ID, Sathyam Cinemas, Chennai

Many a sunday morning movies has been done at Sathyam. And they were all possible because we would grab a good breakfast at ID before the flick. We would all reach ID around 8.15, grab a table, and dig into the hot pongal or idli vada and gulp down a hot cup of filter coffee before moving over to the movie theaters. That is how good and reliable ID is.  And if you are not a coffee drinker, you can have a glass of fresh fruit juice to quench your thirst :) 

For as long as I can remember, we have eaten at ID- I enjoy their pongal, kasi halwa, and my alltime favorite is the keerai vadai. Apart from these, they also serve adai, and a MLA pesarattu which has upma stuffing. I love the chutneys they give, white coconut chutney, tomato-red chilli chutney and ofcourse the piping hot sambar. I have been here so many times that the staff know me by face. 

I have also visited their outlet in other malls and find the quality to be just as good! The most recent being a visit to Forum Mall where a friend wanted to grab a cup of kaapi when her son insisted he wanted idiyappam. He ate them plain and devoured them, which is a sign that the food is good. 

It is such a saving grace for movie goers and morning movie watchers like me and my group of friends! 

A big thumbs up for ID and Sathyam Cinemas!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

CBC meets at Zha Cafe & an anniversary

And finally it was 24th February. The day! What was so special or significant? Well, I was looking forward to attending the Chennai Bloggers meet [that also included a book exchange/sale] We had all been sharing book titles, reserving books, chatting away and generally creating a lot of buzz about the meet. It was my 1st time at the CBC meet, though i'd met quite a few during the Indiblogger meet and subsequently for the Evam Stand up show as well. The meet was happening at Zha Cafe, Adyar. 

This was my 2nd or 3rd visit to Zha Cafe in Adyar.. Well, technically 2nd since the actual 2nd visit turned out to be "oops, the place is shut, let us go sit in CCD" meet. You can read about the place here.

Would you believe it? The last time I was here at Zha cafe was on Feb 24th 2012, Friday and this year I was back there on Feb 24th, Saturday!! So, this is the anniversary post :D

I walked in around 3.10pm only to see the room at the far end filled with people, all standing yapping away. I looked around for a familiar face to make sure I was at the right event.  Ah, there was Kalyan, and then I spotted Bragadeesh, Aravind, Jothi and few others... Saying Hi Hello I finally met Susan Deborah [one of the admins and a pen pal of sorts.. we had been exchanging letters/postcards for a while and this was the 1st time we were meeting] 

Soon it was time to settle down and behave.. lol... Making sure there was a tiny pathway for the staff to walk around, we squatted wherever there was a square inch, or more. A round of introductions, some leg pulling, chocolates from Singapore courtesy Prashant and the meet was well underway. Arasi of Zha cafe kept sending out drinks, sandwiches, vada, smoothies and we were all in high spirits through the evening. A special mention to the vada- they were sinfully hot & good.. 

The book exchange section was fun, it was an opportunity to not only meet fellow book worms but come across rare books, authors I hadnt read and to learn of different tastes. It was also an evening where I learnt how some are looking at doing more than just meeting and blogging. Mahesh, Sashi & Venkat spoke about using CBC to make a difference to the society. Spend a few hours every week, help those in need, share the knowledge and change a few lives... make them better!!

The backyard [if I may call it that] at Zha cafe is just as beautiful as the front or interiors. There were a few stone benches, stones made of paper mache lit up, and green picket fences of sorts all around. 

The postcard I chose..

The postbox 

As the evening drew to a close, I looked forward to the postcard that Zha cafe is famous for. They have postcards that you can pick up, write a message and a To address on and drop into the Postbox in the main hall. They stamp it, post it and it is a cool endeavor to keep the tradition going! I for one Love this concept and hope they continue it for as long as they can!! 

