Tanjore Tiffin Room: Best of South Indian Food

Honest confession. I love having South Indian food but I am guilty of having it mostly when I need to cure a hangover and need a comforting meal to dig into. So I usually end up ordering dosas and idlis on a Sunday for brunch, because it simply never fails me. Last Sunday we had a stupendous meal at the Tanjore Tiffin Room as a kind of fix for the partying we did the night before. And let me tell you, the food was beyond our expectations.

We went to the Pali Hill, Bandra West, outlet. The decor is really nicely done and it was packed to the brim. Thankfully we had made a prior reservation.

We started with some beer (of course!) and had mini idlis as a starter, along with some chicken cutlets. The chicken cutlets are not the kind of large cutlets that we get back home in Kolkata but rather 5 small pieces of cutlets that look like kebabs. The idlis are the size of a large coin and they were lightly fried and coated in gunpowder, a dry masala that is a specialty in South India. Both of these went excellently with the beer.

For the main course, the menu is quite vast and confusing, so do ask for a “sampler plate” and they’ll bring you a small sample of all their curries. You can choose which one to have before ordering and I feel this is a really nice way to let the customer choose exactly what they want. We ordered the Madras Railway Curry and Chicken Ghee Roast with some Malabar Parottas and Appams. The Ghee Roast was really out of the world and reminded me so much of the mutton curry we have back in Kolkata but with soft tender pieces of chicken. The Madras Railway Curry was a lighter curry and a new and interesting dish for us. The Appams were soft and fluffy while the parottas were crisp and flaky. We ended the meal with a bowl of payasam which is a version of a Bengali sweet dish called payesh, made of thick milk, sugar, and rice.

Overall, it was an experience to remember. We ate like it was going out of style and were stuffed to the brim. The cost for the entire meal along with drinks came to Rs 3600 which was absolutely worth it. The service was top class and deserves a special mention. We will be going back again and this place is highly recommended.