Soon after giving us Chennaites a taste of Parsi cuisine, the proprietor Udhay launched the exclusive Maharashtrian restaurant – Meena Tai’s. When we were invited to Batlivala & Khanabhoy, we already got the essence of the yumminess Meena Tai is going to hold as it’s under the same management who has a great knowledge about their cuisines and knows what they’re upto. Knowing very little or almost nothing about the Maharashtrian cuisine except for the Vada Pav, I walked into the restaurant with an open mind and zero expectation (umm, not really because I knew Udhay will rock it, yet again).
Location and Ambiance
A few blocks away from Tangerine, is this building in Venus colony that hosts Batlivala & Khanabhoy (read the review here) and Meena tai’s and soon-to-open Abyssinian, an Ethiopian restaurant. Maps would be the perfect guide if you ain’t too familiar with the locality.
Meena Tai’s is one the most elegant looking restaurant in the city I’ve visited. The vintage touch with the yellow walls, green-colored old-fashioned grill windows, the wall cupboards having glass jars containing masalas, beautifully carved mirror, the royal blue Jhoomar, photo frames..And along with all these, the Marathi music in the background. It’s like a mini trip to Maharashtra in Chennai.
The Maharashtrian Khana
As I mentioned already, apart from Vada Pav, my knowledge about Maharashtrian cuisine is nil. When I opened the menu card, I was puzzled. We decided to let the management decide our lunch. One noticeable and appreciable thing about the menu here is they have equal number of veg and non-veg dishes in each section. Everyone is given equal importance.
DRINKS
- Kokum Soda – This red-colored fizzy welcome drink is made of Kokum syrup with a hint of roasted cumin seeds topped with club soda. It was refreshing but wouldn’t suit everyone’s palate.
- Sol Kadhi – This was given to us post lunch as it’s good for digestion. This drink is made of light coconut milk infused with Kokum and spiked with garlic and green chilli. Again, it needs an acquired taste to like it. After a few sips, I was fine. But initially it was too weird to my tongue.
ACCOMPANIMENTS
- Snacks – This was given to us along with the welcome drink. While you wait for your food to arrive, munch on. The drink tasted better with these.
- Dips – These came before our starters and they were supposed to be had with the starters but we loved it so much we started eating them just like that. Lasuni Chutney, Ghee and Thecha. All the three mixed together was bang-on.
STARTERS
- Kothimbir Vadi – Coriander and chickpea square shaped vadas, shallow fried to a semi-crispy texture. Very similar to the masala vadas. With a little smear of mint chutney on top, they were perfect.
- Sabudana Vade – Sago and potato croquettes, served with a cool yoghurt and peanut dip. The vades lacked a bit of salt but no complaints. They were very soft, along with the yoghurt dip, they were yumm.
- Surnaache Kaap – Shallow fried sliced yam in tangy-spicy marinade with semolina crust, served with green chutney. Good home-made style stuff.
- Koli Masala Kolambi Fry – Juicy prawns marinated in house special Koli masala, coated with semolina and deep fried. This was such a delight to eat. The prawns were super succulent and the spicy masala on top complimented it so well. Totally loved this.
- Kombdi Hirve Sukke – Bite-sized chicken fillets cooked in a spicy green masala. Chicken pieces were succulent and nice but the dish lacked salt.
- Pathare Prabhu Mutton Chops – Presented like lollipops, this one was flavorful and a very unique mutton preparation. Mutton chops cooked in house special masala, coated with a potato base and shallow fried. One bite and you get both potato and mutton flavors together. A must try!
MAIN COURSE
- Bharli Vaangi – Baby brinjals stuffed with onions and grounded peanuts, and cooked in house special masala. This was the star! I could never imagine brinjal to taste THIS good. It was an amazing dish. A must try.
- Pithla – A chickpea flour curry made with garlic and onions. It tasted a lot like daal but a lot better than the usual daal. Went perfect with the rotis (Bhakri).
- Saoji Mutton – Yet another in-house speciality. Succulent and juicy mutton chunks cooked in perfect masalas. Super delectable. Went very well with both rice as well as roti.
- Tondli Masala Bhaat – It was a lot like veg pulao – lookwise and taste wise too. It tasted so good and that I couldn’t stop eating even though I was full and I had to keep some place for the desserts. Heavenly!
- Kombdi-Naaral Bhaat – This came to our table with the tag Maharashtrian Biriyani. Though it looked like one, it tasted nothing like it. If this is the authentic biriyani Marathis have, then I would only say they’re missing on a lot. It was a pretty dull and flavorless rice cooked along with chicken in a specific masala.
- Bajra Bhakri – Gluten free rotis to go with the sides.
DESSERTS
- Piyush – Shrikhand served in shot glasses topped with dry fruits. My favorite dessert and a perfect way to end such a sumptuous meal.
- Kharvas – Colostrum Pudding infused with cardamom & saffron. Though I’m not a fan of pudding, I really liked this one.
- Chirote – Flaky fried cookies dusted with icing sugar. This is one of the famous delicacies of Puri. They are given as Prasad in the temples there. And I’ve always been a fan of these. Loved it!
Oh, what a Maharashtrian food experience it was. Meena Tai’s in Namma Chennai.
No comments on the service or pricing as we were invited there. Ideally, a meal for two would cost about 1200 INR approx which I feel is very reasonable given the complete experience.
Overall, if you go with an open mind, you’re in for a lot of pleasant surprises. As the flavors and food are totally different from our usual day-to-day food. Very different from the staple North-Indian cuisine we get to have in every other restaurant in the city.
Address: 40, Maharaja Surya Road, Venus Colony, Alwarpet, Chennai
Phone: 044 33011687
Hog On! 😀
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