Amala chettinadu mess, located in the G block of Anna Nagar is famous for their authentic Chettinadu flavored meals, sides and biryani. On a boring Saturday afternoon when friends from college decided to catch up, we thought we would take our lunch there. It looks like a house from the outside and so many people might miss the outlet if not for their banners outside. They have a Non – A/C dining area in the ground floor and an Air-conditioned dining area upstairs.

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/fF6GWy3NZQbhoBC59

We arrived at the outlet around 2.30 PM and the AC dining hall was still filled with people. I was told that this is an every day scene there and not the Saturday crowd one would see at most restaurants during this time of the day.

Arranged with a couple of 6-seaters and four 4-seaters, the dining area seemed small for the crowd that comes for the taste they offer. We had to wait for 10 minutes before we were given seats as soon as a table got emptied.

Since we went there for lunch, and that we also wanted to try out the flavors they were famous for, we ordered non-veg meals as the main and Prawn Fry, Mutton Chukka, Nethili Fry, Chicken Pepper Fry, Chicken 65 and the usual Omelette as starters and sides to go with.

They gave us the three usual Chicken, Mutton and Fish Kuzambhu for the meals. The meals also came with Potato Poriyal and a mix of dal + spinach as sides , Rasam and Curd. We had to wait for five more minutes before we had our hands on the food.

The taste of the Chicken and Mutton Kuzambhu was amazing and went well with the side dishes but as for the Meen Kuzambhu, it did lack the usual tanginess you get from the tamarind and the masalas but the taste of the masalas in the other two were on point.

We expected the Nethili Fry to be different from the other places in some way, but it tasted like the ones we usually get from other restaurants. The Mutton Chukka, Chicken Pepper Fry and the Prawn tasted amazing. The masala was on point and nowhere it felt like the masala was more than what was required and the taste of pepper was spread throughout and didn’t feel excess and nauseating. As for the Omelette, you get the usual double egg one mixed with onions and topped with a dash of pepper.

The quantity of the side dishes was quite a letdown. The Nethili Fry and Chicken 65 had a decent (read usual) number of pieces, the quantity of both pieces and gravy was lesser in the Mutton Chukka and Chicken Pepper Fry. The Prawn Fry had a decent number of pieces but the gravy was less.

Even though the dining area was filled to the maximum, the AC hall had only two waiters taking orders and serving for all the tables. We didn’t have any issues with the time we got our orders, just the two servers for a dining area that can hold around 30 people, seemed like a burden on those waiters and an issue of labor exploitation from the management’s side.

It was overall a meal that tasted amazing and didn’t burn a hole in our pocket. We paid INR 1560/- in total for four people. The cost wasn’t too high comparatively and was priced right on mark for the taste and the quality of food served except for the Omelette, which felt a bit over priced for the usual double egged omelette. If you go alone and happen to have the same dishes, it might feel a bit heavy but if you go along with your friends the price might not seem high.

For four good eaters, the unlimited meals along with all these sides were good enough to make our tummies full and for a price tag of less than INR 400/- per head, I would happily pay that price again.

By Ganesh Ram

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