Southern glory on a platter

  • | Tuesday | 18th June, 2019

Heirloom silk drapes welcome us along with bronze lamps and flower garlands are suspended on sides of the pillar. The interiors of the restaurant is dotted with live counters where preparations are going on for steaming hot kuzhipaniyaram and kari dosai. We wrap up our meal with a bowl of mango payasam made of chunks of mango and palm jaggery. A piece of Tirunelveli halwa, hot and moist, served in a banana leaf is hard to skip. Alongside, a cold glass of jigarthanda with layers of vermicelli, basil seeds, agar agar and nuts, is served to give a native touch.

Vaishali Vijaykumar By Express News Service CHENNAI: Tender coconuts, ice apples and jute sacks filled with native spices sit pretty on a wooden table at a corner. Besides that, a pushcart with oil lanterns, brass vessels, churners and boilers is parked. The entrance of The Coffee Place restaurant inside Ramada Plaza, Guindy is adorned with majestic wooden pillars painted in traditional hues on both sides. Heirloom silk drapes welcome us along with bronze lamps and flower garlands are suspended on sides of the pillar. Attendants clad in white dhoti and silk saris greet us with a vanakkam. Folk music on the background sets a village mood. The interiors of the restaurant is dotted with live counters where preparations are going on for steaming hot kuzhipaniyaram and kari dosai. Every dining table has a replica model of age-old kitchen equipment such as ammi, ural and thirugai to bring in a nostalgic feel. “Our patrons enjoy food festival experiences. You get to eat delicacies from various parts of the state under one roof. The ‘down south’ theme for this month is special to our heart. Our chef Saravanan spent a month dedicatedly on specialising in the regional nuances. He assisted our executive chef Haneef who curated the menu. The ingredients and meat for a few dishes are sourced from native markets making it one step closer to the original method of preparation,” said Sandeep Bhatnagar, general manager of the hotel. Chennai to Kanyakumari Chettinadu meatballs, Tuticorin fish kuzhambu, Madurai’s fluffy parottas and jigarthanda — all under one roof. We’re served with crab soup first. The soup, seasoned with ample portions of pepper, is made with freshly cracked crab meat and the stock is made from the shell. After a halt, we prepare for a sumptuous thali comprising a range of 15 varieties of dishes, from tangy Kanyakumari’s fish kuzhambu to Salem mango payasam. Wheat parotta, ragi dosa, string hoppers and white rice are a few main dishes. For accompaniments, we had prawn fry, mutton gravy, fish tawa fry and chicken fry. “Every district has a specialty and indigenous method of cooking that gives it a distinct taste. If you talk about the people living in coastal areas, they need the taste of seafood in everything right from sambar. Another popular item is our biryani. The Dindigul biryani has become world famous now. They use authentic seeraga samba rice. To retain the flavours, we soak cinnamon rolls in hot water and use it for boiling rice. The Kongunadu, Chettinadu and Nanjil Nadu are all hubs for food culture. We’ve tried to pick the hot-selling item from every place,” said Haneef, executive chef. Regional recipes and delights The dinner is a lavish spread of tiffin items. Hot and spicy kari dosai is being prepared in one of the live counters. It’s a specialty in Madurai and Tiruchy. An egg is popped on top of dosa batter and shreds of meat are added. The dosa is eaten with a salna or gravy as the best accompaniment. “The karandi omelette is prepared in a ladle. We’ve infused pieces of tuna fish into the egg to play on the innovation factor,” said Haneef. We wrap up our meal with a bowl of mango payasam made of chunks of mango and palm jaggery. A piece of Tirunelveli halwa, hot and moist, served in a banana leaf is hard to skip. Alongside, a cold glass of jigarthanda with layers of vermicelli, basil seeds, agar agar and nuts, is served to give a native touch. Chennai to Kanyakumari Food Festival is on till June 28 at Ramada Plaza, Guindy. The veg thali is priced at `899, non-veg at `999, and seafood thali at `1,299. Buffet is available for dinner. For details, call: 45653333

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