Saravana Bhavan (Chennai)

Where tradition meets modernity

Saravana Bhavan, they tell you in Chennai, is where you are served the best culinary offerings in this part of the country. The dinner buffet there is thus a good melange of Tamil Nadu as a whole. However, with the evolution of the clientele, the classic Saravana fare seems to have given way to some smattering of the latest Epicurean fads as well. Sample the banana chips and the tiffin sambhar (as opposed to the more traditional okra sambhar which is also on the buffet) for some modern culinary delights. However, if the classic stuff pleases you, there is the rice (rather provocatively called 'raw rice'), the tomato rasam and the various vegetable dishes, all of which are distinctly and deliciously Tamil in their spice content. Also worth trying is the mint soup, which is hot and spicy, not to forget a relief to the throat. Of course, for all those preferring the tried and tested way, the small but succulent medu vada dipped in the tiffin sambhar can be tried anytime during the course of the meal. One unfortunate omission from the buffet is the dosa, which is the most popular item on the a-la-carte menu and something Saravana is nationally renowned for. However, the buffet here brings out the message of there being much more to Tamil cuisine than dosas and idlis (another key omission), and does so in the tastiest way possible.

Ambience                ★★★
Service                    ★★★
Presentation            ★★★
Taste                      ★★ ★


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