only a handful of restaurants create a lasting impression in one’s mind and my culinary experience at dakshin, the iconic south indian restaurant at crowne plaza created quite an impact. although this is a late post, i didn’t want to miss blogging about this gem which has stood the test of time for over three decades now.
in fact, i happened to visit them when they were commemorating 30 years of dakshin and had introduced a specialthalicomprising of 30 dishes and this review is based on that experience.
i walked through the massive doors of dakshin and couldn’t help comparing it with a temple door. as a gentle classical instrumental music wafted throught the air, i was greeted by a sculpture of ganesha flanked on either side with brass lamps and an uruli filled with fresh flowers. the walls were painted in a bold green shade and adorned with such gorgeous tanjore paintings. the wooden carvings, the pillars, the matching carpets and tables with brass serve ware makes you feel like you are transported to an old golden era.
we began conversing over a glass of refreshing panagam, which is a concoction of jaggery, lemon juice, ginger and cardamom. chef deva walked in and explained the whole concept to us and about how in their kitchen, each chef is a master in his own section like the iyer trolley, seafood, coffee etc.
one of the many usp’s of dakshin includes the iyer’s trolley, a live trolley named after chef paramasivam iyer, which serves small adais, banana flavoured dosais and the kuzhi paniyarams – sourse itc website
the banana dosai from the iyre’s trolley made with 5 varieties of bananas left everyone craving for more. these mini pancake like preparation were soft with a slightly crispy crust and not overly sweet; just the way i like them. along with their tamarind chutney, it was simply too good.
kozhi rasam (soup) was served along with some paniyarams, mini podi idlys and delicious chutneys. the paniyarams were again a great hit. soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, they were seasoned well. this was another sought after dish that day. the podi idlys were also very tasty.
dakshin is known to have maintained some of the dishes in their menu right from their inception. the famous dakshin yera (prawns), marinated in their specially made masala and deep fried were juicy and spicy. loved it. their recipes are collected from home cooks and they improve on it with years of practise. the kozhi varuval was also a great starter.
after we had gorged on the paniyarams and banana dosas, it was time for the delectable dakshin thali. a huge silver plate comprising of parotta, iddiyappam, nadan style fish curry, dhal, sambhar, vegetable kuruma, rice and curd was served. mutton chettinadu and natu kozhi ammi masala were the two dishes that stood out from the rest. they also happened to be specially added to their menu in view of the 30 years celebration. the mutton chettinadu was spicy with a robust flavour and went well with the parotta. the nattu kozhi ammi masala true to its name was made with spices hand pounded. it was just delicious and went so well with the andhra style puloa. the nadan style fish curry was another favourite and went well with iddiyappam as recommended by the staff.
i must mention how friendly the staff were and had a fair knowledge about the food being served. they were extremely courteous and this sort of service is what makes us want to keep coming back to this place.
to end this feast we were served elaneer payasam and mukanni ice cream. the latter is an ice cream made in house using jackfruit, mango and banana. hence the name mukanni meaning three fruits. it was so delicious and its taste cannot be compared to anything that i have ever taste before. the elaneer payasam was again a great dessert and made so well. it was neither too thin nor very creamy. just the right consistency.
post the meal when we were offered filter coffee, and i being a huge fan of filter coffee could not turn it down. i personally feel that it’s the olfactory senses that gets to enjoy the aroma of the coffee before our gustatory system. and just like that the room was suddenly filled with the aroma of freshly brewed filter coffee.to our surprise one of their staff arrived at our table with a brass pitcher and container who then began pouring the coffee between the two conatiners from over a height of 3 feet roughly. we were then serveda perfect blend of frothy and strong filter coffee. my day was made.
in a nutshell
dakshin being one of chennai’s first south indian fine dining restaurant, i personally feel that this is a huge feat to have withstood the test of time and managed to dish out such delicious food all along. dakshin is definitely worth the visit and the next time we have guests visiting us from abroad and want to taste some authentic south indian food, i know where to bring them.