One year in Chennai and i've had some gastronomic delights and terrible food choices as well here. Here is a brief on some of the good places to check out if you're ever in Chennai and the places to avoid as well.
P.S. I've been meaning to write this one for ages. Hopefully You are reading this in 2011!! :D
Murugan Idli Shop
This is a Madurai import. Murugan Idli is a decent South Indian vegetarian restaurant. The reason it features on this list is the Special Buffet Dinner available only at it's North Usman Road Branch. For a Hundred and Fourteen Rupees(INclusive of taxes when I last ate there) you get idli, vada, sweet pongal, vennpongal and a variety of dosas like rawa, masala, ghee, uthapams, onion etc. And being a buffet, it's all unlimited. You can end you feast with a complimentary glass of Jigarthanda(Slurp :P). You have to eat it to believe it. A top tip: Go for weekday dinners as the dosas are relatively larger in size than on weekends. :D
Fruit Shop on Greams Road
A juice place that serves awesome juices and shakes. Try out the ice cream based shakes. I still haven't been able to try out everything on their menu which is reasonably extensive and reasonably priced as well. They have several branches around the city and are a good place to hang out for an after dinner shake.
Texas Fiesta
This is a texmex styled restaurant near Kadher Nawaz Khan Road. It's a good place to eat out with friends and the prices are reasonable by Chennai restaurant standards. Try out the Chicken wings with Raging Buffalo sauce if you want something real spicy. We weren't really impressed with the main course as such but the deserts were interesting The churros with chocolate sauce and fruit quesadilas with ice cream were definitely mouth watering. The salad was also a reasonably decent option. A good choice if you want to try out something different.
Dhaba Express
If you want North Indian, Dhaba Express should meet your needs comfortably. A somewhat reasonably priced menu serving both veg and non veg it has several outlets around the city. They also have an afternoon veg buffet option at their Nungambakkam and Alwarpet branches. At 80 rupees a head, it makes for quite a decent filler.
Zaras
THE place to be for all those party folks who can't get into a pub. :P No disrespect to the place, but it is a great place to hang out with friends and attracts a pretty cool crowd. Getting in on weekends is tough unless you have some clout and can make a reservation ahead. You could walk in but it's a given that you'll get a table only if you have girls in your group and if you walk in before 7.30P.M.. The Tapas bar as it is known, it has good music, really good food and a pretty good crowd. Just the place for a weekend night.
Mathsya
This place serves Udipi Cuisine. I think they have two branches, one in Egmore and the other in T Nagar. Chances are, they may not even be remotely related, but each restaurant has its own catch. The Egmore shop serves good vegetarian fare and is open late at night till even 1 am they say. The T nagar branch is a good place for a vegetarian Buffet Dinner that is reasonably extensive and tastes pretty good as well for the 200 odd Rupees that you will be spending.
Kebab Corner
Chances are you may not have heard of it and may not have seen it either even if you went hunting for it along Greams Road. Hidden around a corner of the block that you will find the Fruit Shop, this places serves pretty good chicken kebabs for reasonable prices. Rs30 for a Chicken Seekh Kebab sounds good? I definitely think it was.
Benjarong
The only time I went to this Thai restaurant was for a dear friend's Birthday treat. Heh. It was a good meal. :D A somewhat pricey place obviously but it serves Thai cuisine that may not be all that authentic but it's definitely been made palatable to the Indian palate. A good place to visit once in a while. I think Citibank card holders get a 10 percent discount!
Dine
This is the in house restaurant at Escape, the multiplex at Express Avenue. It's a gourmet Restaurant that serves continental fare. The Pizzas and pastas are good and worth a try even if they might seem a tad pricey. Actually by Pizza restaurant(Read Dominos, Pizza Hut etc) standards, it isn't all that expensive and a definite must try. There apparently is a weekend buffet option at Rs200 where you get unlimited Biryani, soft drinks and desert. Might be worth a try too.
Madras
This, is the restaurant at The Raintree, Mount Road. Its a very expensive place that I would suggest you visit if you feel extremely generous or if someone else is paying the bill. My visit was of course because of the latter. They offer a Thali meal for Rs650. Yes. You read that right, but what a meal. The Chicken was like no other chicken, the mutton was tender and the fish just melted in your mouth. The rice was, umm ok, I think I shall cut it short and describe the meal as orgasmic. :D Each dish was so meticulously prepared and served in such a fashion that I for a second felt like the judge at Masterchef. I actually think it was worth it for the one time experience. Thank you Achilles for that wonderful treat!! :D They also have a bar called Madeira which doesn't seem all that happening. I suppose if you wanted to see some activity, The Raintree - Alwarpet might be a better option. Unfortunately I never got to visit it during my stay in Chennai.
I suppose this post shall come to an end here. I've written about the restaurants that I pulled off the top of my mind. I will have quick review on a few more in store which I shall write about at a later date(Ideally this lifetime). Dear Chennai'ites(Or visitors), (if any of you are reading) I hope this is a good quick guide! :)
