India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (172 page)

The densest concentration of restaurants is on and around TTK Road; of these one of the best is
Lemon Tree
, the elegant Chinese restaurant located in the basement of the Raintree hotel, and serving a superb if pricy menu. Raintree also has a small roof top restaurant,
Above Sea Level
, which serves great views of the city along with average but tasty fare.

Finally, Chennai also has several shop-and-unwind stops worth considering as lunch destinations.
Amethyst
(Jeypore Colony, Gopalapuram;
044/2835-1627
), is set in a delightful old colonial bungalow where you can choose to sit indoors or outdoors under the shade of huge, century-old trees, sipping a decent cappuccino, after browsing for designer clothing in Western designs and Indian fabrics.
Chamiers
(Chamiers Rd./Muthuramalinga Rd., across from ITC Park Sheraton;
044/2431-1495
), situated in a charming bungalow, offers food similar to that at Amethyst: juices, and fresh salads and sandwiches served in the shade of an almond tree. It’s attached to Anokhi, the leading Jaipur design store (see chapter 11), where you can buy Western-style clothes designed in traditional India hand-block-print fabric. Both Moca Café and Chamiers (and the stores) are open every day of the week.

Tip:
There is now a Metro Plus Food Guide available at bookstores, reviewing most of the major restaurants of Chennai, but we tend to follow the excellent advice of local foodie Rahul Basul; for this latest critique on the Chennai dining scene, visit
www.imsc.res.in/Madras/eogc.html
.

Eating with Your Hands

A superb and authentic introduction to South Indian cuisine is a meal at an outlet of
Hotel Saravana Bhavan,
where waiters wander around ladling the contents of huge pots onto your banana leaf (the one near the Egmore station may be most convenient, or the one on Khader Nawaz Khan Rd., which many locals rate best). We recommend that you sit in the large hall where the locals eat with their hands (there is usually a small, drab air-conditioned room where “refined” Indians and foreigners eat the same food with cutlery and plates—not nearly as much fun, and pricier to boot). It can be a bit intimidating for first-timers to dig in with fingers for tools, given that many of the dishes are quite liquid, but use the rice as a mop and try a variety of taste combinations—all hugely delicious; remember to use your right hand only, and wash at the clearly visible basins before and after your meal. If you find this daunting, or you’re simply not sure how to proceed with the many courses that are piled onto your banana leaf (remember to rinse this with the water that’s on the table), ask your driver (assuming you have one) to join you for lunch and follow his lead. Ask what each spoonful is, and by the end of your meal you’ll have taken a crash course in South Indian food. It’s also incredible value: The special Tamil Nadu thali is an assortment of 23 items for around Rs 100. If that much food seems overwhelming, order a mini lunch (an assortment of tasty items, including the “definitive taste” of Sambar, a gravy that is mopped up with a variety of pancakes) and a traditional South Indian coffee.

Bay View Point
SEAFOOD There’s nothing like eating seafood with your feet in the sand, watching a moonrise creating a glittering crease in the swirling velvet black of the ocean. This is one of the most romantic restaurants in India, the best seafood restaurant in/near Chennai, and reason enough to book into the Taj Fisherman’s Cove (or head here for lunch). Seafood, prepared in open-air kitchens, is delicious, and can be as spicy as your taste buds require—ask the chef to hold back, as the delicacy of the seafood can be obscured by a heavy hand with spices.

Covelong Beach, Kanchipuram District.
044/6741-3333.
Reservations essential. Main courses Rs 275–Rs 725. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 12:30-3pm and 7:30pm–midnight.

Krishna @ New Woodlands Hotel
SOUTH INDIAN Delicious, unpretentious, and cheap, the Krishna Restaurant at the New Woodlands hotel is a Chennai institution, serving excellent South Indian thalis along with dosas, idli, uthappam, vadas, and so on, to its very loyal locals as well as newcomers to the state. For the latter it’s the perfect introduction to South Indian cuisine, with prices so low you can order a ton of stuff and get to know what it is that you really like. You can eat with your hands (everyone else does) but will be supplied with cutlery, so there’s no pressure. Most of the staff don’t speak English but there is always someone in the dining hall who can explain in halting English some of the ingredients. This is also a good place to sample typical South Indian filter coffee. (
Note:
The hotel offers very cheap rooms, from Rs 900, but unlike the food, not recommended.)

72-75 Radhakrishnan Salai, Mylapore
044/2811-3111.
Main courses Rs 40–Rs 115 AE, DC, MC, V (only for bills above Rs 250). Daily 6am–10:30pm.