[Thad E Ginathom]

Thanks Gansan.

Mrs G has a continual battle about oil in hotels. In most places, asking for less oil is as hopless (despite the assurances from the waiters) as asking for less kaaram!

[rajeshsundaram]

Originally Posted by fb1

Ponnusamy ( Adyar )

Ponnusamy Adyar??? Yukk! can't forget the day when we saw the blood-stained band-aid which came up, when my colleague half-finished the juice.

Stopped visiting this place after that incident.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Thanks Gansan.

Mrs G has a continual battle about oil in hotels. In most places, asking for less oil is as hopless (despite the assurances from the waiters) as asking for less kaaram!

Hardly anything can be done about the "kaaram" as it would already have gone in to the ingredients / half finished preparations / accompaniments, but oil is added only after pouring the dosa batter on the griddle.

[Archish]

Originally Posted by bottle

Looks like Amethyst coffee shop is closed ? Was passing by that area and noticed a board saying property of some Sugar Mill. Not a regular there but was sad to see another old place disappear

Amethyst has long shifted its base to Whites Road. They are now based on a property opposite to Whites road parking entrance of Satyam Cinemas.

Or are you saying that they have closed down the Whites Road place? I saw the place open about a week ago.

[rajeshsundaram]

Icarus is a nice Punjabi food (plus Tandoor, Chinese) joint in Egmore. Moderately priced and run by a family. One of the best phulkas / rotis in town. Ambience is just okay, but taste is good. I am a regular visitor there.

It is located in 2nd floor, in the corner complex of Alsa mall road (the fly-over end).

Nalas Appa Kadai serves good food. But I find their quantity does not seem to do justice for the price they ask for. Also Velachery Nalas is using too much MSG (Mono Sodium Glucomate aka Ajinomoto) in their biriyani & gravy items. And be careful when you order home delivery on weekends. On two occasions, we found the kothu-parotta to be bad (used some old parottas) and poorly cooked fish fry. Complaining to their customer feedback is no use. Anjappar on the first floor of the same complex is not upto the mark. Looks like a big hall flooded with chairs and tables. They are there... just to do business. No standards in taste and quality. One of the worst branches of Anjappar.

Hotel Milan opp to Velachery bus stand, is actually a good food joint. Moderately priced. Ask for their "Special Chicken Briyani" which has chilli chicken pieces instead of regular chicken leg piece or chest piece. It is mostly awesome, save for some few occasions.

Kayal at Le Meridien, Kathipara Flyover serves good food. Limited menu. Good hospitality. Even you can customize the items to your taste. Bit pricey though!

Jeya Mess (a few feet from my house ) behind the 100ft road Velachery, HP petrol bunk serves decent and economical food for bachelors. The kothu parotta and kalakki are the highlights there.

Dindigul Thalappakatti on 100 ft road velachery, is good too, but not that economical. Karandi (Egg ball with chicken pieces) is great piece to start with here. Try their benchmark Mutton Biriyani. Also you will come across some of their own authentic NV items as well.

Salem RR in the Tambaram-Velachery highroad (opp MCC) serves good NV biriyani too. At times, I found their biriyani is more hot (read chilli).

There was one biriyani outlet in Royapettah located in the ice-house to peters road. Not sure of the name, guess it is some Mughal Biriyani or Taj Biriyani. That's one superb biriyani I've tasted. They don't add MSG mostly and beyond 8pm, the availability is scarce.

[Daewood]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Bottle, Amethyst has moved to a place near the express mall. I'm sad to see that too. I haven't been to the new place yet, but from what my wife told me, it sounds like prices have risen. If they have sold that old house (palace!) for development, they could probably be feeding the whole world for free on the profit!

The place was not owned by the lady who ran Amethyst.
The original owners had some family dispute and so Amethyst had to shift.
The new place is also good and spacious. It's nicely shielded from the noise and pollution of White's road.

