Mangalambiga Vilas

What to eat: South Indian Tiffin

Where: Mangalambiga Vilas Kaapi Hotel, Near Adi kumbeswarar Temple, Kumbakonam

Location:

 

Verdict: Mangalambika vilas is a historical mess(place where people eat & socialize) located on an alley leading to the kumbeswarar temple. It is not an easy thing to run a restaurant for decades. But they have made it for more than 100 years. This tiny eatery is serving homely food since 1914.
One Mr.Hariharan Iyer came to Kumbakonam at the age of 14 and worked this eatery which was then owned by an old lady named Thayu patti. Later he bought it from the old lady as she was unable to manage it.

Not knowing the actual year of foundation, they just kept a board saying "Since 1914". It is now managed by Hariharan Iyer's son. Locals refer to it as "Sannidhi Kadai".
If you're looking for a good ambience, then this place is not for you. People come here to taste the traditional food.

You need to have enough patience to eat at this heavily crowded place. By the time we entered the place most of the items like arisi uppiya were finished. So just got 2 pairs of idly and 2 special dosai (they call it as special maavu).

Idly was steaming hot and pillowy soft. Special dosa is just another crispy dosai. What made the meal special was the kadamba sambar. It had different varieties of dal such as toor dal, chana dal, chick peas, moong dal. Chutney was a coconut+red chillie one which was slight yellowish in color, but very very fresh.

As usual I got a filter coffee at the end. Final bill was 137₹ for 2 of us. Meal was worth every penny. If I get a chance to visit again, I would like to taste arisi uppuma and adai. All I can say is just don't miss this place if you hit Kumbakonam, the city of temples.

Kumbakonam Venkkatramana

What to eat: South Indian Breakfast

Where: Venkkatramana Hotel, Near Gandhi Park, Kumbakonam

Location:

Verdict: Morning walk is always good. Why because that's how I found this place at 7AM. It is a hotel cum restaurant serving traditional kumbakonam style tiffin and meals for decades.

Just had pongal(40₹), vadai(15₹). Both were served with thick sambar and fresh coconut chutney. Pongal was just taken out from the kitchen and was melting in mouth like honey. I don't even need sambar and chutney for this dish. Vadai was perfect with not much oily sights.

Finally had kumbakonam degree kaapi in brass dabara set. Such a brilliant decoction.

Also packed some idly and vadai for my family resting at the hotel room. Interesting to know that they start serving meals from 9AM onwards. Just don't miss tiffin or lunch at the legendary eatery if you ever hit this little town.

Kumbakonam Sathars

What to eat: Briyani

Where: Sathars Restaurant, Hotel Rayas, Kumbakonam

Location:

Verdict: Today we had a chance to visit Rayas hotel for lunch as referred by a friend. Rayas hotel has both veg and non veg restaurants. We opted for Sathars which is an air-conditioned non vegetarian resto.

Orders were simple, just 2 mutton briyani(210₹) with a plate of chicken 65 (170₹). Briyani was large in quantity, but not spicy. However the accompanied mango based dalcha and kuruma made it easy to go. Spicy lovers may not like this type of briyani. Mutton pieces were little fatty, but cooked well. Chicken 65 was hot and succulent.

From outer looks, this place looks costly. But it's definitely value for money as they have included GST in the menu price and the quantity is little larger.

Kumbakonam Krishna Bhavan

What to eat: Idly and Dosai

Where: Krishna Bhavan, Kamatchi Joshiyar St, Kumbakonam

Location:

Verdict: It is another quite old place serving vegetarian tiffin and meals. As it was near to Chakrapani temple, we have combined the darshan with dinner at this place. If you're looking for relaxed or impressive ambience, you better skip this place. It's just an ancient eatery serving traditional food and people come here, eat and go with not much lengthier talks.

As it was bit late in the evening, almost everything was finished. So we had to order a single piece of idly (7₹) for the kid and maavu dosai (30₹) and rava dosai(30₹) for the adults.

Sambar was bit thick. Two type of chutneys served...lot of coconut chutney and then a spoonful of onion chutney which was not repeated without asking. Taste and the price was like going back a decade. Don't worry about gst when you eat here. If you go early, you can get kodumai halwa, adai aviyal and the degree kaapi.

Sangeeth at Hotel Chela

What to eat: South Indian Tiffin

Where: Sangeeth Restaurant, Hotel Chela, Kumbakonam

Location:



Verdict: As we were staying in Hotel Chela, we want to finish our breakfast at their restaurant before starting our "temple run" early morning.

Had few idlies(20₹ per pair), vadai(10₹), poori(45₹). Idly was fresh as we were in so early. There was 2 type of chutneys ...Coconut and onion based. Onion chutney was little spicy and paired well with both idly and vadai

Poori was bigger than the normal one we get in Chennai. Only complaint was the accompanied potato masala was lack of salt(may be little less than the perfect amount). Finally washed down with a filter coffee(20₹).

Happy thing is menu prices include GST. Additionaly charged 5₹ extra for take away of couple of idlies for the kid. Definitely worth for every penny paid

Pandian Hotel

What to eat: Non Veg Meal

Where: Pandiyan Hotel, Sarangapani Sannidhi Street, Kumbakonam

Location:

Verdict: Train reached Kumbakonam late (by 3pm) as usual. As soon as we reached the town, immediately took an auto rickshaw to Pandiyan Hotel for lunch. It is actually a hotel with an attached restaurant which is famous for non veg meals.

Briyani was not available. So had to order sappadu(90₹) with pepper chicken dry(155₹), seer fish Fry(155₹) and a pair of kola urundai (60₹ per pair).

It was a limited meal which means limited amount of boiled rice with poosani koottu and urulai masala. They serve various varieties of gravy from chicken, mutton, fish and then rasam and butter milk till you finish the rice.

 

We just had mutton & chicken kolambu and then rasam. Mutton gravy was bit spicy and was exactly like we have at home in Madurai.

Pepper chicken was quite dry with no sight of oil. Taste was too good as the spiceness had gone too deep because of ground peppercorns. Fish fry was a large thick piece. Kola urundai had quite softy core and crunchy outer layer, not-to-be-missed item.

It was a surprise non vegetarian feast in a town which is famous for temples. Located just couple of doors away from Maths genius Ramanujam's house.