Welcome Hotel

What to eat: South Indian Breakfast

Where: Welcome Hotel, Purasaiwakkam, Chennai

Location:


Verdict: If Vegetarianism is a religion, then this place must be one of its temple. If I live near to this resto, then may be I would get converted into a vegetarian. "Welcome" is a tight contender to "Ratna Cafe" for the tastier idlies with unlimited sambar.

This Saturday morning, we visited this eatery to have breakfast before shopping in a nearby shopping center. Ordered for a pair of idly (28₹), pongal (45₹) , medhu vadai (25₹). Sambar was poured until both the idlies were totally submerged in it, it was poured thrice till I finished those idlies. It was wholeheartedly divine to have the mashed idly with sambar.

Pongal looked small, but it was literally melting in the mount and surely more powerful than a sleeping pill. Medhu vadai was bit big and has gone completely well with the sambar and coconut chutney. They also served a tomato chutney along with the pongal. Finally washed down with a filter coffee(23₹).

If you want to taste the North Chennai's best idly & sambar, you should definitely visit this place.

Gongura

What to eat: Spicy Andhra Meal

Where: Gongura, Food Court, DLF, Ramapuram, Chennai

Verdict: As the weekend is approaching, I was planning to be on diet. But my friend had other plan. He pulled me to a recently opened food stall in the DLF food court.

"Gongura" is specialized in andhra cuisine and is famous for their combos like chicken 65+briyani, chicken chukka+briyani, fish fry+briyani, chicken/fish curry + rice/chappati,..

They have kept mini buckets for gunpowder, pickle, salt, gongura chutney and cups full of rasam, so that anyone can take with as per their need.

 We opted for a chicken65 + Briyani (180₹) and Chicken Chukka + Briyani (190₹) combo. Both of them were served along with a plain omlette, brinjal chutney, raita. We were happy as both type of meal had plenty amount of chicken, but the sad part was even the raita had plenty salt :(

Chicken 65 was succulent and pretty hot. Chukka had lot of spices and garlic, made us hot & sweaty.Briyani was just ok when it's hot, but it would be bland if consumed later. We also tasted little bit of gongura alongwith the briyani, but I could not grasp the taste. Better to have it along with steamed rice.

We would certainly come back, not for the briyani, But for the rice and chappati combo.

Hotel Runs at Adyar

What to eat: South Indian Non Veg Cuisine

Where: Hotel Runs, Sardar Patel Road, Adyar, Chennai

Google Map:



Verdict: After a tiresome beach visit, we were returning back home. And we wanted to have some dinner as it will be late to reach home. Parked the car below the flyover at the adyar signal. And walked over to "Runs". They only have space for two-wheeler parking. So park your car better like me.They have non-A/C resto at the ground floor and A/C resto at the first floor. We chose the family room in the ground floor. I have seen this family room concept in most of the non-veg restaurants in Madras in 1990's. But most of the restaurants have renovated and removed this concept.
Good to see "Runs" still maintain the same old concept.

Adyar is always close to my heart as it's where my kid was born. So I had used to visit most of the restaurants in the surrounding area for dine-in or take away before couple of years.

Hotel Runs is a hotel run by a Malayalee & is much famous for the grilled chicken. But the regular briyani is not that good as it used to be bland and plain. One should try their various curries with various breads like parotta, appam,..

Ordered for Runs Special Chicken Briyani, Runs Special Mutton Briyani and a King fish fry. Both type of briyani are just briyani rice fried along with eggs and also served with a boiled egg, onion raita and a not-so-tangy brinjal curry. Chicken briyani had 5-6 fried chicken pieces. Tawa fried king fish slice was brilliant. It too big...bit spicy with enough masala on the top. Two persons can easily share a single piece. Total bill was 590₹ with no tax as it's a non-A/C floor. Tips had to be paid in hand to the server.

If you love Keralese food, this is a must visit eatery in this part of city. Also try other Keralese eateries nearby like Topsee (L.B. Road) and Kuttanadhan.