tikka (180₹), Chole Bhature (125₹ per plate / 2 pieces). Both Aloo Gobi and Mooli were tawa based, 2 pieces a plate...cut into 4 half pieces...soft and yummy with sides pickle and a cup of curd. Paneer Tikka was  4 big pieces grilled with onion and tomato, served with cut lemon, onion and mint mixed with curd.

Chole Bhature was 2 thick pieces in a place served along with dark colored chole masala and other sides such as pickle and julienne cut onion. No complaints at all on any item other than the food was non-spicy. Spicy food lovers may not like this place.

We also had besan ladoo (8 pieces for 120₹) and jilebi (3 pieces for 35₹) packed for home. Jilebi became bit hard after I reached home. Jilebi is not worth, but certainly the besan ladoo as it was perfectly sweetened. Non-vegetarians or spicy food lovers, you may try chat items, lassi or the sweets. But this should be must visit eatery for people who love aloo and other paratta varieties.

Junior Kuppanna at Forum Mall

What to Eat: Seeraga Samba based Biryani

Where: Junior Kuppanna, Forum Mall, Vadapalani, Chennai

Location:

Verdict: After a week long life of sambar and veggies, the carnivore inside me was starving for an opportunity. And just after an usual shopping at Forum Mall on a Saturday night, we saw Junior Kuppanna. Immediately I went and inquired if they still have biryani as it was around 9:30pm. And the lady at the entrance nodded. It was a separate restaurant, located outside the food court. Unfortunately mutton briyani got finished when we ordered :( So we have opted for Chicken Biryani (200₹) and Parotta with NV Gravy (35₹).

Chicken Biryani

Chicken biryani was less spicy made with tiny seeraga samba rice, accompanied along with boiled egg, onion raita and NV gravy. It was an awesome combination of biryani with all the accompaniments. Parotta was not an usual one we get in local parotta shops. It was very fluffy, spongy goes well with the NV gravy provided as accompaniment.

Fluffy Parotta with NV Gravy

We couldn't finish all the biryani, so have to ask them to pack the remaining on the plate. It was indeed a pleasure to have Kuppanna's biryani after a tiring day. We felt the meal was better than the Thalapakatti and decided to make it a regular in their branch in Mogappair which is nearer to our home. They even have a branch opened in Madurai, but I don't think we will ever visit their resto in Madurai as we have a lot of options over there. It is definitely worth and value for money for the quantity (has increased recently) and quality they provide.

Srivari Sweets At Anna Nagar

What to eat: South and North Indian Vegetarian Cuisine

Where: Srivari Sweets, Opp. Ayyappa Temple, Near Anna Nagar Tower, Anna Nagar, Chennai

Location:

Verdict: After couple of hours of tiresome walking, running, playing, laughing with my little angel in the tower park, we were walking with little energy back to our car. And suddenly that stall came visible to us. Decided to have some snacks and coffee over there.

After entering the place, we came to know its a nice restaurant that serves a lot of south indian tiffin items from poori masala to wheat upma. We first need to pay and get the bill and then the food items. So I had paid for samosa(25₹ per piece), gulab jamoon(25₹ per piece) and filter coffee(20₹ per cup).

Samosa was pretty big with not-so-spicy peas+potato+groundnut masala. Ketchup was given as accompaniment. Gulab jamoon was cold, big and a decent piece. Filter coffee was a perfect blend served in dabara set.

Resto was bit crowdy as it was a Sunday evening. There were few tables and chairs to sit & eat as well as tall tables to stand & eat. We preferred to stand.

One may try their pongal with kotsu or wheat upma or small sized podi idlies for tiffin. They also sell podi varieties like idly podi, paruppu podi as well as cold pressed oil like nallenai, kadalennai. We will surely come back just for tiffin items in one fine morning.

Rose Milk at Erode Dairy Farm

What to drink: Rose Milk

Where: Erode Dairy Farm, Opp Avichi School, Arcot Road, Saligramam, Chennai

Google Maps:
 

Verdict: After a heavy meal at AVK Veetu Sapadu and then a little shopping, me and my school friend got little thirsty. So drove down to that little dairy farm to have chilled rose milk.

This stall was established in 1991 by Jayachandran. They also sell other milk products like butter milk, masala milk, butter, curd, kova, Panneer.

Rose Milk

Got 2 glasses of rose milk(20₹) for we two and then had another glass to share. It reminded of our school days where we used to drink rose milk frequently. But nowadays we don't get this drink anywhere and have to drive to this kind of old stalls for the yummy milk based drink.

If you hit Arcot road this summer, don't miss our native drink at this stall.

AVK Home Meals & Fish Fry Centre

What to eat: Meals with Fish Gravy and Fish Fry

Where: AVK Home Meals and Fish Fry Center, LV Prasad Road, Vadapalani, Chennai

Location:

Verdict: Had to meet few friends in Chinmaya Nagar. And then we all had decided to try the famous "veettu saapadu" (means home meal) and fish fry in Vadapalani. AVK Home meals center is a tiny eatery on the street next to Prasad Studio. They had ayilai and king fish fry for today. We opted to meals(60₹) with vanchiram (king fish) fry (190₹).

Meals was regular with limited rice, sambar, rasam, butter milk, veg poriyal, koothu, apalam and pickle. But who need sambar when you get the tasty fish gravy. Fish fry was too big...was unable to finish it. I think 1 fish fry for 2 persons is more enough. My friend got an extra appalam and asked for its cost, but they gave it for free. Rare to see such generous people in food industry in Chennai.

Fish gravy was yummy....cooked along with kudampuli (Cambodgia). Kudampuli is a natural anti-oxident used mostly for cooking seafood in kerala, good for weight loss, digestion and to treat ulcer, athrithis and uterine diseases.

They also gave some masala along with the fish fry. Mixed the masala along with rice to end up with a mouth watering combination. Washed down with a cup of butter milk. Ambience is not great, just a tiny place good enough for lunch with friends. Most of the people were getting parcels for their family. If you hit vadapalani during lunch time, don't miss the spicy fish meal.