Chettinad

I have gone to this place few times after my mandatory saturday stints at Purple Haze. They serve meals, Dosa, Idly, Biryanis (meat / veg). But the focus of the menu is their meat preparations... Mutton, Chicken, Pigeon, Shark (in the form of puttu) etc. If you like the south indian style prepared meats go for it. Decent value for money. The hotel is originally from Chennai.

Among the various South Indian food varieties, the Chettinad style holds a special place in the taste buds of food lovers. Of the various Chettinad cuisines in Chennai, 'Kaaraikudi' tops the chart among favourites.

Everything about this restaurant is Chettinadu. The waiters are attired in the traditional Panchakacham (Dhoti, tucked in behind, in five folds). At the entrance are two brass pots, as in a typical Chettinadu bungalow. Soft lit, the interiors are pleasingly decorated with light brown carpeting and dark brown wood paneling. The seating capacity is 82 covers.

Kaaraikudi has become so top-of-the-mind today that outstation visitors ask for and dine at this place. Check out their specialties like Kaadai Varuval, Pallathur Special Chicken, Chettiar Special Chicken Pepper Roast and Pigeon Varuval. (Varuval in Tamil means fry).

An average meal for two costs around Rs.110/-. At around 1.00 or 2.00 p.m. you may have to wait a few minutes for your seat. Outdoor catering is undertaken.
Open from 11 am to 3.30 p.m. and from 7 p.m. till midnight.

From 7 in the evening, the kitchen also produces delicacies such as Kal dosa, Kothu Paratha, Kheema dosa, etc. All the chefs in the kitchen are from Chettinad, so that there is authenticity in the dishes prepared Briyani varieties are fast moving, for there is a great demand for it. The food is spicy, and is served in traditional south Indian containers. The desserts available here are quite different too. The carrot halwa, in which 'Vettiver' is added, is quite a delight. The restaurant plays evergreen songs from old Tamil movies for its customers.

For all those who are tired of customary food, check out the delicacies Kaaraikudi has to offer, and you will not be disappointed.

It is quite hard to understand Indian cuisine speciality restaurants in the country. They claim to serve authentic Indian food - wouldn't I just wander into my friend's house? I never understood this but it has been pointed out that these places are mainly for treats, business meetings, and entertaining foreigners. They also give you a taste of far-off places within India while retaining the correctness of the items prepared. Saffron Spice successfully does all of this and more.

Saffron Spice is located at the start of Hiranandani Gardens in Powai above Pizza Hut on IIT main road. There is an adjoining good lounge bar with good cocktails though all this is expensive. Saffron Spice is also expensive at well over 200 for each dish. The food hoever, is excellent. Over a few visits, we have tried and liked the Mutton Bhuna, the Gosht, Chettinad chicken, Kerala roast chicken, many coastal fish dishes, and a large variety of the usual chicken dishes. They have good Indian deserts too but they are ridiculously priced.

In summary, Saffron Spice tries to fill the void of hi-fi eating places in Powai. It is expensive, but serves excellent food. That said, the service is sloppy and lost - once the host of waiters were confused and hassled with just four tables occupied. Things definitely worsen on a full night with their large seating capacity.

Food is good. We had porotha with Chicken kolumbu. Porothas come in a caserol. Banana leaves on plate.

Food+place not worth the cost (one porotha costs 20 bucks; 10 bucks or less in regular places). Also, really no variety.