After having eaten at Leela and other five-star places, we decided to venture to 100 Feet Road in Indra Nagar. This strip, I was assured by my sister, is one of the best places to go. Try Annacni, she recommended. The friends I was hanging out with also recommended Annachi, so a bunch of us decided to give this restaurant a shot. We arrived there on a Saturday night at about 10pm (people tend to eat late in India) and found the place packed, so we had to wait to be seated. I was ready to bolt, but my friend persuaded me to wait and try the food.
Annachi specializes in Chettinand cuisine from the state of Tamil Nadu. The hallmark of Chettinad cuisine is the spiciness of the food, which is comprised of tamarind, green chillies, peppercorns, and ginger.
My friends helped me decipher the menu, as did the inputs from the waiter. We found that Annachi has a pretty extensive menu of vegetarian, meat, and seafood entrées. Their specialty is Chettinad chicken, Chettinad prawns, crab curry, and vathakozumbhu. Vathakozhumhu is a pungent soup made out of tamarind pulp that is tempered with mustard, onion, garlic, and other spices. The soup is mixed with rice, and it can be a pretty potent mixture if you are not used to eating spicy food, so watch out! If you fancy eating shark, that is also available on the menu.
You can either order á la carte or from their set menu referred to as thali and comprised of chappati (Indian tortillas), a serving of rice, sambhar, rasam (the original precursor to the now-famous British soup popularly called Mullagatawny), vegetables, dessert, and papad.
Choosing the right dish might prove to be a bewildering experience, as we discovered. We wanted to be adventurous, but at the same time, eat a dish that appealed to our taste buds. So, we decided to take the safe route the first time we were at this restaurant. We elected to go we went with their vegetable biryani, chicken biryani, raita, and dessert. Both the biryanis were flavorful and spicy, but not hot. The dessert, which was another Chettinad specialty, was a huge disappointment.
The second time we went, we ordered the thali and an order of Chettinad chicken. The thali was very good, and the chicken was very well marinated and cooked. It was an instant hit with our group.
The place is constantly packed, and getting a table during lunch or dinner can mean a wait of 15 to 50 minutes. The staff is very efficient and helpful and can answer any questions you might have about their menu. The first time, we had to wait for about 20 minutes before our order made it to our table.
Try this place out if you want to eat something different that is tasty and spicy.