We would call this chain of restaurants as “the ultimate place to have sumptuous vegetarian food in Chennai”. And that comes from two hard core non vegetarian food lovers! In fact when I got married and shifted to Chennai, Desi Mane (pronounced as Desi Maaney) was one of the first places we went to. And to say that the food delighted me would really be an understatement! The negative aspect of this place is the long queue that you may have to sometimes put up with because of the demand of this place, but then, the quality of the food more than makes up for it!
Desi Mane is a food lover’s heaven. One thing that I noticed unique about this place is that all their dosa recipes are cooked in olive oil. However, it’s the North Indian food segment that attracts me so much. Though we ordered for a “Bread Basket” the other day to get a feel of it; I would strictly ask you not to order it unless there are at least 3-4 people around. The bread basket is just a platter with 4 breads of your own choice – Naan, Tawa Roti, Masala Kulcha, Missi Roti are some of the varieties. Another thing to never try if you are alone is the “Kebab Platter” – the quantity is so much that one plate suffices for 3 people. Most dishes are good but it’s the north Indian ones that attract most orders. “Pindi Chholey” and “Daal Makhni” are two favourites and both sell like hot cakes. A unique feature that I found in this chain of restaurants is that South Indian dishes (esp the dosa category) are all cooked in Olive Oil. However, I shall not be able to give you an update of that as we are yet to try it. The juices are very good and what’s great about it is that it is made right in front of you in a counter that is visible from almost all the tables. So, there is no room for doubt about the freshness.
The bread basket costs around Rs. 200 and each individual bread is priced somewhere around Rs. 45, but then, if one naan is enough for a lunch/dinner, who is complaining? The rice categories are priced around Rs. 130/per plate while the side dishes vary between Rs. 135 to Rs. 185 for a plate. All in all, a wonderful place to visit as a vegetarian.
OUR RATINGS:
Ambience: 3.5/5 (Superb ambience, deserves a 4.5 but I unfortunately had to deduct because the last time we visited Desi Mane at City Centre, we happened to spot a tiny roach on the chair!)
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Price: 3.5/5
Overall: 4/5
OUR TAKE: If you don’t try the Daal Makhni here, you are seriously missing something. Try the Malai Kofta if you are specifically fond of it (I personally found it too sweet!)
Take time to read the table mat.. it is interesting! ;)
