Healthy & Delicious
Chennai Garden
Carol Braha
Issue date: 5/1/09 Section: Features
It's not the black awning or the ornamental lighting outside 129 East 27th Street that draws you in to Chennai Garden. Rather, it's the tantalizing aroma of Indian crepes and spices and the seemingly never-ending supply of delicious foods. Although the décor at this kosher and vegetarian Indian restaurant is nothing out of the ordinary, the servers at Chennai Garden have a positive attitude that is reflected in the food and in the overall pleasant and relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant. Indeed, it's the food at Chennai Garden, inspired by the cuisines of Southern India, that makes the experience so worthwhile.
Every Monday through Friday, from 11:30 AM until 3:00 PM, Chennai Garden offers a very popular "all you can eat" buffet for just $6.95. During those hours, Chennai Garden is quite crowded with people of all ages who share one thing in common: a craving for the variety of rice, breads, salads, sauces, and curries all available on the buffet. The servers do a spectacular job of keeping their patrons happy during buffet hours, constantly refilling the water glasses and providing patrons with clean plates for rounds two, three, and four.
During non-buffet hours, weekdays from 5:00 PM until 10:00 PM, and weekends from 12:00 PM until 10:00 PM, Chennai Garden offers rather generous portions of food at very affordable prices.
From their soups ($3.95), Chennai Garden is best known for their spicy Rasam soup, a traditional spicy tamarind lentil soup. Their tomato soup is also tasty and only lightly spiced. The salads ($3.95) are actually surprisingly bland and not worth ordering.
Dhai Vadai ($4.95) is one of Chennai Garden's most popular appetizers. These lightly spiced rice and lentil flour donuts are smothered in a delicious tangy yogurt sauce. Other delicious appetizers include the Vadai in Rasam Bowl, which is two savory donuts afloat in rasam soup, and the Batata Vada ($3.95), which is potato fritters served with a spicy sweet sauce. Of course, Chennai Garden also offers two very popular Indian appetizers, Samosas ($3.95), which are flaky turnovers filled with spicy potatoes and green peas, and Bajjia (3.95), which is assorted vegetables dipped in chickpea batter and fried.
Every Monday through Friday, from 11:30 AM until 3:00 PM, Chennai Garden offers a very popular "all you can eat" buffet for just $6.95. During those hours, Chennai Garden is quite crowded with people of all ages who share one thing in common: a craving for the variety of rice, breads, salads, sauces, and curries all available on the buffet. The servers do a spectacular job of keeping their patrons happy during buffet hours, constantly refilling the water glasses and providing patrons with clean plates for rounds two, three, and four.
During non-buffet hours, weekdays from 5:00 PM until 10:00 PM, and weekends from 12:00 PM until 10:00 PM, Chennai Garden offers rather generous portions of food at very affordable prices.
From their soups ($3.95), Chennai Garden is best known for their spicy Rasam soup, a traditional spicy tamarind lentil soup. Their tomato soup is also tasty and only lightly spiced. The salads ($3.95) are actually surprisingly bland and not worth ordering.
Dhai Vadai ($4.95) is one of Chennai Garden's most popular appetizers. These lightly spiced rice and lentil flour donuts are smothered in a delicious tangy yogurt sauce. Other delicious appetizers include the Vadai in Rasam Bowl, which is two savory donuts afloat in rasam soup, and the Batata Vada ($3.95), which is potato fritters served with a spicy sweet sauce. Of course, Chennai Garden also offers two very popular Indian appetizers, Samosas ($3.95), which are flaky turnovers filled with spicy potatoes and green peas, and Bajjia (3.95), which is assorted vegetables dipped in chickpea batter and fried.
Be the first to comment on this story