Yummy in the tummy. Review on The Dakshin Restaurant, Alwarpet, Chennai

“The grass is always greener on the other side”. Goes the well known cliché and it is well proven as well. That’s why we south Indians are often grabbing a burger or treating our taste buds to something Italian, Chinese, continental or even tandoor. I recall lunch breaks at school, my north Indian friends swooned over my idly, sambhar, dosa and curd rice; while I freaked out on their parathas and teplas! Nothing wrong at all, after all “Variety is the spice of life”.

Speaking of spice, Dakshin the southern spice restaurant at Park Sheraton, Chennai is a lovely place to dine in. authentic, delicious, straight from the oven delicacies, tantalizing your taste buds.

The restaurant offers something special for everyone. The southerners can have something they have regularly, with a dash of difference. The non southerners can have a treat, their taste buds would never forget and an experience they are sure to cherish.

MENU

The menu consists of food specialties from 4 southern states of India namely Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Their menu card needs a special mention. It is a heavy royal gateway with golden doors that open to reveal the items, categorized state-cuisine-wise.

Diving straight into the food, you could begin by picking a fruit juice from their array of fruits. The exceedingly authentic rasam, serves a perfect appetizer. It a soup with tomato, tamarind juice, cumin seeds and loadsa other typical Indian spices.

This could be followed by Dosas (banana dosa, kal dosa and so on), parotas or even better- aapams! All of these clubbed with a variety of stews, kurmas and spicy curries are very very mouthwatering. You must try the tomato pappu and potato varuval. They are must haves in this place.

A distinctive feature is the chutneys and pickles they serve. They give you coconut chutney, tamarind chutney, mint chutney, ginger chutney and dal chutney!

In pickles, the offer you aavakai (mango!!), lime, gonkura and vadu maanga.

(my mouth is watering right now!!)

The next course of your meal could be rice and sambhar or a pick of one of the rice specialties like puliyogre or bise bela bath.

The non vegetarian portion of the menu is yet another lip smacking experience. Typical south rice assorted with lamb, crabs chicken and fish specialties all cooked in very indigenous devices like urli and vakkepatti that leaves you with a lingering taste of home.

Have payasam for dessert and you cannot be more pleased in life with your food.

(Watering again!!!)

AMBIENCE AND SEVICE

Sari clad ladies in a very pleasing bright ambience welcome you. Elaborate tanjore paintings adorn the walls, violinists and other musicians at one end, copper brass shiny crockery, plates with banana leaves, complementary papads and vattals(fried munches) that are regularly replenished are just about the few things you will come across at Dakshin.

Service is certainly not perfunctory.(5star, they can’t afford to be perfunctory) a few things that hence go without saying are immaculate décor, welcome cold towels, valet parking, prompt service and credits and discounts for Sheraton card holders.

The food is considerably filling with good helpings. This place is well suited for family, business and friends’ getaway.

I am going to get something to eat now, so should you. If you are in Chennai, and it is time for lunch, you know where to go!

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