India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (173 page)

Raintree
CHETTINAD It was in this atmospheric outdoor restaurant that this unique South Indian cuisine first emerged from the Chettiar family kitchen and into the commercial arena. The rain trees were sadly swept over by a massive storm some years back, but a number of palms still bravely screen off Spencer mall, and the ambience, lit with fairy lights and candles, is very pleasant indeed. Try to book a table in front of the stage, featuring a slick classical dance and music program. Sipping on a wide-brimmed copper goblet of
vasantha neer,
honey-sweetened coconut water, flavored with mint leaves, you can’t go wrong with crunchy
Karuveppilai year,
prawns marinated in a spicy curry paste and deep fried, as a starter, along with
Urugai idli vathakkal
(pickle-filled cocktail
idlies
) and
Kuzhi paniaram
(rice and lentil batter tempered with spices and shallow fried on a special griddle). Leave space for mains, of which the
kozhi Chettinad,
tender boneless chicken in an authentic Chettinad gravy, best had with
appams
(rice flour pancakes) and
Meen kozhumbu
(spicy fish curry with shallots, garlic, onion, tamarind pulp, and fresh mango—have this with lemon rice, or soak up with a
dosa
), will blow you away. Even if you don’t have a sweet tooth, do not leave without trying the
elaneer paayasam
—tender coconut kernels, coconut milk, and condensed milk—arguably the best dessert in the state.

Taj Connemara, Binny Rd.
044/5500-0000.
Reservations essential in winter season. Main courses Rs 275–Rs 525 (Prawns Rs 725). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 7:30pm–midnight.

CHENNAI AFTER DARK

Unlike Bangalore, Chennai doesn’t have much of a nightlife, thanks to its rather orthodox values, and a police force that keeps a strict eye on official closing time: midnight. The only real options are located within upmarket hotels, making access relatively easy for foreign visitors. If all you want is to have a drink, one of the classiest places to do so is still the
Leather Bar
(
044/4267-6000
), at The Park hotel on Anna Salai. Afterwards, saunter over to The Park’s nightclub,
Pasha
(
044/5214-4000;
Wed–Sun), a crowded club that’s all about being seen—it warrants a visit even just for a few minutes to watch (easy if you’re residing at The Park, which automatically gives you free access). Another groovy watering hole, attracting a slightly older crowd, is
Havana
(
044/4225-2525
), in the Raintree Hotel—this is more of a lounge-bar, comfortable for people-watching and particularly entertaining when the (small) disco floor gets productive. The
Bike & Barrel
at The Residency Towers is more faux English pub than disco, and has the awful habit of holding karaoke nights, but on certain nights the place is transformed into a more happening spot—look out for evenings when DJs Anto and Vivek spin retro remixes and reedits, or play popular motion picture sound tracks. More highbrow fare is served at
Rhapsody,
the lounge-bar at Courtyard by Marriot—while there’s no dance floor it’s a great venue, and like Havana attracts a more sophisticated local crowd. Alternatively, head over to
Distil
(
044/5500-0000
) at the Taj Connemara: With large-screen TVs, it has a bit of a sports-bar feel, but when it’s full it has an energetic buzz, and the fresh fruit cocktails are great: try the lychee vodka or the watermelon martini.
Fort St George
(
044/6600-2827
)
at Taj Coromandel serves the most expensive beer in the city, and attracts a suitably well-heeled and glossy clientele.

SHOPPING

Chennai isn’t charming, but it does offer good shopping—if you want a one-stop mall destination, head to the labyrinthine
Spencer Plaza,
conveniently located opposite Taj Connemara. Said to be the largest shopping complex in South India, Spencer Plaza was Chennai’s first mall, and is still the most popular, but with low ceilings and claustrophobic corridors, and a generally confusing layout, this is not mall shopping as you know it in the West. It has around 400 shops; if you haven’t for instance had a chance to shop at the famous
FabIndia,
where you can pick up cotton garments,
kurtas
(tunics), and ethnic furnishings and linens for next to nothing, you can do so at the small Spencer Plaza outlet. There are however five more outlets in the city, all open daily; if you hate malls, the best (and biggest) FabIndia outlet is in a beautifully renovated heritage home: Ilford House, 3 Woods Rd. (off Anna Salai;
044/2851-0395
or 044/5202-7015). Spencer Plaza also has an outlet of
Hidesign,
the Pondicherry-based outfit renowned for top-quality leather goods, created by Indian craftsmen and internationally renowned Italian designers. There is also a Hidesign in the
Ispahani Center
(one of the city’s smallest, glitziest and most peaceful malls) located on Nungambakkam High Rd.;
044/2833-2111
or 044/5214-149); here you can also pop into
Casablanca
for men and women’s wear (women shouldn’t miss a look at particularly the Gecko range). But perhaps the best shopping experience, also in Nungambakkam, is to stroll along
Khader Nawaz Khan Road
: potholed it may be, but Chennai’s retail “golden mile” holds the densest concentration of Indian high-street designer stores in the city (as well as, bizarrely, a Marks & Spencer). If you’re not going to Pondicherry, this is where you can browse the goods produced by the community in the City of Dawn at
Naturally Auroville Boutique
(8 Khader Nwaz Rd.;
044/2833-0517
); also pop into
Cotton World
just above, and don’t miss
Evoluzione
at #3 (
044/4213-9800
).