Team-BHP - A Guide: Eating out in Chennai

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElantraGT (Post 1660957)

Do any of you guys remember Hotel Traffic Jam near Ambika applam in adayar. Thats my favourite hangout place. The hotel is closed for some time but the food they serve used to be so good. I love the Butter chicken masala with butter Nan that they serve.

Guys how is the new hotchips opened in Velachery, tharamani road? Did any one try that place yet.

Oh, I used to hangout with my friends at the TRAFFIC JAM and behind the tea shop next to it ! Almost every evening in the 90's ! Those were the days..

Also, I live very close to the new Hot chips in Velachery. I found the food to be good, tasty (north indian). But the seating and the size of the plates were very uncomfortable. The plates were very very small !

Quote:

Originally Posted by ikoneer (Post 1660118)

Have you tried the great mogul briyani, in the adjacent lane behind ega thetre.

There is actually an mogul restaurant, do not go there, a few building away from the restaurant, you have this small shop, 'great mogul briyani', only selling and no dining. superb briyani.

ikoneer : thnx ikoneer..i remember picking up packets of awesome biryani from this Moguls before heading out to watch the McDowells Challenge at the MMST (in the 90's). I went last week to take away some biryani and landed up at the Mogul's Restaurant instead...wasnt very impressed. Will visit the Great Mogul Biryani next week

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proxima (Post 1659181)

Should try it out sometime. What is it called?

Where else can we get good biriyani in Chennai? (small shop/big shop/any shop):)

Proxima : Try Kebabish on Arcot Road (I'm NOT referring to the one on Thirumalai Pillai Road). This Kebabish is the one thats a few shops before Meenakshi College and after the Reebok/Adidas showrooms. I know friends who come week after week all the way from Adyar to pick up biryani from here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mission_Safari (Post 1662436)

Tried the thalapakattu biryani on Friday and it was good albeit little expensive. This is located in the lane just after valliamal college near Anna nagar roundtana.
PS: They make their biryani in Seeraga Samba rice and not Basmati.

mission safari : you mean 'Thalapakatti' dont you ? There are scores of Thalapakattu's around Chennai but I guess its the 2 Thalapakatti's - one near Gemini Flyover and one in Anna Nagar that are supposed to be the authentic guys

Quote:

Originally Posted by slipstream (Post 1662445)

Yes . My bad. It is thalapakatti. AFAIK there are only two authentic guys, one in Anna nagar and other in Ampa Skywalk unless the Gemini flyover branch is opened recently.

Hi,

Almost all the favourite places have been mentioned above. A few missed out areas near Tambaram.

1) E Sait Biryani - Near Tambaram Pizza Corner. Very good biryani.
2) Hotel Caspa - Very good food esp garlic, butter chicken. Opened a new branch in crompet.
3) Basant Quick food - Chinese fast food, very cheap.
4) Noor Hotel - Near Crescent Engineering college.
5) Balaji Mess - MM Nagar.
6) Andhra Mess - Mahindra City.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mission_Safari (Post 1662436)

Tried the thalapakattu biryani on Friday and it was good albeit little expensive. This is located in the lane just after valliamal college near Anna nagar roundtana.
PS: They make their biryani in Seeraga Samba rice and not Basmati.

Full and correct name is "Dindigul Thalapakatti" :)

While returning from a recent trip to Munnar, we had biriyani at the "Dindigul Thalapakatti" restaurant in Dinidigul itself, and I was surprised to see that it was not Basmati rice. But, yes, the taste is good...different from the usual biriyani that one gets in Chennai.

OT : There is a court case going on, where the owners of the original "Dindigul Thalapakatti" restaurant dont want the scores of "Thalapakattu" centres to use "Thalapa" (head-dress or turban in Tamil) in the name of their biriyani centres.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue Thunder (Post 1670492)

Full and correct name is "Dindigul Thalapakatti"

While returning from a recent trip to Munnar, we had biriyani at the "Dindigul Thalapakatti" restaurant in Dinidigul itself, and I was surprised to see that it was not Basmati rice. But, yes, the taste is good...different from the usual biriyani that one gets in Chennai.

In Dindigul the good Biriyani available in Venu military Hotel.Next Choice is Ponram with a decent Ac dining hall. Of course Thalappakkati is a good old hotel in Dindigul since my boy hood.

For Veg You can try in Balaji Bavan near bus stand. Try the sizzler with Naan in Balaji Bhavan. Second to that it is Meenalshi Bavan.If you bye pass in future try these places.

I was at this place called 'The Farm' today. Was blown away by the experience. Cant help pen a brief review.

You enter a small gate only to be greeted by acres of space with a thick canopy of trees. You find the pathway to the restaurant that itself is a huge enclosure with thatched roofing. Theres no kitchen actually and the food is cooked right at the buffet counters, right in front of you and the way you want it. I was told you could bake your own pizza if you liked, customizing it with a topping of your choice. In fact, Pizza was only one of the many items on the buffet. My favorite was the Chicken Paratha though my friends felt that the 'Beer Chicken' was mindblowing. After demolishing the food (like we did), you could choose to carry out the dessert into the open and have it on the soft beds & pillows spread out unde the trees. We did just that and crashed onto those extremely comfy beds soon after dessert. They have a lovely swimming pool that you could use (also under those canopy of trees) and also a small kids play area. You could also choose to walk around 'The Farm' (a mind blowing 70 ACRES of land I'm told :eek:), to the cow shed, horse stable and beyond. The owners are coming up with rooms as well, mandatory for issue of a liquor license. I was told that there were 2 natural lakes within those 70 acres but we were just too pampered by the comfy beds under the trees that we didnt move our you know whats for hours after we ate. And Yes, theres Paintball thats just walking distance from 'The Farm'

All in all, a completely different, refreshing and mind blowing experience.

This is the immediate left after the Shell Bunk on OMR and the left again. Look for a small yellow & red gate. You will NOT believe this is the place I'm talking about when you look at it from outside. But enter the gate and every thing WILL change.

A MUST TRY place in my opinion. Buffet costs Rs.500/- per head. Tables by reservation only.

Just enquired about the FARM, they told that they offer buffet only when 20 or more persons book, else its an A'la'carte affair. And it seems they are open only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

I wish to share my pleasant experience at a Hotel in ECR on Sunday. After watching a movie at Mayajaal, myself, wife and kid were not that hungry but were simply looking out some hotel, we found a hotel named Thanjavur Veg Restaurant, after crossing the Ignite Garage towards Thiruvanmiyur. Veg meals is offered at 65 and 80 Rs, the 80 Rs lunch includes soup and chapati, we just went for the 65 Rs food and found the food to be very tasty. The food was very tasty and i certainly would visit this place again, hence i thought of sharing this wiht our fellow bhp-ians