USILAMPATTI - ETHNIC CHETTINAD EATERY

Stepping into Usilampatti Chettinad Restaurant gives one the feeling of entering an old Chettinad house -right from the wood-carved entrance to the painted depictions of a southern village on the wall outside.  It is no wonder, since the interiors have been done with the dismantled portions of a palace in Karaikudi.

It was Managing Partner Ramesh Kumar's idea to start a unique eatery, where people could get ethnic Chettinad food and the hospitality that goes with it. Hailing from Karaikudi and with about 12 years of experience in the restaurant business, he had just the right background to open this restaurant at Peters Road in December 1998.

The restaurant can seat 86 people, who can enjoy dining in true Chettinad splendour.  The whole area is lit with lamps and totally done up in wood, with knick-knacks, wall panels and old paintings thrown in.  Original pillars brought from the Chettinad palace also adorn the dining area.  The food is served in bronze vessels by liveried staff.

Usilampatti has a chef from Karaikudi and boasts of having only Chettinad desserts, no ice creams here, please.  Some of the ethnic delicacies available are kaadai (quail) and turkey biryani (Rs 70 and Rs 90 respectively), Usilai chicken poriyal and kulambu (each Rs 80), meen vadakkal (fish fry - Rs 80), tiger prawn fry (Rs 150) and nethili varuval (fried anchovies - Rs 50).

The dessert items, paal pinji, paal thirattu (both are milk sweets) and paruppu halwa are in a league by themselves.  Though the items are priced higher than at similar outlets, Ramesh says, they are family portions and two people could have a wholesome meal for Rs 200.

Usilampatti has organised two food festivals so far. One was the 'Tamil New Year food festival' that focused on traditional food items made only on the New Year's Day, which are rarely prepared in homes today.  During Deepavali, a 'Mudaliar food festival' was held to give Chennaites a taste of the cuisine from the Mudaliar community, which has a distinct Mughal influence.

A branch was opened in Adyar in July 2000, which can seat 36 people.

Address: Usilampatti Chettinad Restaurant,New College Complex, 93/24, Peters Road, Royapettah, Chennai 600 014.
Phone:821 1462.

Lunchtime:11.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m.
Dinner: 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.