Annalaya Restaurant, Nungambakkam - Manar Kari Virunthu - Southern style Non veg feast

The name Annalaya sounded like a veg restaurant so I was happy to know it serves non-veg too when I got a message from them to taste the menu. I had not heard of this restaurant before so decided to go for it. 

Located at Jaganathan street, Nungambakkam it’s hard to miss because of the red branding. Right next to Vijay TV office and opposite where Waf O’ Bel used to be. Lots of parking space.

Arrived early to take some photos. The place was quite crowded after 1 pm. 

Was warmly welcomed by the staff on arrival. The manager explained that Annalaya comes under Grand Catering group which has many other brands under its wing like Barottas, Green circle which is a private dining setup right above the restaurant.

Annalaya’s ambiance was interesting with the walls having images of cooking artefacts and traditional dancers. There was a row of Kuthu vilakkus in the middle of the dining section. Decor was woody with reminded a bit of Woodlands.

The menu looks different since it’s not organised by cuisine. Most of the favourites are present in there but may take longer to find. The manager recommended me to try the Manar Kari Virunthu which is one of their signature items so I went with that. Since it has almost all the non-veg curries there was no need to spend time choosing.

While waiting they explained about the brand. Basically they started out as a veg restaurant but decided to pivot later on to non-veg to cater to both. First came a Lemon nannari sharbat with basil seeds on top. It was okay not too sweet. Then came the mutton soup which was light, spicy n good. Had only a few sips to keep space. In some time the food arrived.

Was surprised to see a banana leaf laid out, it’s always nice to eat in one. Then the waiter kept adding dish after dish around the leaf until half the table was covered with items. 

Hard to beat the feel of eating on a banana leaf!

Manar Kari Virunthu

This is the house speciality at Annalaya restaurant. There were 26 items in all with about 13 curries of chicken, mutton, fish nd prawn along with limited servings of chicken/mutton biriyani too. The spread sure looked impressive and fit for a King but I was confident I would never come close to finishing it! With the rice served, I got all set to eat!

Had a bit of each item with rice just to get the taste of it. The best among the curries were the Naatu kozhi kozhambu and the Kaada kozhumbu. Both their gravies especially chicken was delicious and well-made. The mutton korma type gravy was thinner consistency, lightly flavoured unlike the usual spicy Chettinad ones. It would go well with barottas included in the menu. Nethili fry was quite crispy made with a light batter it was different and good. Kept munching on it. Decided to try the biriyani before I ended up filling my tummy with rice n curries. They had given samples of both mutton n chicken biriyani for tasting (its choose 1 in menu). The mutton bir was really good. Made with Zeeraga samba rice the flavour was subtle with that aroma of ghee that made it more tasty. Chicken biriyani wasn’t impressive felt it was bland. 

There were 3 simple veg sides/Kootu. Prawn curry was tasty too. Was one fish fry and a fish curry. Fish curry was good and the fry was good enough. Mutton chops and liver was tender and masala was pretty good. They also brought mutton kola urundai for tasting. This was good, differently made with a crisp exterior and a soft interior with minced meat. By this time, I had almost reached my capacity and washed it down with two glasses of buttermilk. Decided to go for 
desserts since I tasted everything.

 Nannari Sharbat -

                                                     Mutton Kola Urundai - ordered seperately

Mutton biriyani made with Seeraga samba rice

   

For dessert there was a unique looking gulab jamun. It had sugar crystals on the outside and the inside was also thicker. Tasted good and so did the mango ice cream that the other dessert.






















 Most of the dishes weren’t spicy and without an overdose of salt n masala. Would suit most people especially for this sultry climate. Spoke to the management who said authentic Chettinad in the rural parts isn't spicy and is mostly veg! The price for this Manar kari Virunthu is rs 700 which is on the higher end. But given the great location and neat ambiance it’s a decent deal. Since this was a tasting session, meal was on-the-house. A convenient place to visit for officegoes in the area. There are also other lunch Virunthu sappadu from rs250 to 500 with fewer items based around mutton, fish and chicken and even Nethili. Gave the above feedback about the dishes and pricing they were happy to receive it. 

The parent company of Annalaya is Grand Catering Company. Having many brands under their banner including Barrotas, Jeevan Cafe and more. This is their mobile kitchen for events.  

Inside Green Circle: the private dining facility located on the first floor. The space was serene and well-furnished with soothing music while I was waiting. Would be convenient for office team outings where more privacy is needed. They rent it out on an hourly and day-to-day basis as well.