CHENNAI: Residents and working professionals around Guindy now have the opportunity to try out authentic Tanjore delicacies, prepared as passed down from generations, at the newly-opened Thambi Villas, which promises to offer these long-lost south Indian dishes at nominal rates. This marks Thambi Villas’ third branch in the city, with the other two located at T Nagar and Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR). The chairman of AGM group of companies, AM Ganesh, was the chief guest of the event.
With mounted gramophones set up amid bright yellow and green walls, this restaurant, with its turn of 19th-century architecture, is sure to remind you of your grandmother’s home.
The restaurant brings Tanjore delicacies to the Chennai palate, with dishes such as mutton biryani, salna parotta, prawn thokku and chicken leg roast available for non-vegetarians. Their vegetarian meals and dishes such as neer dosa, idiyappam and kadhambam, have also earned a name for themselves in the city.
As we treat our taste buds to their signature dishes, the CEO of Thambi Vilas, Arun Bacthavatsalam, explains, “The speciality of this place is that we do not freeze meat or any other ingredients. What you eat here is bought, used and discarded on the same day. Also, we buy the produce from local farmers and meat from local retailers in a bid to help them and get quality products in return. It’s a win-win scenario.”
Bacthavatsalam added that this particular location was chosen to cater to the huge office crowd working at the many industrial estates nearby. “The food in their respective canteens is not so great and there are not many affordable food options around the area. Something that I have always believed is that food should not be inflated according to lifestyle and everybody must have access to quality food at affordable prices. This place may look royal but the prices are very nominal,” he said.
Their premises, located on Venu Reddy Street in Guindy, is open through the week from 8 am to 10 pm and over the weekends from 8 am to 11 pm. With the average cost for two being `500, make sure you try their Paneer Soda, Kamarkat and Thaenmittai to lose yourself in nostalgia.