Mirchi - Andhra Cuisine

At last I was able to strike out this place off my bucket list. It was a small kiosk specialized in Andhra cuisine, opened recently few yards away from DLF rear gate.

Usually we used to go for snacks like corn samosa, punugulu and onion masala stuffed cut chilli bajji. But tonight happened to visit during dinner time, just for the name "pesarattu".

They serve two varieties of pesarattu, one is upma stuffed and the other with onion topping. Me and a friend had upma stuffed pesarattu(₹40) which also had cut onions and some chilli powder sprinkled. Other fellow got just an onion pesarattu (30₹). Served with mildly spiced sambar and 3 varieties of chutney, peanut/coconut, ginger and "dondakay" (ivy gourd or commonly known as kovaikkai in tamil). Ginger chutney had super strong flavours, but a bit sweet one. Not many may like this flavour. Kovakkai chutney was new to me, definitely a nice one to try. Peanut coconut chutney was good as well.

Pesarattu was greenish, quite different compared to dosa, more like an adai, filling one. Upma was mild, just like home-made. At a regular appetite, one may not need more than one pesarattu. They also serve idly and regular dosa varieties. Definitely worth for every penny paid.

Happy to see them serving food on areca leaf plates instead of plastics. Wish other eateries too follow the practice to reduce plastic usage.

Location: 2nd Main Road, Sabari Nagar, Mugalivakkam.

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Dinner at Hotel Campus

Being a regular customer of "Campus" at Vadapalani, it is my first visit to their Ramapuram branch. After office hours, visited with few colleagues for dinner.

Started with half grilled chicken(145₹) which was amazing as usual when eaten with the accompanied mayo. Then came the Kerala chicken masala (154₹) along with a set of idiyappam (5 in a set, costs 8₹ per piece). Kerala chicken was mildly spiced, with the aroma of coconut oil and curry leave spreading high in the atmosphere. String hoppers were hot and soft, went easy with the chicken gravy.

Attukkal (Goat trotters) paya (176₹) and kerala special paratha(30₹) were served a little late. I don't eat the legs, but had the paratha with gravy in the paya. It was rich in spices and delicious gravy. Friends liked the two lengthy trotters and it was fun watching them peeling the bones off the stick.
At the end, ordered few egg appams(30₹) and egg masala(80₹). Egg masala was good, but when compared to the other gravy's we had, it was not much interested. Egg appam was large, thick and tasty, but the egg on the middle was almost cooked, not like in other places where it used to be half boiled. However, I prefer this way of making appams.

Let me come to the negative part of this visit. Gravy part was less on both chicken curry and paya, however no complaints on the pieces. Restaurant was not even half occupied, but still we were made to wait for some of the dishes. Otherwise it was a good experience with amazing food worth for every penny paid. Good part is no colouring and artificial taste enhancers used here. And GST is included in the prices mentioned in the menu.

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Location: 3/6, Valluvar Salai, Near Arasamaram Junction, Ramapuram

Hotel Shri Kamatchi

It was a lunch visit after two years to the same branch of Kamatchi hotel located on 100ft road/East Coast Road. It is an all meat restaurant, but also serves vegetarian meal mostly for the odd people who come along with carnivores like us.

Ordered 5 nonveg, 1 veg meal(100₹ for each) and a chicken biriyani(175₹) for a total of seven of us. Initially a large plantain leaf was served before the food was served.They serve only seeraga samba rice based briyani, sorry for basmati lovers. Generally seeraga samba chicken biriyani is not used to come up tasty compared to mutton version in most of the restaurants. But here it was so yummy that for few seconds I thought of whether to go for briyani instead of meal.

Non veg meal consists of steamed rice, snakegourd koothu, potato fry, onion raita, three varieties of gravy (chicken/mutton/fish), rasam and butter milk. Could not taste fish gravy as I was happy with chicken and mutton kolambu. Almost everything (in a meal) is unlimited except the plantain leaf. Rasam was piping hot, delicious to end the meal with it.

We opted for the sides such as mutton sukka(170₹), omelette(30₹) and their signature dishes (each 175₹) like chicken kamatchi, fish kamatchi and prawn kamatchi. Had to repeat fish kamatchi on friends' request. It was pepper based koduva fry. Mutton sukka made us drooling whilst eaten with mutton gravy mixed rice. Prawn dry was deep-fried prawns mixed with egg and their special masala, too good, don't miss it if you ever visit. One of my friend says the chicken kamatchi had lot of bones.

One in the team had just butter milk with little rice as he was unwell. We told the waiter initially that he don't want full meal, but just a small bowl of rice and butter milk. But still they billed for a full meal for him. Other than this we had no complaints. Few friends felt the quantity was little less. But tastewise, each and every dry item we had was topnotch.

At the end, bought few cups of mixed ice cream(mango, butterscotch, vanila) with choco and honey topping(125₹) from the icecream shop located at the basement of the same building.

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Location: 50, 100 Feet Rd, Sundararaja Nagar, Thanthai Periyar Nagar, Puducherry

Dinner at Surguru

It was a visit for dinner with friends. Basically a hotel, but Surguru at this locality have a restaurant at the basement. Their vegetarian restaurant have several branches across Pondicherry including White town where I had food several times in my earlier Pondy visits.

Order was Mangalore set dosa(85₹), a pair of idly(35₹), and a pair of plantain flower(vazhaipoo) vada(45₹). Idly was thin and fresh, served alongside three varieties of chutney, coconut, onion, tomato and gingelly oil mixed gun powder and a small cup of sambar. Simplest dinner to have on a tiring day.

Mangalore set dosa was yellowish and small in diameter like a homemade dosa, served with coconut chutney, vada curry and veg kuruma. Absolutely amazing combination making us to order another plate. Only problem was the vada curry lacked a little bit of salt.

A friend wanted to have their vazhapoo vada. It was cooked just before bringing to our table. Hot and crispy vada served with usual chutney varieties and sambar. Apart from the high cost, no complaints. Others had some parcels to have it later at our hotel room. Though it may look bit pricey, I don't find any other veg restaurant in this little town that can beat Surguru in terms of taste, service and hygiene.

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Location: 104, Sardar Valabhai Patel Salai, Thiruvalluvar Nagar

Sangeetha's Desi Mane

Before a road trip, our gang wanted to have breakfast. It was the first restaurant visit for few of them on their India trip, so they are little worried. And then it came on my mind about a colleague's words praising about veggie dishes served at this restaurant.

Parking was easy as it was early morning. Ordered for mini tiffin for two of us as others got pongal, idly and vadai. I am going to say only about mini tiffin as I have not tasted other stuff. Mini tiffin is a combinaion of miniature version of idly, pongal, pineapple keerai, dosai, vadai with sambar, coconut and tomato chutney. Such a lovely meal to start a day. Initially it was looking tiny, but was really stuffy enough for me. Surprised to see a shot of filter coffee served at the end. It was a perfect blend as expected.

Most interesting part was the bill. It was shocking to see just 50₹ for a mini tiffin. Paid 200+₹ for four of us in total. Definitely value for money for good South-Indian meal.

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Location:
27, 10th Ave, Sarvamangala Colony, Indira Colony, Ashok Nagar, Chennai