The Waterfall Restaurant

It was bit late when we started driving after shopping at Usman Road. Our target was the waterfall based theme restaurant located behind prasad studio for lunch. Called dine-out app people to book a table at 3pm so that we won't get disappointed.

Luckily we arrived early due to less traffic on the road. Valet parking was available. But there was lot of space as it was Monday afternoon. They allowed us in early as many tables were empty. It was not too dark inside, but just lit well enough to see the food. We got seated next to the artificial waterfall on the ground floor.

We were serviced by Mr.Madhu who was very customer friendly and responsive. He agreed when I asked for the 10 percent given by dine-in app. Never even had to show the sms sent by the App team. Food was delivered pretty quick.

Started the session with fish fingers(309₹) and dragon chicken (259₹). Fish finger was served with yummicious mayo. Kids liked it more than the chicken. So had to repeat it. Dragon chicken was bit tangy and sweety due to the addition of soya sauce and ketchup. Both the plates got emptied quickly.

 Ordered Egg fried rice(189₹), chicken bharta gravy (249₹), butter naan(59₹), garlic naan(60₹), chicken combo(240₹) for mains. Chicken combo was a full fledged meal containing steamed rice, briyani, curd rice, daal, chicken curry, softy roti, chicken 65, soup, butter milk, gulab jamun. No complaints received from the spouse.

Me and some others went with the naan with chicken bharta. Should have ordered for makkan wala instead of bharta which was liked by me. But others liked it. here was no much difference between butter and garlic naan, but both of them were fresh and soft. Egg fried rice was pretty large, well enough for two.

Never tasted any Andhra food though they call themself specialized in andhra based food. However whatever we had was good enough to write a positive review. And also their service starting from valet parking to arranging tables for the big group to deliver food quickly had to be appreciated. Especially the theme...kids loved to see a waterfall next to their table.
 
Tip: Book your table in "dineout" app to get 10% discount. And you get 200₹ for signing up. Just click on https://bnc.lt/6ZXm/8zSsx4EDxM or enter this code ECNE8 while signing up!

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Puliyodharai at Kundrathur Murugan Temple

"Puliyodharai" is always yummy at perumal temples. Lucikly we found fantastic tamarind rice at Kundrathur Murugan temple. We had visited this temple so many times in the past. But we only tried the prasadam today morning over here.

Prasadam stall serves 3 varieties of rice... tamarind, curd and jaggery rice being served in a biodegradable donnai(made of natural leaves and fiber). We bought a tamarind and a jaggery one costing 20₹ each donnai. No words can describe the feeling of goodness going in to guts. Also bought a bottle full of puliyodharai paste (90₹). Try it out if you hit this religious place.

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Rasavid

Had a pit stop at Rasavid restaurant located at OMR, Karapakkam for lunch. Heard this place serves one of the best hyderabad-style biriyani in town. Restaurant is located in the first floor. It is just a small place, but their flavours make it big.

It was our first visit, hence decided to go for mutton dum biriyani(210₹) along with full tandoori chicken(400₹) for 6 of us. Tandoori chicken was crispy at the edges, one or two pieces little burnt, but overall a delicious meat for hungry stomach.

Mutton dum biriyani was little large than the usual briyani quantity in Chennai. And the amount of meat was too large, never had such many pieces anywhere recently. Even found some mutton spare parts like liver, etc... on the biriyani.

Ended the meal with a double ka meetha(120₹). It was nothing but hot and delicious bread halwa with cardamom flavour. None of us had any complaints, but came out with a happy tummy.

Tip: Book your table in "dineout" app to get 10% discount. And you get 200₹ for signing up. Just click on https://bnc.lt/6ZXm/8zSsx4EDxM or enter this code ECNE8 while signing up!

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Moonrackers

Happened to visit Mahabalipuram over the weekend. For lunch decided to have some sea food at Moonracker's on Othavadai street. Moonraker is a goan-shack-like restaurant, quite famous for sea foods.

