A full vegetarian meal on banana leaf -- rice, sambar, rasam, four to six curries, papad, pickle, with unlimited refills. Saravana Bhavan is the most accessible and consistent version, tourist-friendly without sacrificing the format. Vasanta Bhavan leans more traditional Tamil Brahmin style if that's what you're after.
Ambur Biryani uses small-grain seeraga samba rice with a mild, aromatic spice profile -- Ambur Star Biryani's multiple Chennai locations are the reference chain. Thalappakatti Biryani, from Dindigul, is noticeably spicier with a cult following across Tamil Nadu; Dindigul Thalappakatti's Anna Nagar and Adyar branches are reliable. The two are genuinely different experiences, not just brand variations.
Dry, intensely spiced chicken with freshly ground masala -- pepper, kalpasi, marathi mokku, star anise. Anjappar Chettinad Restaurant's multiple locations are reliable; Dakshin at ITC Chola in Egmore offers a premium, full Chettinad meal experience if you want to go further.
Deep-fried boneless chicken marinated in chili, yogurt, and spices, born at Buhari Hotel on Anna Salai in the 1960s. It's now ubiquitous across India, but this is the one address with an actual claim to the origin story -- worth a visit for that alone, even though the dish itself is no longer unique to Chennai.
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