As I walk in, I’m struck by the minimalistic but bright interiors of Chennai’s newest vegetarian eatery, Sambhar. With white walls and yellow accents, the place has a casual vibe to it, even as you see chefs bustling around in the open kitchen. Pots of sambar bubble over the stove tops, as crisp dosas are made to order alongside. With five types of sambar on offer, the restaurant is keen to change the South Indian tiffin game and bring focus back to the staple.
While they serve you the aravai sambar with your standard South Indian tiffins order, you can also ask to try any of their other variants such as the vengayam sambar, paruppu sambar, kadamba sambar and Jain sambar. For me, the clear winner was the vengayam sambar that was bursting with flavour. It pairs exceptionally well with their fluffy ven pongal. For dishes like the medhu vadai and masala vadai, opt for the aravai version. If you’re looking for a lighter meal, try their idlies that range from the karuvepillai idli, podi idli to the masala idli that is tossed in an onion-tomato gravy. A must-try are their dosas with variants like mushroom, paneer, Nellore erra karam and roasted garlic and basil. While the mushroom dosa has interesting flavours, mine was a tad salty. But the roasted garlic and basil dosa was a clear winner with its robust garlicky notes offset by a hint of freshness from the basil.
However, despite the name and varieties of sambar they serve, the restaurant has a lot more to offer than just South Indian tiffins. It has everything from Chinese, North Indian mains and Italian to even chaats. The idea, says D. Srinivasan, executive chef and senior vice president at Paulsons, is to cater to the largely North Indian population that has made Kilpauk home, where the restaurant is situated.
With a special chef brought in from Delhi to whip up their chaats, you can expect to find some authentic streetfood flavours here.
For instance, the dahi papdi and dahi bhalla are as good as they can get, like the creamy yoghurt with an interesting medley of mint and tamarind sauces. The pani puri, for me though, could have been just a little more flavourful and spicier. After all, the ones you eat in Delhi can leave you with tears streaming down your cheeks. The Mumbai-style vada pav, however, is a true delight, and much like what you could expect to pick up at one of the khau gallis there.
A special mention must also be made of the channa bhatura that Srinivasan has to offer. The giant-sized bhatura is every bit as satisfying as the flavourful channa and you can also ask for their kadalai curry or aloo bhaaji to go with some puri if you wish.
As I work my way through lunch, I am told that the restaurant also serves a mean thali, both South Indian and North Indian style. “We focus on authentic flavours. So we bring down people from other cities to learn the art of cooking their style of food,” says Srinivasan.
After all the dishes I had already sampled, trying a thali was out of the question, but desserts were certainly welcome.
One can choose from the chef’s selection of kesari, chakkara pongal or payasam of the day. To my luck, payasam of the day is paruppu payasam and I happily wolf down a bowl full of the rich jaggery-flavoured concoction. A most satisfying way to end the meal.