Even before I go there, had just 2 things in mind to order, fish curry and masala fried fish. Waitress showed us a plate of live fishes (technically not alive as they are already dead) and lobsters. I enquired to get a big shock. Heard 2000₹ just for a single koduva fish. Though I could have bargained, I decided to skip as it was an unrealistic price. Heard many especially foreigners get cheated easily in such places in Mahabs.

Kept our orders limited to the menu card as the price was clearly mentioned and they can't hike it in seconds (like live sea food). Asked for a masala fried fish(350₹) as appetizer, prawn fried rice(180₹), fish curry(250₹), steamed rice (50₹). Believe both fried and curry fish were cooked using "Sankara" fish. That's the standard for them. But if you want to choose different, then you should go for live sea fish.

Quantity was good for two for most of the dishes. Prawn fried rice had good number of yummy deep fried small-sized prawns. Fish curry was tangy with a lot of fish pieces.Masala fried fish was too good made of their own masala(mostly red chilly, garlic and curry leaves). At the end, I was like licking those chilli masala for few minutes. Wife had some rasam(50₹), which she complained later as it was too much garlic flavoured. After few talks, we decided to repeat the fried fish as the taste was lingering in our mouths.

Moonrakers have 3 branches on the same street, with valet parking available. We dined at the place opposite to the quite old one. One can visit this place just for the fantastic fish curry and fried fish. Heard their prawn fry is also too good. Just remember one thing, be extra conscious whilst selecting live sea food. If you're in budget, just stay with the items mentioned in the menu card.

One thing I hate in this place is hand-written bill. Even in this digital era, we were given a hand-written bill with 80₹GST written at the end. Have to ask to get a computerazied bill with "GSTIN". Except one or two silly issues, it was a nice lunch during a family trip.

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Nellai Vairamaligai

Whenever a new restaurant opens up in the city...

My friend: Macha Shall we go ?

Me: Yo Yo Lets do it

My friend's Mom(mind voice): இதுங்க என்னைக்கு திருந்தப்போகுதோ

Tirunelveli's famous vairamalaigai has opened their branch last month in Thirumalai pillai road, just opposite to Vidyodaya school. Last time when I went to nellai, missed it due to lack of time. Went for dinner tonight with my all-time-free friend.

Menu was pretty limited with just parotta and dosa for mains and only country chicken and omlette varieties for sides. Menu card was too funny, its a learning for every restaurent owner why spell check is a must before printing the menu card.

After seeing "cutting chicken" in the menu card, 
Friend(to waiter): What you use for cutting...7up or water?

Waiter: Sir we use coconut oil

Friend: What the duck :(

Me: Not a cutting you dream of. It is just a cutting of roasted chicken.

Ordered 2 regular parotta(12₹), one veechu Parotta madippu(15₹) and a cutting chicken(120₹) for each of us. Initially a plantain leaf was laid down. After giving it a wash, onion raita and spicy chicken chilly podi mixed with coconut oil were served. It was first time for us to taste a chicken chilly podi. My friend loved it, asked for a second serving. If they had idly with chicken podi, it would be an awesome pair.

Regular parotta was crispier than folded veechu though the later was little bigger. What makes it special is the currys served with it. A red curry (salna) and a yellow curry were served in big bowls. Loved soaking the parotta in the yellow curry, then touching down the chicken podi a little and putting on the mouth. Red curry was bit spicy, had to I avoid it at the end.

"Cutting (country) chicken" was looking tiny. So ordered a regular roasted country chicken, which was surprisingly bigger. Both of them were heavenly, frying on coconut oil added a luscious flavour to it.

Masala omlette(20₹) was just ok. Decided to go for regular omlette on next visit.

Overall cost was very nominal, but they need to think of expanding the menu, at least include idly and biriyani. They are open only from 5.30pm to 11.30pm. There are few teething problems in taking order. Hope they will get it sorted out before my next visit.

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