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PhotoS K. Ananthan

Authentic fare from KaraikudiAt Rathna Regent

Will they hit the ceiling? I watched worriedly as a couple of foreigners piled up their plates at the buffet at Rathna Regent’s Karaikudi Festival. They didn’t.

The variety was so vast and the dishes so interesting they obviously didn’t let a small thing like chillies come in the way of their enjoyment! It was a fiery affair. But one that was comfortingly familiar.

There were the familiar paniyarams being spooned out hot from their pans, lacy aapams being delicately flipped, and of course, the veshti-clad servers with vibhuthi on their foreheads helping you make decisions.

The festival offers both a la carte and buffet. It was nice to see only a truly Chettinad spread out on offer at the buffet. One has got rather tired of seeing the mandatory paneer and dal makhni dishes everywhere. You won’t even miss them. There is so much to choose from.

The wonderful thing about ethnic festivals such as this one is the range of vegetables one gets to eat. I mean, where would you get pirkangai, senai, pudalangai, kothavarai, vazhaikai, and so on served to you in a restaurant? Or a manathakkali manga kari?

The soup was a murungaikai keerai paruppu soup or if you prefer, a kozhi pudhina saaru. After that the feast began with varuval, kootu, kozhambu, pirattal, usili, and plenty more.

One had mistakenly thought Chettinad samaiyal was mostly about non-vegetarian food. But, there was a satisfyingly large array of vegetarian dishes to choose from too. Not to mention the out-of-the-world kambu thayir sadam.

Those heading there for the celebrated Chettinaad non-vegetarian fare will not be disappointed. Karaikudi kozhi biriyani, Chettinaad meen kozhambu, Aachi ennai curry, keerai nandu pirattal, pallathur kozhi varuval, karuvappilai yera, etc, will welcome them warmly.

There is a variety of dosa, adai and idly, besides the plain rice and the mixed ones.

The desserts are varied too and so different. And, by the time you finish the spicy main course you will be happy to indulge in sweets. Somehow, the sweets seem enveloped in the temple prasadam fragrance.

There is annaasi pazha halwa, karupatti ukkarai, paasi paruppu pazha payasam, and gothumai rava kesari (absolutely great!), among others.

The buffet is available for dinner on weekdays, and both lunch and dinner on weekends till April 20. It is priced at Rs. 299 per head. For reservations and details, call 0422 - 2213099 / 98940 - 93637

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