Poonam's Gujarati Bhojanalaya, Broadway, Chennai for authentic Gujarati food

Pooam's Gujarati Bhojanalaya, Broadway, Chennai

Gujarati Meals (Thali)

Poonam's Gujarati Bhojanalaya, Gijarati Mandal's the vegetarian restaurant, located (near High Court) at Broadway, North Chennai, is serving the Gujarati Thali from 1130 am. The place is certainly not as noisy and cramped as other Gujarati restaurants. However the seating space is limited and during weekdays you may have to wait to get your turn and the parking is difficult here. But during sundays the crowd is less and dining is comfortable.

 The "authentic" Gujarati food at Poonam's Gujarati Bhojanalaya in Chennai is a crowd favorite. Whether you go with family or friends, Poonam's is mostly a favourite place in Chennai for Gujarati food.

The menu consists of Jelibi, dal (lentils), gravy, two vegetarian dishes, Phool Wadi, roti (instead of roti try Thelpa at an extra cost of Rs.4.00 each), rice, rasam (Indian soup), mint chutney, pappad, pickle, salad and green chilly toast. The unlimited - eat as much as you want - meals cost just for Rs 75/- per head. You may like to have srikhand or basundhi or gulab jamun or aam rass (juice of ripe mango) at an additional cost of Rs.15.00 for each. The thalis are full and the dishes are subtly delicious. The plus point is generous and frequent refills with quick service. The Bhojanalaya also offer  Dal Halwa, Dhoklas, Fafda, Khandvi, wide variety of Milk Sweets  and  snacks for the Gujarati food lovers.

Address: 116, Gujarati Mandal, Near High Court, Prakasam Salai, Broadway, Chennai - 600108.

 
Timing: 11:00 am to 11:00 pm

Meals: Lunch, Thaali, Dinner

Kaidi Kitchen (Restaurant), Mylapore, Chennai: Enjoy Multi-cuisine Veg. Food behind Prison Cell

Facade of the restaurant is appearing like the gate of the prison

Ambiance: Eight air-conditioned Prison Cells. Waiters in Jailer / Convict Uniforms

Prison Cells (Dining Rooms)

Kaidi Kitchen  is a first prison theme based Multi-Cuisine Vegetarian Restaurant in Mylapore, Chennai. You may be surprised to name the restaurant with the term 'Kaidi.' No one would prefer to dine in a prison cell. Yet these prison cells (dining rooms in Kaidi vegetarian restaurant) are arresting the Chennai food lovers with their  Chinese, Italian, Lebanese, Mexican, North Indian and Thai Cuisines. Of course no chance for south Indian dishes like idly, pongal, poori and dosas.

Hand-cuffs suspended. Brick walls

The facade of the restaurant is appearing like the gate of the prison.  The fully air conditioned 8000 sq.feet restaurant resembles like prison with eight prison cells incorporating revolving lights; hand-cuff suspended atop the ‘cells’ and toy guns displayed on the walls.  The earnest waiters are wearing the uniforms of jailers or convicts. They appear before the discerning customers with 30 page menu booklet (looking like encyclopedia) and take orders.

Guns Dispalyed on the wall

In addition there is a huge banquet hall in the basement with a capacity for 200 people to dine at any given time.

People choose to frequent this place during week ends; preferably on Saturday nights. Of course it is very difficult to reserve a prison cell on week ends and the plan of action will be strictly on the basis of  ‘first come, first get arrested’ policy. When the prison gate opens around 07.00 pm, the prison cells are packed every week end night. 

After its promising achievements in Kolkata, Rohit Ojha was inspired with confidence to replicate its franchised outlet in Chennai. There are scope for replicating similar franchised outlets in Gujarat, Hyderabad and New Delhi. The restaurant is targeting all sections of the food lovers including the youth and family circles and there is encouraging response.

Kaidi Kitchen is at 20/3, Bishop Wallers Avenue, Mylapore, Chennai. Contact for Information: 42009701 or 4200 9702.

Mansukh's Sweets and Snacks: Gujarati Food Trial in T Nagar, Chennai

Manshuk's Sweets and Snacks. Source: Zomato

Sweet Stall at Manshuk's Sweets and Snacks Source: Zomato

Gujarati Thali

Mansukh's Sweets and Snacks, a favorite Gujarati restaurant for many Gujaratis and North Indian people, is located at no. 10, Ramaswamy Street, Opp. Shree Temple of Gold, T.Nagar. If you are a lover of Gujarati food, then this restaurant is one among the few places in Chennai where you can enjoy  Theplas (Dhebra: Made with a mixture of flours, pan fried, mildly spiced, usually contains shredded vegetables), Dhoklas (Steamed cake made primarily of rice flour), khandvis (Roll made of gram flour and yogurt topped with mustard seed, cilantro, and grated coconut.) and Dhabelis (spicy burger of peanuts and potatoes, in a roll), at one place. For people new to Gujju food this restaurant is popular for its authentic Gujarathi and Rajasthani sweets, chats and savouries as well as Gujarathi / Rajasthani thali.

The snacks are very tasty and unique and people often wanted to try Gujju food  freshly prepared dhokla or thelka or go for genuine Gujju snacks like Chakri, Fafda, Ghanthia, Khakhra,    Mathia, Sev, Sev mamra and Lasaniya mamra. The Staples include Bakri, phulka roti, Aloo paratha or methi paratha or cheese channa bhatura . The side dishes include pakora, dahi vada, handvo, khaman, khandvi, khichu, muthia etc. The Gujju sweets like Shrikand (made from Curd & Sugar), Doodhpak (rice pudding made by boiling rice with milk and sugar, and flavoured with cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashews, pistachios, or almonds) Puran Poli, Sukhadi, Moti pak, Malpuaa, jelebi etc, are generously prepared with ghee. You can try chat items like dahi pori bhel pori and pani pori or aloo paratha or methi paratha.  The ambiance looks like a typical sweet shop with few chairs spread across for people to sit and eat.

