Mathsya
They’ve got the venn in the Pongal alright, despite it being overly greasy. Each spoonful is redolent with ghee and the sharp taste of pepper. The bonus is the gleaming deep-fried cashew nuts that pop up every now and then. Served only for breakfast, this dish has many takers. Mathsya prepares around 100 plates every morning and they are sold out within three hours. It is one of the oldest dishes on their menu and there are clients who’ve been coming for 40 years for this breakfast staple. Earlier, it used to be served with fruit pachadi. If you’d like to try the combination feel free to ask for it. The crisp and golden vada also makes for a great accompaniment along with the bowls of chutneys.
Time: 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Cost: Rs. 75 for a plate
Address: 1, Halls Road, Egmore
Tel: 28191900
Rayar’s Mess
If you want to partake of pongal that reminds you of the one your grandmother cooked, head to Rayar’s Mess. Wait for a table (they seat just 16), and after you’ve wolfed down the feather-light idlis, ask for pongal (Rs. 35). Early visitors will get to eat pongal that’s steaming hot and almost poured out of a ladle. As it lands on the plantain leaf-laced plate, you’re enveloped by the aroma of cumin, pepper, ginger and curry leaves. The pongal’s not drenched in ghee, so you easily polish it off in seconds. It’s studded with cashews and served with delicious getti chutney, heavy on roasted Bengal gram ( pottukadalai ) and coconut, kaara chutney and sambar. On Tuesdays, they dish up a tasty tangy godsu too. P. Kumar, the owner, cooks the food himself, and so, you have to wait your turn. But, the pongal’s worth it.
Time: 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Cost: Rs. 35 for a plate
Address: 31, Arundale Street, Mylapore
Tel: 99404 25551
Adyar Ananda Bhavan
Start your morning or end your day with dollops of ghee and cashew nut-laden pongal at Adyar Ananda Bhavan’s restaurant chain, A2B. While it’s just as delicious with the usual sambar and chutney, their signature pongal-vadacurry combination is what keeps diners coming back for more. Vadacurry, which is made with fried Bengal gram in a thick tomato and coconut milk-based gravy, is traditionally eaten with idli, dosai and parotta. The unconventional pairing in this case goes well with crisp medhu vadai, and of course, a piping hot cup of filter coffee.
Time: 7 a.m. to 10.30 a.m.; 3 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.
Cost: Rs. 55 per plate
Address: All A2B outlets across the city
Murugan Idli Shop
Ghee lovers can delight in this. A dollop of shiny pongal bathed in ghee is a perfect way to start the day. Apart from the usual cashew nuts this one’s got raisins as well. Known for its idlis, Murugan’s pongal too has quite a fan following. Make sure you walk in by 9.30 at least to avoid disappointment. By 10 it’s all “ gaali”. It’s also a popular evening snack with a number of students stopping by for a quick bite post school/college.
Time: 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.; 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Cost: Rs. 50 per plate
Address: 77-1/A, G.N. Chetty Road, T. Nagar
Tel: 4202 5076
ID
Sathyam Cinemas might be your favourite haunt to catch the latest Pongal film releases, but it could also be your destination if you want a bowl of hot, yummy pongal. We’re referring to ID, the popular restaurant inside the theatre premises, which serves the dish from 11 in the morning to 11 at night. The dish looks its traditional best, with quite a generous smattering of cashew nuts that adds to the taste. To go with it are four options; sambar, coconut chutney, mint ( pudina ) chutney and spicy ginger chutney. We recommend that you try all of them with the pongal as they present varied experiences. We only wish that the bowl was a little bigger.
Time: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Cost: Rs. 100 per plate
Address: 8, First Floor, Sathyam Cinemas Complex, Royapettah
Tel: 73587 11109
Menaka (Palmgrove)
“We have just one plate of pongal left,” says the waiter, tapping his pen restlessly. It’s just a few minutes past 10 a.m., but Menaka restaurant at Hotel Palmgrove has closed its breakfast buffet (priced at Rs. 205), and is almost wrapping up orders. This is how it is on most days here — one of the oldest in the city (since 1973) — especially this season. “Have pongal with vada,” he says as he comes back with a plate of pongal — a generous scoop with a shiny coat of ghee, a crisp vada, two bowls of sambar (almost sweet), a small bowl of thick white coconut chutney. An old Tamil song plays in the background, growing a little louder with each family leaving. The waiters are now gathered near the cash counter — it’s almost 11 a.m. Closing time. I gulp down the last spoon with a mug of coffee. Before I burp, the bill arrives, tempting me to order another.
Time: 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Cost: Rs. 59 per plate
Address: 13 Kodambakkam High Road
Tel: 2827 1881
(With inputs from Naveena Vijayan, Priyadarshini Paitandy, Srinivasa Ramanujam, Subha J Rao and Susanna Myrtle Lazarus)
