Old Chennai food joints hold steady
Taj Connemara may have the privilege of being the oldest hotel in Chennai
By : johanna deeksha
Update: 2015-08-11 06:13 GMT
Chennai: From trademark vadacurries to mutton sukhas, Chennai’s best food comes from both the smallest and biggest kitchens. The Taj Connemara may have the privilege of being the oldest hotel in Chennai but many other restaurants that cropped up during the same era manage to attract huge crowds to this day.
Biryani:
While any tourist stepping out of Egmore station will be directed to the Buhari’s right opposite the station for Chennai’s best chicken biryani, locals will know that the first ever Buhari was set up on Mount Road, in 1951.
Idli sambar
Even though a person from UP, Triloknath Gupta set it up, Chennaiittes swear by Ratna Café’s idli sambar.
Vadacurry/tiffin
While some restaurants have expanded over the years, some have remained in their small |kitchens, however the crowds are nowhere close to small. Mari Hotel is one such restaurant, especially known for its flavoursome vadacurry.
Chinese chicken
The first ever-Chinese restaurant in Chennai was started in 1973. Situated right next to IIT, students flock there for their popular roasted chicken.
Dessert
Chennai also boasts of some great desserts like the badam halwa and kozhukattai at Mylai Karpagambal Mess in Mylapore and also boondi at the Annapoorna Hotel on MLA College campus.
When Chef Damodaran was contacted he said, “They say old is gold and it holds true for Chennai’s old restaurants.”