Masala Vadai: Masala means a mixture of spices and Vadai is a fried lentil snack. So, masala vadai is a fried snack made of masala lentil dough. The lentil dough is prepared from a soaked Channa gram or Bengal gram. The dough must be coarse to ensure that the vadai is crisp. The vadai here stayed true to the description above. One of the best Masala Vadai I have had in years. I would rate it close to the vadai I have had back in Chennai. This is neither that spicy nor hot. Verdict: Must Try for an appetizer.
Kancheepuram Masala Dosai: Dosai is a fermented Indian pancake made from rice and lentil dough. Masala Dosai is usually crisp with a filling of masala gravy inside. This one was stuffed with spicy red chilli paste, bell peppers/capsicum, cabbage, herbs and spices. The cabbage was a bit of a surprise and was unusually big which did not make it a great combination. I would have personally preferred the masala to be finely chopped making it easier to blend with the dosai and not stand as the odd man out. The spicy level I tried was medium. Verdict: Out of the box but not for everyone.
Podi Idly: I call Idly the friend of a lazy man. Idly is a savoury rice cake prepared by baking fermented rice and lentil batter and is very popular in South India. I am not a big fan of Idlis but I would have this podi Idly any day. The idly is cut into small pieces and tossed with spicy ground lentil condiment called Podi. This podi was well done and you can taste the flavour of coarsely grounded podi in every bite of the idly. Verdict: Good Try.
Chilli Parotta: Chilli Parotta is an Indo-Chinese cuisine and is usually a spicy, and delicious dish made by frying parotta cutting into usually square pieces and cooking it with various spices, onion & capsicum. Chilli Parotta is a fast food that I love having in restaurants and love to make it at home as well. The chilli parotta was crisp and tasted very good. Verdict: Go for it.
Kothu Parotta: This is a famous South Indian cuisine I have enjoyed in shops/restaurants along the highways in Tamil Nadu. Kothu means shredded and parotta is a flatbread made from all-purpose flour or wheat flour. The kothu parotta is tossed with either vegetables or egg usually. The taste was very similar to what I would have had on the highway dhabas back home. The crunchiness of the parotta and the vegetables make the dish even more enjoyable. Verdict: Good Try.
Podi Idly: I call Idly the friend of a lazy man. Idly is a savoury rice cake prepared by baking fermented rice and lentil batter and is very popular in South India. I am not a big fan of Idlis but I would have this podi Idly any day. The idly is cut into small pieces and tossed with spicy ground lentil condiment called Podi. This podi was well done and you can taste the flavour of coarsely grounded podi in every bite of the idly. Verdict: Good Try.
Chettinad Masala Dosai: Chettinad masala dosai is another variety of masala dosai. The stuffing has potato masala along with special masala paste applied over the dosai. The uniqueness of the paste is the black pepper as the ingredient which makes it a touch spicy. Verdict: Out of the box but not for everyone. Verdict: Out of the box but not for everyone.
I also tried their Mango ginger and Virgin Coconut Mojito which was really good.
Final Verdict: Good South Indian spread in Ottawa. You might feel that this is a touch more expensive if you travel from the GTA region. But worth it.
Average Price: $20-$25/person
Restaurant Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2 Considering the previous bad experience I would rate this place a 3.5. The staff were pleasant and served us with courtesy. The food tasted awesome but if you are in a hurry, this is not your place.
Location: 108 Third Ave, Ottawa, ON K1S 2J8.
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