It’s that time of the year again. Chennai’s love for Onam lunch started long before other metros in India. It would be fair to say that the city’s traditional Onasadya is probably the best option outside of Kerala. The sadya, a traditional, elaborate banana leaf meal is the highlight of festivals like Onam and Vishu and weddings in Kerala. The dishes on your leaf are served from left to right. The top half of the leaf is reserved for accompaniments and the bottom half for main and main dishes, as is the case with most South Indian banana leaf meals.
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While it is almost always vegetarian, there are parts of Kerala like Kannur where it is not uncommon to find sadyas that include meat and seafood as well. This is not just limited to takeaways, a trend we saw in Chennai in the 2020s is the takeaway sadya or sadya in a box. This is not a new trend, in most cities in Kerala it is common for households to ‘outsource’ their sadya from traditional wedding cooks or caterers. Many of these sadyas have over 20 dishes and it is becoming increasingly difficult for housewives in small urban kitchens to cook a full sadya at once.
From puli inji to sweet chakra upperi like Kerala chips – a savoury type coated with subtle spices and a mix of jaggery and thoran (stir-fried vegetables), sadya offers a wide range of accompaniments. Most sadyas in Chennai will include kalan, olan, vegetable stew, erucherry, kootu curry (a mixture of vegetables and Bengal gram), soft Kerala pappadam, pachadi and khichdi. Rice is the only main course and is served first with dal and ghee followed by sambhar, rasam and thick buttermilk at the end of the meal. Almost all sadyas traditionally serve Kerala-style boiled rice. The highlight of the sadya is the payasam.
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This year, there are a variety of options available in Chennai, including talented home chefs working in collaboration with restaurants and hotels, as well as famous Kerala restaurants that draw huge crowds during the Onam season. Many hotels are also serving sadya as a buffet or thali.
Sadya is a traditional South Indian food.
Here are the top 13 places to celebrate traditional Onasadya in Chennai:
1. Kappa Chakka Kandhari:
One of the city’s favourite spots for Onasadya, KCK is offering dine-in as well as takeaway options. The restaurant will be holding its Onasadya on September 14 and 15 at Marlene Mahal (in Chetpet Ecopark). You can make reservations in advance on their website (www.kckonam.com) so that you don’t miss out on the sadya prepared by chefs who come from Kerala every year. Takeaway options – Their Festive Meal in a Box includes 26 traditional vegetarian dishes and you can also buy a selection of Onam special payasams.
2. Geetham, T Nagar:
This vegetarian restaurant has partnered with one of Chennai’s most renowned Kerala cuisine experts Ms Supriya Vijay (who runs Supriya’s Kitchen) for the third consecutive year. The restaurant will be hosting a sumptuous Onasadya luncheon on September 15th which will include over 20 dishes prepared by Supriya.
3. Savya Rasa:
Located in the Kotturpuram neighbourhood, this exclusive South Indian restaurant has been a popular destination for Onam over the years. The restaurant offers a dine-in option, delivery box, and takeaway box that serves 2-3 people. You can also buy their Palada and Chakka Pradhaman (available in 500 ml bottles) payasam.
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4. The Reef, Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa:
Sheraton Grand Chennai will be hosting a week-long Onam Buffet promotion (September 9 to 15) with an all-day dinner, prepared by Chef Muthu and Chef Prabhu, who are deeply rooted in the rich culinary traditions of Kerala.
5. Southern Spice, Taj Coromandel:
A leading South Indian restaurant in Chennai has created an Onam Thali, which will be available for lunch and dinner on September 15. The thali has been prepared by a team of chefs led by the hotel’s Executive Chef Sujan Mukherjee, and will offer the authentic flavours of Kerala in a thali format.
6. Yercaud Kitchen:
Located in the Indira Nagar area of Adyar, this standalone restaurant is known for its regional South Indian cuisine. The restaurant is hosting an Onam special lunch on September 13 and 15. The elaborate meal includes over 20 dishes.
7. Hyatt Regency Chennai:
The hotel has partnered with Soul on a Plate to create the city’s only non-vegetarian Onam brunch special. Flavours of Kerala will feature some of the best dishes from Kerala and will be prepared by the city’s renowned Kerala cuisine home chef Ammu Rebecca Manoj.
8. Ente Keralam:
One of the popular Kerala cuisine restaurants in the city, Ente Keralam is offering a choice of Sadya options. Their dine-in Sadya is available from September 7 to 12 and September 16/17, while their special Onam Sadya is available from September 13 to September 15. The restaurant is also offering takeaway Sadya Box (for 2) from September 7 to 17.
9. Luxurious Onam Bliss at GRT Hotels Chennai:
GRT Hotels & Resorts is organising a three-day Onam celebration (September 13 to September 15) at Grand by GRT (in T Nagar) and Radisson Blu GRT Chennai (near Chennai airport). Onasadya will feature themed music and interior decorations as well as traditional Athapookolam.
10. Feathers, A Radha Hotel:
Waterside, the all-day eatery at Feathers Chennai, will host a special king-size Onam buffet on September 15, 2024. The buffet will be catered by the hotel’s in-house chefs and will include vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes from Kerala.
11. Gossip Bistro:
Gossip’s non-vegetarian sadya on East Coast Road has become a popular dish in Chennai’s annual Onasadya mix. This year, the restaurant will offer three lunch slots on the Onam weekend on September 14 and 15.
12. Turaya Chennai:
One of the many hotels to offer Onam Sadya in a buffet format this year. The Onam Sadya Buffet at Turya will be available from September 9 to 15, 2024 and is prepared by Chef K Murali Krishna who is an expert in South Indian cuisine. The buffet will offer over 100 dishes throughout the promotion and includes both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.
13. The Madras Kitchen Company, The Westin Chennai Velachery:
MKC at The Westin Chennai offers a wide choice of regional Indian cuisine and Asian street eats along with a wide menu of beverages. The restaurant is hosting an Onam traditional Sadhya Thali on Sunday, September 15, which includes all the popular Sadhya staples.
