Poongudi is the latest addition to Chennai's gallery of Chettinad restaurants. It is a quiet, modest establishment, spacious and trendy, with black-and-red, matt-finished metal chairs, marble-topped tables and on the walls, framed black-and-white prints of scenes from Tamil movies. One of these prints greets the visitor's gaze, as the door swings open; comedian Nagesh in the movie "Server Sundaram", perilously balancing a pile of dabarra sets in an unsteady hand. One cannot help feeling light-hearted and relaxed here. The staff are polite and eager to greet guests and throughout the meal, ply diners with attentive but discreet service. 

Although this is by name a Chettinad cuisine restaurant, the menu also features an extensive variety of popular dishes of Chinese, Indian and Tandoori cuisines. Chennaiites love their "theme" restaurants, but only as long as they serve every other food under the sun as well! Considering that the majority of patrons here are office-goers, who come in groups and pack the place at lunch time, it is convenient as well as sound business practice to offer them the variety they expect. The proprietors have spared no expense in equipping the kitchen with separate cooking ranges and cooks for each cuisine, including a coal tandoor. 

The excellence of the cooking promises to make this restaurant more than moderately popular. Beginning with soups - three each of Chettinad, Chinese and Indian - and going on to the biriyanis, meals and main dishes, the food is well-cooked and tender, without excessive oil or grease, so one can eat well and not feel uncomfortably heavy. The dishes taste true to their respective cuisines, so one will not taste a biriyani and mistake it for a pulaav or fried rice. The prices are affordable; soups cost up to Rs.35, meals and biriyani cost from Rs.40 to Rs.65, meat dishes from Rs.30 to Rs.70, except for the specialties and vegetable dishes from Rs.35 to Rs.70. The specialties are the roasts of Kaadai, Turkey and Crab (with shell), Poongudi Chicken, Tiger Prawns and Schezwan Fried Lobster, Vegetables Lah Jawaab and Malai Koftha. The desserts are few and simple; ice cream, fruit salad and carrot halwa. 

A meal here leaves diners with the feeling that they have received full value for their money. This writer would certainly recommend this restaurant.

Poongudi Chettinad Restaurant is at 152 A, Greams Road, Chennai - 600 006. Phone: 829 3208. It is open from 11.30 a.m. till 3.30 p.m. and from 7 p.m. till 11.30 p.m.

Arun Masilamoni

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