A food-walk with tradition - Mylapore

Apoorva Sripathi navigates the ancient streets of Mylapore, so that you know where to get luscious kozhukattais, brightly-coloured vadacurry, crunch sundal, and that perfect cup of filter coffee

Rayars Mess. Photo: Susanna Myrtle Lazarus

Rayars Mess

This hole-in-the wall joint, established 70 years ago, still runs to a packed house. There are queues and there are queues. The one outside Rayars Mess reminds me of the crowd of devotees snaking their way up the hill at Tirupathi. When I finally get a chance to go inside the cramped room that seats 16 people (clearly meant for eight maximum), and sample the fluffly, oversized and crispy vadais, I realise why this place is an institution. Since they were out of Mysore bondas, I settle for their sweet — a piece of gulab jamun that is cloyingly syrupy; but it rounds off the snack just as well.

Cost: Rs. 9 for one vadai and Rs. 12 for the sweet

Sri Karpagambal Kabali Sweet Stall

While this 30-year-old stall is not associated with the legendary Karpagambal Mess, it is known for its excellent onion samosas. Tiny and crisp, they are filled with deep-fried and slightly caramelised onions. In seconds, I polish off half the packet. The unevenly-sized mint pakodas (ask for pudina pakodas) are even more addictive. And the best part is they don’t leave irritating traces of oil on your fingers.

Cost: Rs. 20 for 100 gm of samosas and Rs. 28 for 100 gm of mint pakodas

Jannal Bajji Kadai

As the name states, this place is known for its delectable bajjis that are served through a jannal (window). Situated on the same street as the Kapaleeswarar Temple, you have to jostle past motorists, walkers, shoppers and visitors to the temple. A plate of four vivid orange-coloured bajjis, served with white coconut chutney dotted with flecks of green chillies gives enough zing to compensate for the bajjis’ blandness. That said, the bajjis are soft and satiate you easily.

Cost: Rs. 20 for a plate of four

Mami Tiffen Shop. Photo: Apoorva Sripathi

Mami Tiffen Shop

With Vinayaka Chaturthi round the corner, it’s no surprise that kozhukattais are the flavour of the season. The 44-year-old Mami Tiffen Stall captures this essence through its posters advertising the different varieties that are on offer (they even have special packs). The tiny white dumplings are contrasted with the sweet brown filling of coconut and jaggery — the result is a spongy burst of flavours in my mouth. The kaara kozhukattai is half-moon shaped and the filling tastes like rice upma. However, one of the highlights of the evening is the highly spiced podi dosai; the red chillies amongst the podi makes me reach out for water. And more sweet kozhukattais.

Cost: Rs. 30 for five pieces of kozhukattais and Rs. 30 for podi dosai

Kalathy News Mart

If it’s rosemilk then there’s just one place you need to be. Kalathy News Mart or Kalathy Kadai has been around for more than 85 years and it still serves refreshing rosemilk and goli and paneer sodas. Although battling the crowd to place your order is a tough task, the rewards are worth it. The candy pink rosemilk is simple, sweet and milky and is served with or without ice. The paneer soda has a faint smell and taste of rosewater that gives it a festive edge; it isn’t too fizzy and after all that I’ve eaten it helps me digest.

Cost: Rs. 12 for a glass of iced rosemilk

Senthil Softy Zone

Every area has a place for quick-eats and Senthil Softy Zone is Mylapore's. The place has flavoured milk, milkshakes, fresh fruit juices and of course, soft serve ice creams to quell the heat on a hot afternoon along with a variety of puffs (baby corn, cheese, paneer), samosas and sandwiches that are a hit among the young crowd. The mint lime juice, especially, is much sought after.

Cost: Rs. 9 for a glass of mint lime juice

Leo Coffee Mocha

No self-respecting food walk that involves a majority of south Indian tiffin and breakfast dishes is complete without a serving of filter coffee and it is fitting that I head to a place that is known for its coffee powder for more than a hundred years. Except that this kiosk is only five months old informs a woman behind the counter. Leo Coffee that is right next door has introduced several such stalls across the city. There is a blackboard that lists the several hot and cold beverages, written in coloured chalk. The only disappointment is that coffee isn’t served in davara-tumblers because paper cups make more sense. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that it is aromatic, dark and frothy — all the makings of a good filter coffee.

