Chellammals Manpaanai Samayal — Restaurant in Tamil Nadu

LONG REVIEW - I use this review platform of Google to convey few things that I feel genuinely(my view and don't need others to feel the same) about the "experience" the owner wants his guest to have a traditional food.

The food, variety, quality, quantity (went for table buffet, so unlimited), service esp the way that akka tells you including the ingredients used of any particular dish gives you a wow factor.. The ambience is good and welcoming.. So its definitely a huge hit for people who want to experience such a food which goes down the root of Tamil food.

STOP!

Yes, the points mentioned above is definitely true. BUT, you will experience this only if you had never tried any Tamil style food and it's serving methods..

I being a chennaite, living with Tamil food and lifestyle and really wanted to try this place after getting inspired by earthenware cooking and the all woman kitchen.. To the owner - You employed local people to bring out the taste of local food.. Appreciate. But how can you expect them to serve NRIs with their queries about food? ( Not generalising and limited to my fellow diners who were all NRIs and I be the only local lad) They ask the server akka numerous questions about the taste, ingredients, history, geography of items etc.

Coming to service. Looks like the owner only target those who never had or have awareness on what Tamil food at all. Those are the guys who will Be sceptical on each food, ingredients and it's allergies. These ppl have their serving in teaspoon to get it tested first.. Like sample paakarthu. Fine. Thats individual capacity of intake and habit on food that cannot and shouldn't be judged or commented. But in general Indians consider welcoming if the server serves you more food. More in the sense a good portion of serving or just right portion of what one normal meals eater eat. I think it's my bad day that I was forced to have my food with ppl who never knew how a Tamil food be like . And that serving akka misunderstood that I belong to them and served me tiny portions of everything and when I asked for repeat she told me that I need to taste all the items and shouldn't stick to one particular item. Yea, intention is right. But that is not the service we Indians provide to our guest and also any venture advertise that they serve unlimited food. I had to ask multiple times for repeat as everything served esp sides were only teaspoon or even less of portion.

I paid 275 for this buffet. To be honest, the food tasted amazing. Quality top notch.Service is miscalculated completely and if these serving akkas gives freedom of serving, then they show what Tamil style of serving. But unfortunately it is not and instructed to please the guests with their requirements. But at a given point, not everyone belongs to same family that has same food habits.. The point is I felt left out and service was generic and not based on individual appetite or preference. The serving akka was so sweet though.. Smiling and giving details of food etc etc.

One thing to the owner.You aimed to promote the traditional Tamil food among the people. But it is only half success to my pov as only the NRI and people who don't know what Tamil food understand these items exist. But your own people and the people who belong to the roots like me felt betrayed when I was treated like a foreigner. Know your customer and you don't need to be too much professional to please your guests..Just understanding the guests by their style of eating itself gives you more business.

To summarise my experience in a phrase in Tamil, Sontha veetlaye enna virunthali aakiteenga (meaning, they treated me a visitor in...

A healthy and lovely experience to fill in your tummies with the traditional vegetarian thali

I recently had the pleasure of savoring a traditional Vegetarian Thali experience in Thanjavur and it was an experience I shall never forget!

As I walked into the restaurant, the friendly staff welcomed me with warm smiles and humble hospitality. I was thrilled when they presented me with a traditional banana leaf, when I was expecting a big Thali plate. The aesthetically arranged dishes in mud pots included crispy Vazhai poo Vadai, soft veggies, chutneys, sambar, and a selection of amazing local vegetables and the 3 Keerai's. Each and every dish was packed with an explosion of flavors and the freshness of the spices was evident with each bite.

It was a truly scrumptious treat that was completely satisfying from the first dish Panagam (Jaggery water) to the last dish Lassi. The dishes were not only delicious but also healthy. They were very well balanced ensuring that nothing was too heavy, and every item complemented the flavors of the others. It was a delight to experience the diverse textures and tastes of the food served in such a traditional way.

What captivated me the most was the authenticity and the love that went into the cooking... Slow cooking... I could see the fresh ingredients in every dish that tasted raw with freshness. Overall, the tantalizing flavors, the unique presentation, and the friendly staff combined to make for an unforgettable traditional Vegetarian Thali experience.

I would highly recommend this restaurant to food lovers and anyone willing to try a unique and authentic local cuisine.

Thank you for the...

Food is taste-wise normal. The Thanjavur special meal has only 8 items and a 200 rs charge; they told me to take individual dishes. It's a scam; each dish is 25 rs so that they can make more money. For 350 Rs, unlimited AC food... Today for me it's a pathetic scam, getting money from common people Service is pathetic.... Don't go...dishes normal taste...

📌

For coming to Thanjavur to explore and trying something new food..

Money is not a problem for me, okay…

25 Rs per item, 15 items – it's around 375.

Okay… Then serving sambar, buttermilk, puliyodarai, rasam, etc. Also, an additional amount is to be paid.

I clearly asked the serviceman; he suggested whatever you want. Choose sambar and the other, and I will give it. That's why I ordered individually, okay…. So your staff misled me. I just plan to try 200 Thanjavur specials. Tally for me; it's enough… Individually coming and eating, you need to improve your service too… Take care of the customer's needs and ask what they want and what the plan is…. Misleading is happening because your staff give clear instructions to ladies: don't give full meals to customers. If full meals are finished, you just clearly say it's just finished.

If you have a plan to finish the rest of the food items, don't dump them on someone's heads. It happened today; just ask your service staff.

📌 Cross check with the CCTV camera

While in the hand wash area, I saw an old lady open a packet for cooking with his teeth. There are no scissors to open the packet. Is this the right way? If youbhave any dought pls check camera in the cooking area , it will be between today at 1:45pm and 2:15pm.

So totally...