Thoondil The Family Restaurant — Restaurant in Tamil Nadu

On a recent trip back from Mahabalipuram with my African friend , I checked the restaurant options along the ECR on my Mobile. The name of this restaurant came on top. Our driver also said that it’s very popular. So we decided to stop for lunch and check if all the hype about it is true. Unfortunately, right when we walked into the almost dark enclosure till we paid our bill, we were thoroughly disappointed. We ordered some fried fish and specifically told the waiter to make it less spicy. We waited for our dishes to arrive and the waiter who took our order disappeared. Straining my eyes in the dimly lit enclosure, I walked up to a group of young waiters loitering around the sink and wash areas. They gave a blank look and then u realised they don’t speak Tamil or English. After I explained to them in my Tamilised Hindi, they said they have not received any order as the gentleman left for the day! I had to repeat the entire order again and the instruction to make it less spicy. All the while my friend wax sweating under the sweltering heat, with the fan making more noise than breeze. Finally, when the food came- my friend took one tiny bit of the deep fried fish and could not hide his disappointment at the strong spices. Even for me it was too spicy. He continued to drink the water and the sweet lime juice and was waiting to get out. Unable to bear his agony, I too left the food untouched as it was too spicy .. very disappointed we paid our bills and left the place making a mental note, not to visit this place again. With so much hype, the restaurant should improve the service to live up to the customer expectations. Service, quality of food and ambience - everything needs a complete overhaul. Hope the restaurant will pull up their socks and improve the service and listen to...

Thoondil is an offbeat place away from the city. Location: Few kms away from sholinganallur-Ecr road towards Mahabalipuram

Ambience: Fantastic ambience with cool huts around with plenty of trees and fountains which added beauty to the place.

Parking: will have parking issues though as there is no big parking space outside the restaurant but like a normal space like anyother ECR restaurants

Food: the place is famous for sea foods and it has plenty of options for the same We can choose the sea food option from the freezer and they can weigh and estimate the price for us. Following are the food we tasted:

Tawa fish We chose a fish koduva fish from the freezer waiter estimated it to be 800rs for a full medium sized fish weighing around 400grams

Taste: OMG the taste was just awesome🤩🤩😍 we loved it. Texture, masala taste and the decor was simply awesome. (Definitely go for it guys)

Special meal which had nethili fry, crab gravy, fish curry, paapad rasam, rice, curd costed to 380rs

Which we felt was okayish fish curry and rasam though was tasty (doubtful to order the same next time)

Chicken ghee roast It had Tamilnadu Desi masala blended with ghee (not mangalorian type) but it worked well with us taste was awesome.

Mutton Biryani Biryani's taste was very nice but not the mutton inside it which felt raw. (Will not order this next time may be a different Biryani definitely)

Egg fried rice So Bland and didn't have a enough flavour of the other egg fried rice which I had tasted before. 190rs ( will not try the next time)

Total bill costed around 1960rs for these 5 dishes which was bit higher fur the dishes we ordered. But overall a very good dining...

A Seafood Lover's Paradise!

I had the pleasure of dining at thoondil last night, and it was an absolute seafood delight! From the moment we stepped in, the inviting ambiance and the aroma of freshly cooked seafood set the perfect tone for the evening.

To start, we ordered the seafood platter, which was a beautiful assortment of succulent shrimp, perfectly grilled, tender calamari, and sweet, juicy crab legs. Each piece was cooked to perfection and seasoned just right, making it a true feast for the taste buds.

For the main course, I couldn't resist trying their famous sea fish fry, it was like a warm hug on a chilly evening.

Moving on to the entrées, I opted for the grilled fish, and it did not disappoint. The fish was flaky, moist, and had a delightful smoky flavor from the grill. The chef's skill in balancing the seasoning allowed the natural flavors of the fish to shine through.

To top off our extraordinary meal, we ordered the seafood paella to share. The vibrant colors and fragrant saffron-infused rice were teeming with a medley of fresh clams, mussels, shrimp, and tender chunks of fish. It was a seafood lover's dream come true!

The service throughout the evening was exceptional. Our server was attentive, knowledgeable about the menu, and made excellent recommendations. The staff ensured that our water glasses were never empty and that we had everything we needed for a delightful dining experience.

Truly impressed me with their top-notch seafood offerings, skilled culinary execution, and outstanding service. If you're a seafood enthusiast like us, this place is an absolute must-visit. I can't wait to return and explore more of their...