* THE RATNA CAFE
Are you a fan of Idli - Sambhar? Or Sambhar-Vadai? If your answer is YES, the place you should visit is Ratna Cafe in Thiruvallikkeni ( Triplicane), Chennai. You are not a fan? Then it is a MUST-VISIT for you. This eatery is more than 50 years' old.
Chennai people will swear by this eatery for that delicious Idlis. I was told that here in this eatery, they do not supply Sambhar in cups as practised in other hotels. Then how do they do it? "You have to go there personally to see for yourself", they said. "Okay," I said. Me and my wife proceeded to Thiruvallikkeni, Pycrofts Road.
Deviating from Idlis and Ratna Cafe, let me tell you that Pycrofts Road (Bharatiyar Salai) that runs East - West is a treat for book lovers. Its platform/pavement is chockfull of books, old and new, on all subjects under the sun. Verily it is a paradise for book worms. There are many regular book shops on this road, and some publishers also. You can see hundreds of people browsing the books in the evening. We two being voracious book readers, naturally we spent lot of time in browsing. Then, satisfied, we made our way towards Triplicane High Road.
At the junction of TH Road and Pycrofts Road is Ratna Cafe. Not a posh hotel as you would have pictured, it is a medium-size eatery. But, what a crowd! We were very courteously taken to a "free" table, we sat, and ordered for Idlis. A plate on which the vazhai Ilai had been spread was brought with two steaming hot Idlis.
Hey, where is the much publicised Sambhar, we wondered. then a man came with a large-sized stainless steel mug - Yes, a mug ! - and poured from it the piping hot sambhar ! The Idlis were drowned under this deluge of inflow. I took a spoomful of Sambhar - ooooooooo, it was heavenly.
Whatever was told about the sambhar was not enough - it was amazing, you can't describe the taste - so wonderful.A manager-sort of fellow is watching every table very discreetly of course, and if he sees a half-empty plate then he gives a very discreet eye signal and instantly another mug-full of piping hot sambhar is in your plate. Limitless supply is continued till you are satisfied. Excellent, I should say.
The quality of Idli Sambhar has been maintained for the past 60 years. During morning hours particularly the rush would be enormous. I remember our earlier visits to this Cafe during 1965 - 1975.
After I thoroughly enjoyed my Idli-sambhar, we trotted back to our house, with a promise to visit this eatery again. And, we have visited this place twice in the past one month (Jun-July 2006). The taste lingers on.
Make a visit to Ratna Cafe when you are in Chennai next time.
Rajappa
2010 on July 27, 2006.
* Ratna Cafe now has two more branches at Venkatanarayana road, TNagar and at 100-feet bypass road, Velachery.
Are you a fan of Idli - Sambhar? Or Sambhar-Vadai? If your answer is YES, the place you should visit is Ratna Cafe in Thiruvallikkeni ( Triplicane), Chennai. You are not a fan? Then it is a MUST-VISIT for you. This eatery is more than 50 years' old.
Chennai people will swear by this eatery for that delicious Idlis. I was told that here in this eatery, they do not supply Sambhar in cups as practised in other hotels. Then how do they do it? "You have to go there personally to see for yourself", they said. "Okay," I said. Me and my wife proceeded to Thiruvallikkeni, Pycrofts Road.
Deviating from Idlis and Ratna Cafe, let me tell you that Pycrofts Road (Bharatiyar Salai) that runs East - West is a treat for book lovers. Its platform/pavement is chockfull of books, old and new, on all subjects under the sun. Verily it is a paradise for book worms. There are many regular book shops on this road, and some publishers also. You can see hundreds of people browsing the books in the evening. We two being voracious book readers, naturally we spent lot of time in browsing. Then, satisfied, we made our way towards Triplicane High Road.
At the junction of TH Road and Pycrofts Road is Ratna Cafe. Not a posh hotel as you would have pictured, it is a medium-size eatery. But, what a crowd! We were very courteously taken to a "free" table, we sat, and ordered for Idlis. A plate on which the vazhai Ilai had been spread was brought with two steaming hot Idlis.
Hey, where is the much publicised Sambhar, we wondered. then a man came with a large-sized stainless steel mug - Yes, a mug ! - and poured from it the piping hot sambhar ! The Idlis were drowned under this deluge of inflow. I took a spoomful of Sambhar - ooooooooo, it was heavenly.
Whatever was told about the sambhar was not enough - it was amazing, you can't describe the taste - so wonderful.A manager-sort of fellow is watching every table very discreetly of course, and if he sees a half-empty plate then he gives a very discreet eye signal and instantly another mug-full of piping hot sambhar is in your plate. Limitless supply is continued till you are satisfied. Excellent, I should say.
The quality of Idli Sambhar has been maintained for the past 60 years. During morning hours particularly the rush would be enormous. I remember our earlier visits to this Cafe during 1965 - 1975.
After I thoroughly enjoyed my Idli-sambhar, we trotted back to our house, with a promise to visit this eatery again. And, we have visited this place twice in the past one month (Jun-July 2006). The taste lingers on.
Make a visit to Ratna Cafe when you are in Chennai next time.
Rajappa
2010 on July 27, 2006.
* Ratna Cafe now has two more branches at Venkatanarayana road, TNagar and at 100-feet bypass road, Velachery.
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