I first heard about this kadai (if you like my husband who can't speak Tamil kadai is not kadai paneer wala kadai, it means shop in Tamil) from Nags who got the idli recipe from the chef and posted it on her blog. Then a friend of mine had come home with her mom and said, "we never make idli at home whenever we feel like eating idlis we just hop over to murugan idli kadai". "Whats so special about that idli ?' I asked, "sponge madri erukum. sooo soft" she said (I could see she was already dreaming about Murugan and his idli.
So off we went to sample this sponge of an idli and see just how soft it is. I have to admit Jay was very reluctant to come. "Idli?! We have to go out to eat idli? You make no at home. You get only idli there? Are you sure?" said he, "yes, we have to eat idli. My idlis are not sponge so I have to see what this sponge idli is like. No you get masala dosa also. yes dead sure." I replied. We reached the place and found it to be jam packed. "See I told you it was good its full! holy crap we have to wait to get seated! then it has to be good." I told Jay who was still not impressed. We had to wait 10mins to be seated.
Inside they lay a banana leaf and 4 kinds of chutney and 1 sambar. "yenna ve..? (what do you want?" asked the waiter, I didn't even let him finish his sentence, "rendu idli and kuzhipaniyaram" (2 idlis and kuzhipaniyaram- Google it) Jay ordered masala dosa. sponge, sponge, sponge, sponge idli like sponge was all I could think about. And it came and I ate and Jay looked, I nodded, not the up and down nod, it was left to right slow nod, "I need to ask that girl which type of sponge she meant. The dishwashing type sponge or the animal sponge. This idli is like crap. Hows you dosa?" "bah! same crap, dosas here is never like the dosas in Bangalore." Which is actually kinda true, B'lore dosas are smaller, crisper and have that awesome red chutney. We then ordered a onion uttapam, which was also just so-so. The vada had no salt and the sambar was bland. The shocker- oil and podi was 9rps! :O I have eaten idlis in Saravana Bhavan (we order idlis for my boy) it comes with 2 types of chutney, sambar, a kurma and podi/oil, it is much tastier than this Murugan idli. Our bill for 2 idlis, 4 kuzhipaniyaram, 1 masala dosa and 2 onion uttapams was 250rps. Definitely not worth it!
Stupid me came home and Googled for Murugan idli kadai reviews, why o why did not read this -http://karthikeyanblogs.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/whats-there-in-murugan-idli-kadai/ earlier?!
So off we went to sample this sponge of an idli and see just how soft it is. I have to admit Jay was very reluctant to come. "Idli?! We have to go out to eat idli? You make no at home. You get only idli there? Are you sure?" said he, "yes, we have to eat idli. My idlis are not sponge so I have to see what this sponge idli is like. No you get masala dosa also. yes dead sure." I replied. We reached the place and found it to be jam packed. "See I told you it was good its full! holy crap we have to wait to get seated! then it has to be good." I told Jay who was still not impressed. We had to wait 10mins to be seated.
Inside they lay a banana leaf and 4 kinds of chutney and 1 sambar. "yenna ve..? (what do you want?" asked the waiter, I didn't even let him finish his sentence, "rendu idli and kuzhipaniyaram" (2 idlis and kuzhipaniyaram- Google it) Jay ordered masala dosa. sponge, sponge, sponge, sponge idli like sponge was all I could think about. And it came and I ate and Jay looked, I nodded, not the up and down nod, it was left to right slow nod, "I need to ask that girl which type of sponge she meant. The dishwashing type sponge or the animal sponge. This idli is like crap. Hows you dosa?" "bah! same crap, dosas here is never like the dosas in Bangalore." Which is actually kinda true, B'lore dosas are smaller, crisper and have that awesome red chutney. We then ordered a onion uttapam, which was also just so-so. The vada had no salt and the sambar was bland. The shocker- oil and podi was 9rps! :O I have eaten idlis in Saravana Bhavan (we order idlis for my boy) it comes with 2 types of chutney, sambar, a kurma and podi/oil, it is much tastier than this Murugan idli. Our bill for 2 idlis, 4 kuzhipaniyaram, 1 masala dosa and 2 onion uttapams was 250rps. Definitely not worth it!
Stupid me came home and Googled for Murugan idli kadai reviews, why o why did not read this -http://karthikeyanblogs.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/whats-there-in-murugan-idli-kadai/ earlier?!
I went to Chennai recently and had every meal at Saravana Bhavan. EVERY MEAL. It was decent ,although I don't understand why so much hype. Or may be the hype itself spoils it for us.
ReplyDeleteSB was so good when they started, the anna nagar branch was close to our place so we used to go there often. now the food is greasy and the reading the menu takes forever.
DeleteI've been there too, and wasn't as impressed...By Chennai standards, it isnt so amazing at all...Have you been to Adyan Anand Bhavan or Grand Sweets ? Have the pongal in A2B and the paniyaram and adai-avial in Grand sweets, its really good !
ReplyDeleteHey, I'll see you soon ok, coming to Chennai next week :)
I don't like pongal, I have tried chat items in A2B very bad! And Grand sweets another hype is you ask me, we have eaten the mini idlis and paniyaram.not all that great.
DeleteTo be super duper honest with you, I have tried the idlis only once. I don't like idli. But, BUT, i like their masala dosa. That masala is different from the usually yellow goo they put in dosas at other places. I am not a fan of all their chutneys though. In fact, I miss the tomato-onion chutney they give everywhere else.
ReplyDeleteThat said, it's one of the best dosa-idli-veg-tiffin place in singapore. most other places are crappy.
I need to come to SG to eat from that branch :D
Deletenice blogspot.. update more post... we are vegetarian caterers catering services in chennai and caterers in tambaram , anna nagar chennai .
ReplyDelete