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Triplicane RATHNA CAFE SAMBAR IDLY

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P.J.

P.J.

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Triplicane RATHNA CAFE SAMBAR IDLY




Bucket full of Sambar with Idly!!
Ratna Café offers high quality, vegetarian South Indian food. Founded in 1948, Ratna Café is a renowned family business in Chennai, famous for its Idli, Sambar, and award winning Special South India Filter Coffee, to name a few.

Triplicane Ratna Cafe has just undergone some serious renovation! the place is all spruced up.

ratna-cafe.jpg


At Ratna Café, perhaps the term should be ‘Sambar-Idli’ for the sambar served is in generous proportions. Lokesh Gupta, CEO, is proud that he can continue the age-old tradition of unlimited sambar in big bowls. “Our customers treat the idli as complements to the sambar,” he says. (It’s true, one can find customers drinking the sambar at Ratna Café.) They invariably order the idli-sambar first, before putting down other items. The sambar has a very traditional flavour, which is the result of a secret recipe, the proprietors say. This is a great budget joint.



They have opened a Branch at Central Railway Station, Chennai, for the benefit of Passengers!!


Commuters at the Central Railway Station can now relish sambar-soaked idlis from the kitchens of Ratna Cafe, with the inauguration of a food court, Food Central, on the station premises

IRCTC.jpg






Sweet, kaaram & kaapi for 'fast' passengers - The New Indian Express

and other sites.
 
PJ sir
this is one place I patronise in addition to woodlands tanjore mess for authentic south indian meals
when in chennai
 
The Velachery branch of Ratna Coffee in Chennai closed recently due lack of

patronage.. One reason ..I understood was the Idly Sambar was not tasty as it

should in Ratna Cafe..


TVK
 
hi
triplicane ratna cafe was my favorite place in 80's....my uncle used to live in triplicane....i used to visit ratna cafe triplicane

regularly....when i was in mylapore....santhi bhavan was good....now the quality has gone....just brand name runs the food

industry in chennai......
 
In the 50's and 60's, they were famous for their coffee also.
(I was studying in the College of the 'Princes')
Sad that their coffee is not on the current day's 'sought-after' list.

There was one other place in Triplicane (on 'formerly' Pycroft's Road) that was a most
popular hangout in the 50's and 60's for just their coffee.

Does anyone remember the name of that coffee shop? Coimbatore Krishnaiyer?
 
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Naina_Marbus said:
In the 50's and 60's, they were famous for their coffee also.
(I was studying in the College of the 'Princes')
Sad that their coffee is not on the current day's 'sought-after' list.

There was one other place in Triplicane (on 'formerly' Pycroft's Road) that was a most
popular hangout in the 50's and 60's for just their coffee.

Does anyone remember the name of that coffee shop? Coimbatore Krishnaiyer?
Click to expand...
hi

i remember the famous coffee shop in mylapore ..especially for tambrams...in kutchery road...its called ' RAYAIS COFEE'...i think

he is madwa ..kannada speaking brahmin...my uncle had lodge in pycrofts road...very close to ratna cafe...i think its called

SEA SIDE LODGE.....
 
there is a change in food preference of south indians specifically tamilnadu / more TN people prefer NV foods. the best food award this year in a popular national TV channel for south indian food went to Hotel Nala aaradhya a chennai restaurant. as anyone heard of it or gone there
 
Naina_Marbus said:
There was one other place in Triplicane (on 'formerly' Pycroft's Road) that was a most
popular hangout in the 50's and 60's for just their coffee.

Does anyone remember the name of that coffee shop? Coimbatore Krishnaiyer?
Click to expand...

In 70s, I lived in Triplicane, at OVM Street, parallel to Bells Road and Big Street. On those days, used to visit, Ratna Café, very famous for Sambar Idli and Murali Café. Murali Café at Pycrofts Road, is famous for their evening special viz. Rava Dosa and Wheat Halwa and hope this is the Hotel which you refer to.

In Pycrofts Road, quite adjacent to Ratna Café, there was one famous Bakery where each customer is sold with only one bread, such was the demand for bread of this Bakery then and I was told there used to be ‘Q’ in the morning.

Any body any idea……..? Name of the Bakery………..??

 
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Only here say from elders. Monthly token based meals hotel called ramana vilas patronized by bachelors lodging in triplicane area, and fondly called marana vilas.
 
In Pycrofts Road, quite adjacent to Ratna Café, there was one famous Bakery where each customer is sold with only one bread, such was the demand for bread of this Bakery then and I was told there used to be ‘Q’ in the morning.

Any body any idea……..? Name of the Bakery………..??
Click to expand...

Universal Bakery ?
 
in those days Spencer's Bread was very famous; only when i fall sick like Fever, my dad used to get it!!
 
P.J. said:
Triplicane RATHNA CAFE SAMBAR IDLY



Mr.PJ,
Thank you for your valuable information. I am really mad about Rathna cafe Idly sambar. Now kindly let me if "Idly sambar" will be available at central branch throughout the day so that I can get down at central on the way to Parrys to have my favourite Idly Sambar at any time.What about Vadai you have not mentioned anything about this combo item...NARASIMHAN
Click to expand...
 
