Preetha Shankar
“There is no sincerer love than the love of
food”, said the great George Bernard Shaw and hence summing up the motto of
foodies all over the world. This adage has become very significant now, due to
the melting-pot of cultures all over the world contributing to the arrival of
world cuisine in most continents. India, and Chennai in particular is in no way
left out of the equation as there are so many restaurants with umpteen numbers
of palatable options. Though these options may be expensive, there are food
connoisseurs willing to fork out the money required. But what about folks with
a penchant for food and only a limited budget to spare?
Fear
not, for Chennai has an abundance of hole-in-the-wall restaurants that serve
this very purpose of “spend less, eat more” without burning a wallet-sized hole
in your pocket.
Superstar
Pizza is one such newbie in Chennai’s food scene.
Nestled in the first floor of a small building in Kodandarama Nagar, Perungudi;
this pizzeria is located bang opposite the RMZ Millenia Park. Stepping inside
the cosy pizza parlour, one cannot fail to notice the centre of attraction: a
yellow wall adorned with framed photographs of namma Chennai’s super popular
film star Rajinikanth. Says owner M.S.S Ramanathan on basing the theme of the
restaurant on Rajinikanth, “When you mention Rajinikanth’s name in the city,
everybody associates him being unforgettable. Hence, the theme of our
restaurant has been based on him, so that people will have an unforgettable
experience here”. The menu of this restaurant serves vegetarian and
non-vegetarian food and has the following options: Starters, Burgers, Grilled
Sandwiches, Pasta and Pizza. The starters, burgers, grilled sandwiches and
pasta all starts at the cost of Rs 49 and extend to a maximum of Rs 99. The
pasta comes in Penne variety, and in three options: (Primavera Verdi) White
sauce, (Alla Vecchia) Pink sauce and (Arabiatta) Red sauce. The showstoppers of
the menu are the pizzas made by the chefs here with no added preservatives and
with their own pizza bases and sauces, hence ensuring light and fluffy delights.
The names of the various pizzas are very innovative, named after Rajinikanth’s
movies and songs. The price range in this category extends from Rs 59 to Rs
299; and some examples of the uniquely-named pizzas are Muthu, Annamalai,
Baasha, etc.
Recommended dishes: French fries, Grilled
Paneer Tikka sandwiches, Alla Vecchia pasta, Rajathi Raja pizza
Location: 9/2 C, First Floor, MGR Main Rd,
Kodandarama Nagar, Perungudi
Price range: Rs 350 for two
approximately
Mash,
the resto-cafe is located bang opposite Elliot’s
beach and has a soothing ambience with the salty sea breeze blowing around and
a hawk’s eye view of the beach. The restaurant has indoor seating as well. The
cafe dishes out vegetarian and non-vegetarian food that is continental, with an
Indian twist here and there. The menu comprises of Breakfast food like French
toast and Scrambled eggs, beverages such as Mochachino and Chai Maska, burgers,
starters like the popular Chilli Cheese fries and Mexican potato wedges, pastas
with flavours such as Spinach and mushroom and Achari Paneer Stroganoff,
steaks, sizzlers, and desserts like Sizzling fruit salad and Banoffee sundae.
The price range here begins at Rs 49 for the beverages and goes up to Rs 399.
Namithaa J, a college student tells us what she likes about the place, “This is
a beautiful cafe with tastes to boot. The location and the fare are in
synchronization- very pleasing. I personally love the cheese steak, the young
onion veg pasta and the hot fudge brownie.”
Recommended dishes: Chilli Cheese fries,
Cheese steak, Cordon bleu, Pasta Arrabiata
Location: Elliot's
Promenade, Tiruvalluvar Nagar, Besant Nagar
Price range: Rs 400
for two approximately
Royal
Sandwich Stall is
a very small shop, wedged between the many shops that run along the bustling St
Marys road in Alwarpet. It is almost always crowded, and the ambience takes a
backseat with a few sparse chairs dotting the available space, because the
focus here is on the assortment of savoury sandwiches the eatery has to offer.
There are more than 70 varieties of sandwiches, both vegetarian and
non-vegetarian and covering both salty and sweet flavours. Some of the
sandwiches that are unique include the chocolate cheese sandwich, Gobi Vadakari
Cheese toast, Bhaji sandwich and the Pasta mushroom toast. The sandwiches can
also be eaten as desserts with scrumptious assortments like Honey dates cheese
toast, Strawberry chocolate banana toast, etc. The price range along with the
assortment of combinations here are the clinching factors, as they begin at Rs
15 and end at Rs 45!
Recommended dishes:
Chocolate cheese sandwich, Bread omlet bhaji cheese sandwich, Corn lays cheese
toast
Location: No. 211,
St Marys Rd, Alwarpet
Price range: Rs 90
for two approximately
Fillin’ is situated in Gopalapuram, and serves vegetarian
and non-vegetarian kebabs, starters, wraps, subs, thalis, chillers and an a la
carte menu. The non-vegetarian options dominate the menu, with few vegetarian
options to choose from. But on the whole, the prices of the dishes here are pocket-friendly-
varying from Rs 55 (wraps and rolls) to Rs 420 (family kebab platter). Fillin’
is popular for its Galouti Kebab (Lucknowi Lamb Kebab), as well as its
vegetarian counterparts, Hara Bhara Kebab and Malai paneer tikka kebab. The
thalis are economically priced at Rs 100 for vegetarian and chicken options,
and this is ideal for a student’s limited pocket money. Other than thali
options, there are also kebab combos at a price of Rs 200 and above. The a la
carte menu features a few biriyani, curry and Indian bread options, featuring a
price tag ranging between Rs 15- Rs 140. The chillers option carries the usual
milkshake and chill beverages to accompany the spicy food items.
Recommended dishes:
Hara bhara kebab, Galouti kebab, Paneer Punjabi wrap, Kebab platters
Location: Old
No.151, New No.213 , Avvai Shanmugam Salai, Gopalapuram
Price range: Rs 200 for two approximately
Karishma
chat (outside Rangoli) is one such eatery, where if
you ask any college student in Nungambakkam where to eat some great and
authentic Indian chaat, pat comes the reply: Karishma chat outside the Rangoli
store in Nungambakkam High Road. This is your typical roadside chaat eatery,
with the steps of Rangoli and a horizontal stone wall serving as the furniture,
and the buzzing traffic of vehicles in Nungambakkam providing the setting of
the ambience. This eatery will provide you a quick eat comprising of Indian
chaat items like Sev Papdi chat, Bhelpuri, Chur mur chaat, Aloo chaat and not
to forget, the very famous Pani puri they are reputed for. The chaat is spicy
and light on the pocket, priced between Rs 25 to Rs 40. There is also a kulfi
stand, with the option of ending the spicy snack with a cold and sweet savoury.
Sachitha Jain, a college student says, “I like eating here because the chaats
have the authentic North-Indian flavour, the location is close to my college
and the chaats are affordable for college students.”
Recommended dishes: Sev papdi chat, pani
puri, badam and pista kulfis
Location: 28/58, Nungambakkam High Road,
Nungambakkam
Price range: Rs 80 for two
approximately