Gansan, in my wife's five decades of eating here, she has never liked Saravana Bhavan. Interesting that you pick one branch for praise, though......
.....It's true that my wife is quite critical of Vasantha Bhavan food, but we find it comfortable, hassle-free --- and we get to park the car for the whole of our Mylapore shopping trip

Saravana Bhavan is centralised in all aspects. Even the delhi branch gets ingredients from their kitchens in KK.Nagar. So you can expect the same consitency and standards in all their brances.
Wheras Vasantha Bhavan is not run like that, It's run by a group of people from the same family but independent of each other. So tastes and standards differ from branch to branch.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Thanks for the details, both of Amethyst and VB.

It's a real shame Amethyst had to leave that beautiful house. I expect we will see an apartment or office block there soon?

[kiku007]

Originally Posted by Daewood

Saravana Bhavan is centralised in all aspects. Even the delhi branch gets ingredients from their kitchens in KK.Nagar. So you can expect the same consitency and standards in all their brances.
Wheras Vasantha Bhavan is not run like that, It's run by a group of people from the same family but independent of each other. So tastes and standards differ from branch to branch.

+1. At the scale at which they operate, no one comes close to serving the same taste and quality of SOUTH Indian food like SVB. The Sangeethas, Vasantha Bhavans, Hot Chips, Anjappar, Ponnusamy, Karaikudi etc. are just jokes IMHO. They started well, then franchised/branched out left, right, centre and have totally lost it.

Infact, even the Chennai Murugan Idly Kadai, Thalapakatti are over hyped. They are not close to what the originals served at Madurai/Dindugal.

And there's a specimen who has opened a restaurant in the name, "Dindugal VeLu Biriyani" in Nungambakkam and people are flocking to it. The Dindugal original is "VeNu Biriyani".

[barathvajan]

Guys

(not sure whether grand snacks is mentioned in this thread)
Anybody tried grand snacks adai and aviyal..Its awsome.

My list of favs (i am a vegetarian)

1. Idly in vasntha bhavan
2. Doas with pudina chutney (Not coconut chutney) and idiyappan and chops from saravana bhavan
3. Adai aviyal from grand snacks
4. Kuzhi paniyaram and sambar from grand snacks (this shud have been the first) but pretty expensive though at Rs 35 for 4 pieces
and
Anything my mom cooks he he

Barath

[Gansan]

There used to be an Udupi (woodlands?) hotel near the Saidapet arch - not sure if it is still there. They used to serve piping hot idlis,sambar and a special amoebiasis chutney! Effect guranteed in 8 hours flat!

I used to go there for their tasty Mangalore Kashayam.

[bottle]

Originally Posted by Archish

Amethyst has long shifted its base to Whites Road. They are now based on a property opposite to Whites road parking entrance of Satyam Cinemas.

Or are you saying that they have closed down the Whites Road place? I saw the place open about a week ago.

No was talking about the old house, last I went was in November last year so it was a surprise when I dropped in recently.

Real shame , I don't think any new place will have quite the atmosphere which is why I liked the place more than for the food

[Thad E Ginathom]

I liked the place more than for the food

Me too. The food wasn't bad, but the service tended to leave me wondering why I ever went there. Being relaxed is great; taking half an hour after being asked for bill is not.

[mail4ajo]

Grands Sweets has a new branch in Bazullah Road, next door to Hotel Star city. Was there on the opening day. They have the regular sweets and snacks and a restaurant which serves tiffin items.

[anekho]

Originally Posted by barathvajan

3. Adai aviyal from grand snacks
4. Kuzhi paniyaram and sambar from grand snacks

Oh Man! Absolutely delicious! Make it a point to eat either of the above whenever I pass Adyar!

[DWind]

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

Grands Sweets has a new branch in Bazullah Road, next door to Hotel Star city.

They now have 5 branches. Apart from the initial ones in GandhiNagar and Anna Nagar, they have expanded to 3 in Adyar itself one in the same locality (a more modern one with a restaurant), another in Sastri Nagar. Hope their quality does not take a nose dive.