Cholan mess — Restaurant in Zone 8 Anna Nagar

A disastrous dining experience at Chozhan Mess. Not Worth the Hype!

Hi Makkaley,

This review is for everyone.

My family of eight and I had pre-booked a table at this restaurant, and we were excited to try the much-advertised Trichy Kalyana Virundhu after spotting their ad in The Times of India for months. Our expectations were high given its prime location and nostalgic Tamil village-themed decor, vintage Tamil cinema posters, actors’ portraits, and songs from the 1940s–60s.

But from the moment we stepped in, the experience started going downhill.

Despite making a reservation in advance, we were bluntly informed that mutton virunthu dishes were unavailable and only chicken options were left. This was at 2 PM sharp, not late by any means. What’s the point of pre-booking if the main dishes aren’t reserved for us? Major disappointment!

The frustration only grew from here. We placed our order and waited 15+ minutes, only to have the dishes served one by one, at random intervals. Imagine sitting at a table with family, waiting for each item to arrive separately instead of enjoying a meal together.

Hospitality? It was nowhere to be found. This was a disaster for a ‘virundhu’ experience.

Calling for water? Aiyayoo! We had to literally koovi koovi (call out loudly) to get a glass of water. And the service staff? Completely clueless. They weren’t Tamil-speaking, didn’t understand basic requests, and seemed to be just dropping plates on the table as per instructions. A total mismatch for a restaurant selling an "authentic Tamil dining experience" right in the heart of Chennai. Branding and real-time experience are far too far; ideally, it should be well connected and committed.

It was not just bad service; the food itself was unimpressive. We expected hot and fresh food at 2–3 PM on a Saturday, but everything was lukewarm at best. The seeraga samba biryani, known for its rich taste in places like Dindigul, Ambur, Kongu Belt, Madurai, and Trichy, was far from authentic. This outlet topped the list of failures.

Let’s talk about innovation or its lack thereof. Dumping turmeric, red chili, and curry leaves on every dish does NOT make it ‘Chettinad cuisine.’ If they really want to serve authentic food, the management needs to train staff properly, especially on menu descriptions. Oon Soru, Kattu Soru, these aren’t just fancy names; they have distinct meanings and should be explained to customers properly.

The total bill was ₹3,166, paid and forgotten. But the suffering from this meal? Unforgettable.

This experience was an absolute mess, terrible service, below-average food, and a hospitality failure.

Save your time, money, and patience. AVOID this place at all costs.

Chozhan Mess, if you’re reading this, fix your food, service, and staff training before selling a ‘Tamil Virundhu’ experience.

#Disappointed...

To day we are going cholan mess at anna nager 2,30pm,That's okay After to us They gave place we Ordered Five Chicken Meals Two Country Chicken Means Chicken income We ordered the hunt A few minutes later a server brought in a train Five cups of sambar, five cups of curd for five minutes Five cups each cup 4 pieces of courgette 65 put I don't understand what we ordered Chicken News brought Sambar Potato Fry Yogurt If you ask what, yes sir, this will come to this moustache Making the chicken broth If the chicken broth is blown and eaten The chicken gravy was very spicy Call the supplier person We said give rasam Rasam said that he had left it empty It is too much to say that ther We are At 2:30 pm on Sunday, Cholan Restaurant located in Anna Nagar We went as a family to eat there There was a waiting list, they asked us to sit outside, we put chairs outside and sat When you give your nameThat's okay After to us They gave place Will not eat Ordered Five Chicken Meals Two Country Chicken Means Chicken income We ordered the hunt A few minutes later a server brought in a train Five cups of sambar, five cups of curd for five minutes Five cups each cup 4 pieces of courgette 65 put I don't understand what we ordered Chicken News brought Sambar Potato Fry Yogurt If you ask what, yes sir, this will come to this moustache Making the chicken broth If the chicken broth is blown and eaten The chicken gravy was very spicy Call the supplier person We said give rasam Rasam said that he had left it empty It is too much to say that there is no rasam in such a large traditional Cholan restaurant It was bad To everyone in our family On that day Didn't feel like eating The gravy taste was very bland This review work of ours Administration to us Please give a suitable answer It is regrettable that corn S is in such a...

We ended up here after watching too many Insta reels, and honestly, we feel completely misled by the influencers. Anyone who claimed this place serves good food was either lying or had zero taste.

We visited on a Sunday for lunch and got a table within 10 minutes since we were a bit early. But from there, things went downhill fast. The service was terrible—slow, unorganized, and frustrating. It took them at least 15 minutes just to take our order and another 30 minutes to serve the food. That alone was a disappointment.

Now, coming to the food—OMG, those so-called biryanis were anything but biryanis. It was just plain pulao-style rice, with no real spices or flavor. The pieces of meat were tiny and not nearly enough. And that dalcha, kadavule no words man. Then we tried their Oon Soru—another disaster. It was just that same bland "biryani" mixed with chicken thokku, which was overly salty, way too spicy, and just bad.

The Nei Poondu Kozhi Varuval? A joke. It was barely two spoons of boiled chicken with no ghee at all—just soggy and disappointing. The only slightly decent dish was Moru Moru Kozhi, but at the end of the day, it was just a crispy Chicken 65—nothing special.

Overall, it was an extremely bad experience. The money we spent here felt like a total waste. Their menu looks fantastic, but don’t be fooled—the food does not live up to it. Worstu worstu...