chennai express

Tossed prawns & crabmeat dakshin

Sheraton Park Hotel & Towers, TTK Road, Alwarpet

i go here quite often, because my foodie husband loves this restaurant. Dakshin needs no introduction—it can be rated as one of the best south indian fine dining restaurants in the country. it also brought the thali concept to the five-star. i almost always end up ordering a plate of tossed prawns and Nandu Puttu(shelled crabmeat). no matter how hard i try, i can never come close to making any of this at home. The chefs at Dakshin have magic in their fingers.

Thai food

Benjarong

TTK Road, Alwarpet

almost next door is this temple of Thai cuisine. i am not very big on Thai food but Benjarong has me sold on its satays and banana-wrapped chicken. i don’t know how close or far it is in taste from what you get in Bangkok, but Chennai definitely has a blessing in the name of Benjarong when it comes to enjoying the subtle flavours of Thai cuisine.

sandwiches

food stall outside prince plaza

Pantheon Road

You must be wondering why i have chosen to highlight something so-notexciting as a sandwich. You won’t know why till you have eaten from this nondescript stall outside the popular shopping complex. i can make a trip to this part of the town only for the sandwiches—nothing more than cucumber, tomato and onions and a slice of cheese, grilled between two slices of bread. so simple yet delicious.

souTh indian snacks

iYer Mess

Near Kapaleeswarar Temple, Mylapore

The waft of fried mustard, red chillies and curry leaves greets you as you step into the oh-so-familiar tiffin mess, tucked away in the lanes around the popular

kapaleeswarar Temple. Vada, idli, dosa, uthappam, pakoras… you name it and iyer Mess has it. i don’t get to sit there and enjoy a meal any longer but takeaway is always an option. The homemade ghee used at iyer, i believe, makes all the difference to the taste. The milagai podi (a mixture of chilli powder, lentils and sesame seeds) you get with their snacks is killer in taste.

chaat & golgappas

gangoTree

Opposite Stella Maris College it is a chain of outlets for those craving chaats and golgappas in true north indian style. My two daughters are frequent visitors and i am the happy escort. We move from counter to counter, bingeing on the savouries. gangotree is one of the regular stops on the way back from their school.

cupcakes

The Cupcake Company

St Mary’s Road, Alwarpet

i am not a great lover of desserts but the launch of The Cupcake Company last year has certainly changed my preferences. i often find myself at this store, buying red velvet, rum and coke, and chocolate cupcakes for the family. Designs on the cupcakes vary from pretty butterflies to comic superheroes.