What makes food Chettinad
Not just chilli: pepper, fennel, kalpasi and the art of the dry roast.
Your first visit to our dining room
Parking, waiting times, how the leaf is served and how to pay: what to expect when you come to Thillai Nagar for the first time.
If you have only ordered our food for delivery, eating in the dining room is a different experience. Here is what a first visit is like, so you can plan your time.
We are on 11th Cross Road in Thillai Nagar. Two-wheelers park in front; for cars, the side streets towards the main road usually have space before 12.30 pm. Weekday lunches are quiet until about 1 pm. On Sundays and holidays, groups without a reservation may wait 20 to 30 minutes after 1 pm, and we keep a bench and water on the verandah.
The dining room seats 60 under a tiled roof, with Athangudi tile floors made in the Chettinad style and tables by the windows for smaller groups. A server lays a banana leaf in front of you, sprinkles water on it, and serves the meal in order: salt, pickle and poriyal first, then rice, dal and ghee, then the kuzhambu and gravies. Servers come round with refills of rice, gravy and rasam; just nod or wave your hand to stop them. If you prefer a plate, ask, and we serve on steel.
You can eat with your hand or ask for a spoon, and a wash basin is at the back. Order meat dishes separately from the menu card; they arrive in small bowls. When you finish, fold the top of the leaf towards you to say you enjoyed the meal. Pay at the counter by UPI, card or cash. If you liked something, ask for it to take home; we pack it in steel-lidded containers for a small deposit.