One of the other rooms

This is a place where one can chill with a book and a cup of kaapi or kadala mittai, or maybe just enjoy a game of snakes and ladders or pallankuzhi. It is a cafe with a difference, there are no speakers blaring loud music, nor is there a TV showcasing cricket match or some random news channel. It is a space that allows you to do what you want to do. The rooms are all done up in different themes - kerala style with a boat, rajasthani style with jharokas and puppets, movie theme with chairs labelled Director, actor and shelves lined with movie posters, or the room with a life size snakes & ladder game board. 

So, next time you are looking for a place that is different or curious about Tamizh and traditional games, head over to Zha cafe.. They have an outlet in Porur as well :-) 

Where is Zha Cafe?

Kamaraj Avenue 2nd St, Rukmani Nagar, 
Adyar 
Chennai -600020
Ph- 044 4211 6027

and 


10, Shakthi Nagar,
Mount Poonamallee Road,
Porur,Chennai -600166.
Phone : 044-30064810.
(Behind ICIC bank and next to Shell Petrol Bunk)

What is Chennai Bloggers Club?


Well, as the name states, all of us hail from Chennai [or have some connection to the city] and are bloggers :-) Visit the 
Facebook page to know more

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Karpagambal Mess, Mylapore

 So, after much hype and a zillion friends, well, i exaagerate, it was just a handful of friends and a brother in law raving about the place, i finallly managed to visit the infamous Karpagambal Mess in Mylapore one sunday morning.

My uncles were visiting from Delhi and USA, and on a Sunday we decided to rise early, head for some fun in the beach and then maybe do breakfast somewhere before returning home.  We were all promptly up at 5.30am, including a tiny tot, and managed to get our cousin out of the bed as well.. :-) We had such a blast at the Marina Beach, and all that walking and running had built quite the appetite.

After a brief debate on where to head for breakfast, one of my uncles suggested Karpagambal Mess in Mylapore. It is adj to the Kapaleeshwarar temple, and is a fairly small place that you just might miss, if you dint know of its existence.

 

The minute you walk in, the heady aromas of sambar, chutney along with halwas and the agarbathi hits you like a storm. The man behind the counter looked like he was trapped behind the little box. Surrounding him were a zillion kinds of Halwa, sweets and savories... There was a shelf near the entrance that was brimming with podis and vadams.. The place is fairly small, and apparently after the renovation, they have included an air conditioned hall, well, its more of a cubicle, you either walk in or walk out, there is no space to amble, leave alone stand... 

We parked ourselves across 2 tables, and placed the orders. I had the pongal and Keerai vadai.. Both came steaming hot, landing plonk on the banana leaf. 

There was another vessel parked on our table- it had 3 containers in it, different kinds of chutneys and then we found a bucket with sambar.. There was also a stainless steel jug filled with water on each table.

 The food was good, hot and yummy... There are no frills or fancies here, what you see is what you get!  The walls inside the AC room and outside are covered with framed images of Gods and Goddesses, literally spanning the entire length of the place...

By the time we were done with our 1st orders, the waiter was back asking if we wanted anything else. Some ordered Poori- potato, while others [including me] ordered coffee..  The poori looked a little crisp and flat, and the potato was alright... 

The coffee was good, just right amount of sugar and strength..

 

We packed some for those at home and returned home happy and content...  When visiting Karpagambal Mess, 

dont expect a lengthy menu, smart waiters or spacious interiors.. You will none of these here...  

 

Walk in... Enjoy what you ordered.. pay your bill and get out!! Everything about the place screams Madras... 

The banana leaf, the hot filter kaapi, authentic interiors and the aroma wafting in the air...  

 

Service: 7/10

Ambiance- 7/10 [cant expect anything more from here]

Food quality- 9/10

Price- 9/10 [And a meal for 2 will likely cost between Rs40 - 70!!]

 

Address:

Shri Karpagambal Mess

E Mada St, Mylapore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600004

044 24642902

 Psst- unfortunately dint have my camera, only the Blackberry....  Took the coffee shot on uncle's HTC Sensation.. :-)

reade more... Résuméabuiyad