Cost: Rs 15 for a cup of coffee

H 24 Aug 2014

Food walk in Triplicane

It’s just been four months and Mak n Bajji are already selling about 600 bajjis a day. Photo: R. Ravindran

Business is good in Triplicane. Historically older than Chennai, this is a neighbourhood that’s stubbornly resisted gentrification, holding on to its past even as it selectively absorbs contemporary influences.

Business is good in Triplicane. Historically older than Chennai, this is a neighbourhood that’s stubbornly resisted gentrification, holding on to its past even as it selectively absorbs contemporary influences.

Since everyone needs food that is quick, cheap and reasonably nourishing, the neighbourhood Triplicane bustles with feisty, hard-working, little establishments.Photo: R. Ravindran

Home to an intriguing blend of people, Triplicane is a bustling microcosm of the Madras that was: vegetable markets on main roads, cows weaving through gnarled traffic and children playing cricket on the streets. This is where the backpackers and bachelors on a budget live, thanks to the nearly 250 dingy ‘Mansions’ offering cheap rooms and community living. Then there’s the constant flow of visitors thanks to the Parthasarathy Swamy temple and Big mosque. And since everyone needs food that is quick, cheap and reasonably nourishing, the neighbourhood bustles with feisty, hard-working, little establishments. As a finale to the four-part food walk series, MetroPlus meets the merchants of Triplicane.

Mak n Bajji

Five minutes from the beach, and five minutes from the temple, M.A. Kaliesraj and K. Selvarani’s home is perfectly located for bhajjis. As they quickly hand out freshly fried spicy bread bhajjis along with tumblers of frothy, fragrant Kumbakonam degree coffee, they talk about how they turned their living room into this neat but cramped restaurant. It’s just been four months and they’re already selling about 600 bhajjis a day.

Open from 3.30 p.m.-8 p.m. Bhajjis: Rs. 10 each.

Address: Old No. 30, New No. 58, Nalla Thambi Street, Triplicane. To order, call: 97908 78377

Akash cool bar

The surprise of the day: paneer soda casually served in authentic, old-fashioned, green goli soda bottles at this practical ‘cool bar’ stocked with sweets, cut-mango pickle sachets and ‘cool drinks’, among other things. Between dealing with a steady stream of impatient customers the shopkeeper says he’s been stocking the soda for 15 years and sells about 100 bottles a day. Oblivious to how trendy they have become in the city’s social circuit (the bottles are reportedly hotly contested items on sites like eBay), the shopkeeper here sells the drink for Rs. 7. It’s mildly sweet, gently fizzy and fragrant with the scent of roses.

Address: 28, Alangatha Street, Triplicane. Tel: 2844 3021

The kaiyendhi bhavan outside Hindu Senior Secondary School

Raja has been frying and selling Mangalore bondas from his cart in the same place since 1988. As he holds out a paper plate filled with four generous bondas, crisp outside and deliciously fluffy inside, he says he began his career working for a marriage catering company. “But I was paid really badly, so I decided to start something on my own.” Mangalore bondas, he says, were an obvious choice. “No one makes them right in the city.” At Rs. 6 per piece, he makes about 1,200 snacks a day (including medhu pakodas and chilli bajjis.) His secret, he adds, is “fresh oil”. Not selling to hungry students, he quickly adds with a laugh. “Principal told me to open only after school closes, so I start at 5 p.m.”

Address: 83, Big Street

Hema Milk Depot is named after Hemraj, who moved to Triplicane more than 40 years ago from Rajasthan. Photo: R. Ravidran

Hema Milk Depot

Hemraj, who this shop is named after, moved to Triplicane more than 40 years ago from Rajasthan. He started out by trying to sell kulfi from a cycle before realising that he needed a new business plan. Kadai doodh, a Rajasthani delicacy made with spiced milk simmered in a special iron kadai, seemed unusual enough to stand out.

 Four decades later, the neighbourhood still lines up for glasses of his hot masala milk, which begins with 50 litres and then slowly thickens and changes colour, getting richer and richer through the night. A generous ‘half cup’ of milk, laced with cardamom, saffron, almonds and pistachios, is just Rs. 8, and is served with a flourish of cream on top. The chatty cooks will also throw in some sugary kova if they like you.

Address: 73/35, Pycrofts Road, Triplicane. Tel: 9500513366

Thanigaivelan Inippagam

“Our onion pakoda is special,” says Thanigaivelan, as one of his staff heaves a massive tray of knobbly, skilfully browned pakodas, chunky with caramelised onions and places it on the counter. The pakodas, a happy mix of crisp and chewy, have been made the same way for 20 years. “My father started this shop,” says Thanigaivelan, adding bashfully, “He named it after me.” After graduating from college (“I am MCA”) Thanigaivelan opted to return to the store. “There are always customers — because this area has a floating population. Also, people like to buy pakodas and take them to the beach.”

