CHENNAI: With COVID-19 fears refusing to allow normalcy, Onam festivities feel the pinch. Celebrations have been toned down but the hospitality industry has upped its game so that gastronomes can relish the traditional feast served on a banana leaf, either at home or at the restaurant with hygiene norms in place. From dine-in options with limited seating, takeaway counters to Onam kits — CE goes on a hunt for sadhya options as the bonhomie of feasting remains unchanged.
THE WESTIN
Five-star hotels too get into Onam fervour this time of the year by providing lavish lunch spreads and
conducting Onam food festivals. The space is usually decked up with exquisite floral decorations and the air, as we remember from pre-corona times, used to be celebratory. Considering the circumstances, this Thiruvonam, The Westin Chennai Velachery will be delivering the Onam sadhya at your doorstep through its delivery programme, Marriott on Wheels. The culinary brigade at the hotel has planned an elaborate spread that consists of 21 items on the menu. The spread comprises quintessential sadhya delicacies like olan, aviyal, sambar and more. They also encourage takeaway options. Lakshman Ramanathan, general manager, The Westin Chennai Velachery, says, “Our culinary team is putting together the menu with fresh seasonal ingredients that are safely packed in eco-safe boxes. Orders need to be placed one day in advance.”
ACHAYATHIS
Rustic walls, aesthetic mural art, tungsten lights and wooden tables — Nungambakkam’s Achayathis has opened its doors to provide a stunning gastronomic experience for lovers of homecooked Kerala-style food, this Onam. “Onam is incomplete without a sadhya. So, we have curated a traditional feast with 25 dishes to celebrate Kerala’s annual harvest festival,” enthuses Anna Jomon of Achayathis. The dishes will be prepared with freshly sourced ingredients from Kerala. “We have sourced our upperi and sharkkara varatti from Kerala. We follow traditional recipes.
From aviyal, pavakka pachadi, mundiri pachadi to kadalippazha payasam and uniappam, we have adopted and improvised from the famous Aramulla Valla sadhya,” she explains. The aim of the sadhya, she says, is to take people back to their naadu and kindle nostalgia — one bite and one sip at a time. The restaurant provides dinein, take-away and home delivery options, and has restricted its seating to 50 per cent to follow social distancing protocols. “The dining area and kitchen are frequently sanitised. The food is served on use-andthrow banana leaves,” she says.
A sanitiser dispenser has been installed near the entrance and temperature checks are done too. “We have also put up the menu on the wall to avoid surface touch. E-wallet payments have been activated and encouraged to avoid cash transactions. Waiters have been asked to wear masks, hand gloves and headcovers. The restaurant also has separate entries for take-away and dining,” she says. While the pandemic has made this year’s celebrations a low-key affair, Anna remains optimistic about the footfall. “There is a saying in Malayalam, which suggests that one has to celebrate Onam even if one has to sell their house. It’s going to be challenging but at the same time, this festival projects the message of unity and oneness. We need that kind of positivity at such a time,” she adds.
KAPPA CHAKKA KANDHARI
Onam sadhya is incomplete without the sweetness of payasam. This harvest season, KCK FoodPack Delivery Service promises to bring you the nostalgic taste of home with the Onam Payasam Festival. It offers four classic Kerala payasam — ada pradhaman, chakka pradhaman, payaru payasam and palada payasam. They also have an assorted payasam box with 250 ml each of the four special payasams. The payasams are available in quantities of 500 ml and one litre. Also available on the menu is a host of classic vegetarian dishes, including aviyal, kadala curry, green brinjal theeyal and chembu, roast for you to create your own mini sadhya at home. For those looking for a little less conventional offering, their Malabar Green Bento is perfectly portioned and packed in a box for one.
GOSSIP FUSION BISTRO
Every Onam, Gossip Fusion Bistro dons the look of God’s own country with a floral ambiance, colourcoded garlands suspended from the ceiling, and a golden lamp placed at the centre of every poo kolam (flower rangoli) that welcomes you. Keeping up with the yearly traditions, the restaurant will be offering its sought-after 26-course vegetarian and non-vegetarian Onam sadhya for lunch and dinner. “With social distancing norms in place, we are trying to do two-three cycles of booking so that all our patrons can be accommodated. There has been a surge in takeaway orders compared to previous years. Despite the circumstances, people want to come as a family and celebrate the festival with us,” says Ramya, the owner. Expect special delicacies such as pazhampori, kizhi parotta, Wayanad chicken fry, beef and fish cutlets, mutton samosa, and kattan chaya this year. The bookings for lunch and dinner on August 31 is open till this Saturday.
REENA PAUL’S KITCHEN
It’s that time of the year when Reena Paul’s kitchen is filled with the aroma of payasam and sadhya staples. She has been catering to a loyal clientele for the past 11 years. This year, the Anna Nagar-based home chef has received 150 sadhya orders so far. Her menu will have 24 items. “We’ve managed to procure all the ingredients, and tried to offer the same menu this year as well. There are more takeaway orders. Nothing much has changed,” says Reena. Apart from sadhya, she also has on offer two specialities — palada and pazham pradhaman, in 500 ml and one litre variants. Delivery will start from 11.30 am. Bookings are accepted till today.
ENTE KERALAM
Ente Keralam has been serving Onam sadhya to its patrons for the past 13 years. The sadhya menu was made available from August 21 at their restaurants. We’re told that the restaurant is ensuring a safe dining experience with social distancing and limited seating in their dining spaces, operating at 50 per cent capacity. Ranging from four different payasams prepared using tropical fruits to staple curries, more than 30 items dot this year’s sadhya menu. The bookings are open for their two dining locations — Poes Garden and Anna Nagar. Onam sadhya is available till September 2. Special Sadhya is available on August 29 and August 31; and September 1 and September 2. Due to surplus orders, the restaurant has extended its last dates for booking to August 28.
GOD’S OWN RECIPES
The aroma of coconut paste tempered with curry leaves in coconut oil, a medley of vegetables, boiled
rice and the scent of spices — God’s Own Recipes, a cloud-based kitchen located near Loco Works Railway Station has been gearing up to not only send out its curated Onam Sadhya meal boxes, but also for its official launch on August 31. “To start a kitchen that serves authentic Kerala food has been a long-time dream. The pandemic pushed me to follow the dream and give shape to it. My partner Venkat and I are thrilled to launch our sadhya and exclusive Kerala takeaway menu,” shares Josie of God’s Own Recipes.
The delectable menu will include 24 mouth-watering dishes — upperi, erisery, pulisery, olan, aviyal, inji puli, kachiya moru, red rice, palada pradhaman and pappadam. “The dishes will be prepared by a cook from Kerala. We also have a few surprise dishes, which will surely put a smile on our customers’ face,” he shares. The cloud kitchen has so far received 250 orders and hopes to limit it to focus on quality. “Safety protocols are in place. Masks, sanitisers and gloves are being used. Since it’s strictly for takeaway and deliveries, we are ensuring that no one, except the kitchen staff, enters the premises. The kitchen will be functioning from two locations.”
