ID chain of restaurants bring an interesting twist to homely meals

It has a modern and contemporary setting with live dosa counters. Customers can see the preparation of their food at the spic and span counters. Srinivasan D, the chef at this restaurant was previously a chef for a cruise firm in the USA and handled food for over 10,000 people on a daily basis. Today he is the head of the research department for Food and Beverages with Satyam.

ID was launched in 2010, with much fanfare, however in the beginning the menu was limited and had only a few varieties of idlis and dosas but today they serve wide varieties of idlis, mini-idlis, different varieties of dosas, appam, upma, pongal, pesarattu, adai, idiappam, vadas, special gravies, different varieties of sweets and beverages.

One might think the menu sounds routine and these dishes can easily be prepared at home. However, the exquisite taste with every bite of each dish is their specialty. The variety served in hygienic surroundings pleases customers. Srini feels that the food experience is made better with good ambience and the live preparation makes it an interesting experience. As we glance through the menu, we notice that the menu offers a complete south Indian food experience and a little more to customers.

As we converse, the table was served with the newly introduced sweet adapradhanam, sambar vadas, rasam vadas, the tri colour chutney (each made of mint, coconut and chillis), sambar, ragi dosa and chole batura.

What were parathas, chole baturas and the thali doing on the menu of a pure south Indian restaurant, we wondered. Srini explained, “The Cineplex is a place that gets crowds with different tastes. So along with a first class variety of dosas and idlis we added dishes to the menu keeping in mind the customers’ taste buds.”

Talking about revamping or adding on to the menu, Srini elaborates, “Revamping a menu is not a very simple thing. From a business point of view, we revamp the menu every six months, and as and when we experiment with the dishes we add on.” ID is a great experience for people and it gives its customers a homely vegetarian meal with an interesting twist that has become the trademark of this growing restaurant. This place is among the best for a variety of mini-idlis.

A place that can be enjoyed with family and friends, it is priced moderately.