Every summer since childhood calls for a hometown visit which were filled with curdrice and mangoes (a kickass combination by the way). Although I grew up in a city, I was born in a small town which greatly influenced my taste buds. And the restaurant culture of small towns is pretty different, you have a pretty standard menu wherever you go and each one just presents its own version of it. For example, if you order a Singapore fried rice in Rajapalayam (my home town btw) there are possibilities you might get a Kashmiri pulao. We are a little weak in geography you see but we mean well. But there are some specialties and delicacies deeply rooted within us that are just lip-smacking explosions of flavors. And there are places that specialize in them. One such place is Kannadi Kadai in Thalavaipuram (just a few km from Rajapalayam) which has become a must-visit place whenever I visit my hometown now.
We are people who value heritage and tradition and maybe that’s why the people of Kanandi Kadai which translates to ‘glass shop’ decided to retain the space’s old name even when they transformed it into a hotel or maybe it was an easier option. I like to believe in the former. Placed next to a quaint temple is this place that serves some drool-worthy versions of meat varieties from chicken, mutton to fish and crab. As Charles Boyle once said desserts don’t need to be clever (but just replace desserts with food), they need to be good, and damn the food here is goooood. As opposed to city side Biriyani might be the least famous main course in the town side, you can probably replace the biriyani with parotta, now that’s a staple in my town and especially Virudhunagar parotta is yum max. Now coming to my experience with Kannadi Kadai, you know how there is a perception that everything happens in a slow-paced manner in a small town but that is not true when you visit a small-town hotel. From the minute you enter everything gets hazy, there is no menu just a person with a towel on his shoulder listing the things available. And man, the memory of these people is astonishing. But even before they the list from you they spread a banana leaf in front of you and just prep you for what’s coming. Nothing takes more than a couple of minutes. Even though everything happens so fast, the first bite that you take of the meal sticks with and hits the right spot on your taste buds and makes you pause. Even if it’s for a second, it’s something that stays with you even after the meal.
They are even kind enough to inform you if they feel the fish won’t be of good taste as it’s not fresh and instead provide you with an alternative. I am not going to write a list of things you must have when you visit because honestly, I want you to live the experience of being in a place like that completely and order whatever you feel like, cos it will be good. Now, this is not a restaurant where you sit and talk leisurely, this is a restaurant where even if you go with a crowd ultimately it is just you and your banana leaf. A time where you achieve a closer relationship with the food on your leaf. And that kind of food is commendable, food that transcends you!
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