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P.J. said:
in those days Spencer's Bread was very famous; only when i fall sick like Fever, my dad used to get it!!
Click to expand...
why do south indians take bread only when they are sick?all westerners pray for their daily bread.in france .,they have bread which looks like a rod about 2 inches diameter about 8-10 inches long which are sliced .
 
krish44 said:
why do south indians take bread only when they are sick?all westerners pray for their daily bread.in france .,they have bread which looks like a rod about 2 inches diameter about 8-10 inches long which are sliced .
Click to expand...



I think bread can be the recommended safe diet for patients and those who are convalescing. That is why even in all Government Hospitals, till today, patients are supplied with Milk and Bread in the morning.

The practice may be due to the influence of British who ruled us for over two centuries.
 
hi
bread is easy digestive...in western countries ..its their daily diet....like french....in cuba...the bread is long and big in size...
 
V.Balasubramani said:
In 70s, I lived in Triplicane, at OVM Street, parallel to Bells Road and Big Street. On those days, used to visit, Ratna Café, very famous for Sambar Idli and Murali Café. Murali Café at Pycrofts Road, is famous for their evening special viz. Rava Dosa and Wheat Halwa and hope this is the Hotel which you refer to.

In Pycrofts Road, quite adjacent to Ratna Café, there was one famous Bakery where each customer is sold with only one bread, such was the demand for bread of this Bakery then and I was told there used to be ‘Q’ in the morning.

Any body any idea……..? Name of the Bakery………..??
Click to expand...

No Sir, it is not Murali Cafe. I was referring to a shop that prepared and sold only hot steaming and absolutely intoxicating Coffee.
 
Naina_Marbus said:
No Sir, it is not Murali Cafe. I was referring to a shop that prepared and sold only hot steaming and absolutely intoxicating Coffee.
Click to expand...

Sir,

It should be Coimbatore Krishna Iyer's Hotel about which I have read few articles contributed by VIPs in Music field. During 60s & 70s Triplicane had Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, NKT Hall, Mahajana Sabha at Thiruvetiswaranpet, etc where the old generation music and stage artistes meet frequently. Life at Triplicane was great, with Marina Beach, Parthasarathy Temple, Playing cricket inside Government Estate, Watching cricket at Madras Cricket Club, Chepauk, Getting old books and magazines at Pycrofts Road, etc etc:)
 
V.Balasubramani said:
In 70s, I lived in Triplicane, at OVM Street, parallel to Bells Road and Big Street. On those days, used to visit, Ratna Café, very famous for Sambar Idli and Murali Café. Murali Café at Pycrofts Road, is famous for their evening special viz. Rava Dosa and Wheat Halwa and hope this is the Hotel which you refer to.

In Pycrofts Road, quite adjacent to Ratna Café, there was one famous Bakery where each customer is sold with only one bread, such was the demand for bread of this Bakery then and I was told there used to be ‘Q’ in the morning.

Any body any idea……..? Name of the Bakery………..??
Click to expand...
Sir,
I do remember it was a hotel run by famous Coimbatore Krishna Iyer, famour for Ghee Kesari, Mysore Bonda and Filter Coffee. Hope my memory does not deceive me. If found wrong any senior member, I feel sorry for my misleading note. The existing Krishna Sweets is run by Late Sri Krishna Iyer's family members. Am I correct.
 
krish44 said:
why do south indians take bread only when they are sick?all westerners pray for their daily bread.in france .,they have bread which looks like a rod about 2 inches diameter about 8-10 inches long which are sliced .
Click to expand...

I eat sliced bread only when I have nothing better, just above grass.
South Indian vegetarian food is the only food rest is only filler.
 
In those days, Spencer's Bread was a famous for its quality and Taste; later on only Modern Bread and other Brands came up.

McRennett Bakery Bread and Nigiris Bread are also famous in later years.

Bread is tastier than probably Rice Kanchi !!!
 
Most of you are talking about only Madras cafes. What about so many other brahmin run hotels spread all through tamilnadu. Did you ever heard about Kaalliagudi at Mayavaram, Venkata lodge at Kumbakonam, Mayavaram lodge at Trichy and so many there were/are now even in those places., College House at Madurai ( the quality, stuff and service had gone down considerably now) One should have tasted Pongal at Kaaliagudi, Adai and keeraivadai at Mayavaram lodge and tasty meals at Venkata lodge. Those are all goldend days and i do not know about the present.
 
As the years pass, sweet memories come up & we in that age group desire to recollect those sweet days. Persons in the current age group of 50 plus will not know. Like-wise the Cooks employed in those Hotels may not live to-day. their and Next generations never gave that much care because office goers of later years had variously named hotels all over Madras & the craze obviously faded.

Secondly, the latest trend is to capture the eyes of present men & women towards hotels which try to COPY --like Idli Kadai, Dosa /10 varieties/with a number of side chutnies about 5/ 6 ? Can you? who have talked about the decades old Tasty hotels compromise the Sambar/ Chatni taste without getting the so-called Idlis immersed in Sambar to some how eat & come out. Then ? people like me ( I like Rava Muruhal , in a hotel ) come HOME soon & have Thayir Saadam with home made OORUHAI , to ensure no stomach upset .

(Rishikesan
 
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