Address: 261/3, Pycrofts Road, Bharathi Salai, Narayana Krishnaraja Puram. Tel: 98411 84446

Ratna Café

Started in 1948 this Triplicane institution is famous for its sambar, the recipe for which has been reportedly passed down through the years. Old timers who have eaten here for decades know they should ask for ‘sambar idli’ instead of the accepted ‘idli sambar’ format: because over here, the idlis are just a side show. However, do save some space for the ghee smeared podi idlis which are actually better.

Address: 255, Triplicane High Road. Tel: 9150149001

(The food walk was guided by Sridhar Venkataraman as part of Madras Week Celebrations)

H 25 Aug 2014

Food Walk

A food walk opens you up to new places and new types of food and even helps you unearth old ones.

 Photo: Karthik Ganapathi

Discover the culinary secrets of Mylapore, Sowcarpet, Triplicane and Purasawalkam

The most important aspects that food lovers look for in an eatery are price, ambience and taste, in that order. As the saying goes, old is gold, and most of the places I have discovered have been around for a long time. You don’t necessarily have to spend a fortune and most of the places should be accessible through a simple Google search.

The sambar may have originated far away in Udupi but it is certainly most loved in Chennai. There have been instances of people walking on Purasawalkam High Road being pulled into a hotel because the aroma of sambar was so powerful. Sambar lovers don’t need to be told twice that they have to make that compulsory pilgrimage to Ratna Café in Triplicane; the home of the idli-sambar (or sambar-idli as some puritans call it), and the legacy of the dish is unquestionable. Bonda, vadai or idli with sambar, the hotel doesn’t stop you from experimenting.

Moving on to another place in Triplicane, the flavour and taste of masala paal in a nameless shop is unmatched. The price of half a cup here is still in single digits. This is a small nondescript place at the junction of Bharathi Salai and Big Street. For many eateries, the way to tempt potential customers to indulge in their specialty is to place a large vessel of masala paal in front, but this place sells only that one item! My friend Karthik tells me that it has been doing so for decades and his last stop during his visits to Triplicane has to be at this joint.

There are many things that my foodie friend G.V.S. Mani misses after he relocated to Bangalore. One is the sabha canteen where he would take his troop of foodie friends during the music season, unmindful of the fact that there is actually a concert going on inside.

Tucked away behind the Thandu Mariamman Temple, Gomathi Saiva Unavagam or Gomathi Mess in Mandaiveli also ranks high on the list. Many people have returned home disappointed after having made a long trip from places like Porur because they turned up more than an hour after it opens; such is the local demand for this tiffin place which is not open on weekends. Once you have discovered the place, you will be unmindful of the fact that you have to stand and eat. Their delicious venn pongal, occasional arisi upma and their famed Mysore bonda, ending with a filter coffee, will ensure it. If there’s one thing that Mumbaikars miss when they move away from their city, it’s the authentic taste of vada pav. To make up for this loss, Chennai has matched the Mumbai flavour thanks to Mehta Brothers on Mint Street. For less than Rs. 20, it is a treat that you don’t want to miss. No description can do it justice; it is a taste that has to be experienced.

The Earl of Sandwich might have created the now-familiar snack for a specific purpose, but even his invention has not been spared. There are places in Chennai which have adapted the sandwich for different tastes. One such innovation is the murukku sandwich: bread is replaced by tiny murukkus with vegetables, cheese and mint chutney and topped with sev. Introduced at Links, located opposite Dharmaprakash Hotel in Purasawalkam, it is very popular among youngsters. The delicious chaat is offset by lacklustre service, but make sure to drop in.

Any food visit to Mylapore is considered incomplete without an obligatory visit to the Jannal Kadai located near the Kapali Temple. Famed for their bajjis and unique getti chutney, the jannal (window) serves as the counter. The family that runs this shop remains committed to opening the window at 5:30 p.m. every day (excluding Sundays) and they have done it for decades.

Organising a food walk is not an easy affair: finding places that offer a variety of cuisines, factoring in hygiene, pricing, access to the location, are critical. But if you can compromise on the ambience, you are in for a culinary treat in the small bylanes of Chennai.

Sridhar will host all the four food walks. 

For details, check out themadrasday.in or send an email to sridharve@gmail.com