Monday, June 11, 2018

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.



Google Map:


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.

Google Map:


Location: 104, Sardar Valabhai Patel Salai, Thiruvalluvar Nagar

Saturday, June 9, 2018

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.

Google Map:



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