Is Visesham, Chennai’s newest entrant in the South Indian culinary landscape, good?

Late within the Nineteen Nineties, luxurious motels in Chennai realised that there was a slight inflection within the tides. Though unique and understandably engaging, au gratins and paneer butter masala bowls had been not making the reduce. Vacationers who had been visiting the town wished to style genuine South Indian fare — the parotta and salna type.

When Dakshin started at Sheraton Park Lodge in 1989, serving elevated variations of home-style kozhambus and poriyals at premium charges, different motels realised that it was time to shine the sunshine on nalli or bone marrow in a mutton stew. The likes of Ente Keralam, Malgudi, Amaravathi, Manjal, Erode Amman Mess and Kappa Chaka Kandhari joined the bandwagon. They quickly turned eating places to take visitors to. Or oneself, when one felt indulgent.

Becoming a member of this lengthy checklist of eating places serving meals from the South of the Vindhyas is Visesham, a brand new restaurant in Nandanam. Right here, one eats a meal whereas watching artistes play the veena. Cutlery is in place and the expectation is to put the serviette on the lap and munch via their huge bowl of vadams with an accompaniment of contemporary pickles original from fish, prawns, mutton, pumpkin and carrots. We skip the etiquette and dive proper in with our fingers.

As we get to the overview, I want to get one factor out of the best way. The meals at Visesham (which means ‘celebration’ in all 4 South Indian languages) is nice. Practically each meals merchandise elicits a “that was good.” Every little thing besides the ada pradhaman. My Malayali good friend says she has had higher.

Start your meal with an annasi pazham (pineapple) rasam which is good from the diced pineapples and spiced with crimson chillies for a kick. The peethala mamsam chaaru is an alternative choice. Cooked with complete crabs, the inventory simmers with flavour. The previous nonetheless, is the choose of the desk.

The podi idlis are an incredible appetiser order for a big desk. Served with three chutneys that change relying on what’s out there on the market, these ghee-soaked mini idlis are a simple crowd pleaser. The deep-fried kappa cutlets made from a tapioca stuffing and the pacha masala yeral or tiger prawn, steeped within the spicy inexperienced chilli-coriander paste, shouldn’t be missed. The koon milakittathu, a deep-fried mushroom dish with pepper, nonetheless, is a miss. As an alternative, strive the koonthal porichathu, one other deep-fried dish with squid. A success of lemon on prime ensures that the dish hits the spot.

Visesham’s power lies in its mains. Served with idiyappam, parotta or dosais of alternative, an assortment of gravies are the best way to go. If I had been you, I’d start with the mutton istew and the monagadda royyalu koora. Each these coconut milk-based dishes with mutton and prawn respectively, have vastly completely different flavour profiles. Nonetheless, the meat in each these dishes is succulent and comfortable. Pair it with an idiyappam to make sure that a impartial vessel carries the flavour via.

Kappa cutlets and an assortment of pickle on the restaurant
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The gutti vankaya koora, sacred to the Andhra palate, is a vegetarian possibility that steals the present. The garlic softened by hours of cooking in a fiery tomato and chilli gravy alongside stuffed complete brinjals, is finest eaten with a kal dosai. If you want an possibility from Karnataka, strive the bhende chilli made from a byadgi chilli paste from tulu nadu.

For the rice-loving South Indian in you, the Dindigul mutton biryani and curd rice, is a perfect technique to finish the meal. Professional tip: add a beneficiant serving of inji puli to the curd rice. As a result of there’s all the time room for dessert, a heat carrot halwa with cashews and raisins turns into the proper technique to say “shubam.”

Arasu Dennis, managing accomplice of Visesham, says that whereas the purpose is to make sure South Indian delicacies is spotlighted, in addition they have kebabs and the usual dal makhnis and paneer butter masalas on the menu. “We don’t wish to say ‘no’ to anybody, you recognize,” he says. He provides that they’ve additionally launched set meals the place one can select from vegetarian, seafood and meat choices.

Arasu believes in indicators. “Our first reserving on the opening day is of a kitty social gathering by an individual named Arthi. They’re dressing in sarees for his or her assembly. An auspicious begin, don’t you assume?” he asks. A visesham certainly.

Visesham is at 135, Chamiers Rd, Nandanam Extension, Nandanam, Chennai. A meal for 2 prices ₹3,000. For reservations, contact 9176757711.