The restaurant called Swaad located in the first floor offer Gujarati and Rajasthani thali at normally affordable cost.  Gujarati Thali (special) included Jaljira, Dhokla as appetizers. Main thali plate comprise unlimited puris and rotis, steamed rice and curd rice along with  aloo subji, paneer subji, dhal makhani, sweet dhal and a sweet kadhi. Sweet dish offered for the day included Chum chum and jelebi. They keep changing subjis and the sweets everyday. The ambiance of the restaurant is good enough for such a small restaurant.

'Royal Lunch spread' - Rajakeeyam - the Holistic Healthy Meal at Cholayil's Sanjeevanam, Chennai.

The holistic ayurvedic diet regimen meal 'Rajakeeyam' aka 'Royal Lunch Spread' served only during lunch hours at Cholayil's Sanjeevanam in (15, Indira Nagar, First Main Road, First Main Road, Adyar; No. 50, Block 1, AMM Towers, Mogappair; and 97, Nungambakkam High Road, Nungambakkm) Chennai is getting popular among the true connoisseurs of food.

'Cholayil' is the well known ayurvedic (the most ancient forms of healing therapies) people from Kerala noted for their holistic health care concepts, products and services. There popularity can be understood through their product - 'Medimix', unique quality ayurvedic bath soap.

Cholayil's Sanjeevanam, another unique vegetarian restaurant  serving holistic healthy food integrating the  balanced ayurvedic diet of Kerala. Ayurveda focuses on the concepts of micro and macrocosm. The universe (macrocosm) is enlivened and described by three main doshas or forces: Vata (air), Pitta (fire) and Kapha (earth). Each human (microcosm) has all three doshas in his or her constitution, in unique proportions. The fundamental principle of ayurveda is that the human is the product of natural elements contributing to the formation of this universe and forms a part of the cosmic environment. Therefore he needs to strike the right balance in his constituting elements (vata, pita and kapha) in order to be deemed healthy. The dietary regimen and dietary schedule are comprehensively meant for balancing the three types-'vata', 'pitta' and 'kapha.' The traditional balanced ayurvedic diet should have priority to sprouts, green and yellow vegetables apart from that of honey, almonds and cereals.

Sanjeevanam evolved their  holistic ayurvedic diet  'Royal Lunch spread' - 'Rajakeeyam' on the above principles. The food is served on banana leaf.  Their dietary regimen stresses on the need to take eight course vegetarian meal that is served in the prescribed sequenctial manner and they advise their customers to eat as per their serving sequence. The meal is unlimited, yet it is better to stick to the prescribed quantity.

To start with they serve a Kerala banana slices ("Nentrakai" or "Yethakai") with grated coconut. Together they also serve five different appetizing  juices (date juice, nut milk, veg clear soup,  harita buttermilk, and rice bran water) in attractive glass bowls. The Fresh uncooked puttu (a kind of food from Kerala), raita and salads and vegetable pickles from raw green vegetables will be following next. After uncooked food, they will be serving an array of semi-cooked food items. Fully cooked vegetable dishes will come after semi-cooked food. The main course of the meal is the boiled rice and they offer choice between red and white rice. For the dessert, they have an array of dishes like payasam (a kind boiled milk kheer), morkuzhambu and buttermilk. To wind up the meal they offer a table spoon of honey (to enhance digestion) and 'natural' beeda (chewing betel leaf and nuts).  Their dietary regimen helps human body absorb the nutrients in the correct way and also helps in digestion. The inclusion of six possible tastes in order that the balance of the human physiology is effectively maintained and also believes in the maxim that herbs and spices with their medicinal qualities add to the strength of the digestive system.

Murugan Idly shop: Authentic Madurai food at Chennai

Authentic Madurai food is served in Murugan Idli shop, a chain of restaurant in Chennai

 Restaurant

Soft Puffy Idli - Chutney varieties and Sambar served in banana leaf



 Cool and thick Jigarthanda

Murugan Idli Kadai (Murugan Idly Shop) is the chain of restaurants from the temple city Madurai and there are 12 restaurants in Chennai (at least five restaurants are located in T.Nagar zone. The restaurant is well known for soft and puffy white idlies (Indian rice cake) and they serve with different chutney varieties and sambar in banana leaf. Also chilli powder and gingely oil are served at extra cost. The restaurant’s menu includes idly, vada, dosa, masala dosa, ghee pongal, sweet pongal, banana bajji etc. Water is served in disposable cup placed in perforated steel tumbler.

The main attraction of this restaurant is Madurai special Jigarthanda, (meaning liver cool) unique and tasty cool drink served in the kiosk outside the restaurant.

Karpagambal Mess, Mylapore, Chennai

Mylai Karpagambal Mess at 20, East Mada Street, Mylapore, Chennai, 600004 is a South Indian Restaurant best known for common South Indian breaksfast menu.  This fairly small eatery, refurbished recently, has become  synonymous with traditional South Indian vegetarian breakfast. The atmosphere of the a.c and non a.c. dining halls are filled with the ,mixed aroma of scented sticks, strong authentic coffee, sambar and pongal.   

It is a small restaurant with reasonably priced quality menu items.  The food items like idly, dosa, pongal, Medhu Vada, Keera Vada and Thavala Vada was served hot in banana leaf and was very authentic and tasty. The coffee was also very authentic with the right amount of sugar and strength. The cash counter was manned by the middle aged person and he is also found running into the kitchen, takes the order and serve breakfast also.