Murugan Idly Shop: The King of Kings in the land of Idlys

What is the first word that comes to your mind when you think of Chennai?

Rajnikanth, obviously, but besides that if  the aromas and vapours flowing out of hot idlis and dosas served on Banana leaves with unlimited Sambar and super coconut chutney come to your mind then this article will probably satiate your needs.

So how does one judge pin point the best player out of the current Barcelona team or how does one

point out the best diamond in a pile of diamond stones? The Messi of Idlys or the Kohinoor of Idlys according to me in the land of Idlys are the super soft and delicious ones found at the Murugan Idly shop.

What makes the Murugan Idlys special??

•  These Idlys are extremely soft: If you press it using two fingers, your fingers will meet at the centre without cracking the idly one bit. Practicing the action already?
• The restaurant serves 4 types of chutneys including the lip-smacking white coconut chutney, you will also be served hot sambatr (unlimited) along with the Idly. So if one can make one Idly last for one hours he can feast on 4 chutneys and sambhar. (But one just cannot)
• The Idlys are served to your table as per your order, but the waiters are always going up and down the place with hot idlys in the trays, so if u decide mid-way to order one you will immediately be served one on the plate. Homely service so to say
• The taste, you will ask…………………………… I can still feel the aroma and the taste of the IDly I had 2 days back, it frankly beats the best Idly in any part of India(leave out Chennai) fair and square. If you thought the commercial where the customer kisses the chef was just an imagination, you will surely be forced to rethink.
• They maintain hygiene, be it the gloves the waiters adorn or the kitchen itself (had a chance to peep into the kitchen while I was washing my hands ). It is upto the mark. The floor is cleaned eevry minute (though that can be a cumbersome affair as you have to watch the m,op go up and down the floor but you will be too busy with the Idlys to notice)
• One thing that you must not expect even in a very good food-joint is Ambience. This marketing concept has not caught Chennai’s imagination. Be it the dull lit family restaurants which end up looking like bars or the normal restaurants with tables so close to eachother that you end up resting the side of your foot on someone else’s side . The ambience here is just like any other restaurant. Come have those sensational little Idlys andpay and walk away succeeds like success this method. You can concentrate on the food as your customers give a damn about other factors
• Woooooooooo so after reading this all you are waiting for is the price right?? So how much do you shell out for say 4 Idlys which is a minimum you will eat once you take your seat in the shop? Rs. 12 per Idly. Yes 12 (Air condition, 4 chutneys,unlimited sambhar & chilled water) what else can you desire in this country where the inflation soars faster than some of those Formula 1 cars? So you can spend Rs 50 on a sumptious breakfast and bless the owner for the rest of your life. Its a good deal I tell you

So where will I find the MIS??

• Beasant Nagar, Chennai
• T-Nagar, Chennai
• Kilpauk,Chennai
• Anna Nagar, Chennai
• Triplicane, Chennai

If you have a Passport and the Singapore embassy grants you a visa you can eat these awesome IDlys in Singapore too.

Traps and Cons of the Murugan Idly Shop

• Beware of duplicates (I havent seen any but the shop claims so )
• PLEASE DO NOT ORDER DOSA…. A sada DOSA will cost you a wallet killing Rs. 40(not worth it), you can walk out and eat a dosa roadside for Rs.10. It is a trap. When you are busy savouring those fantastic Idlys you will be shown the dosas, basically you are being hypnotized . You order it, eat it and then realise you wallet has lost Rs. 40 for basically nothing.
• Go to the AC MIS only. The rates are the same so vasool the AC at T-Nagar and Beasant Nagar
• If you enter the shop and do not have idlys, it will officially be counted as a SIN. So please beware.

Chennai is a simple city, there are no pretentions to the city. It does not claim things it doesnt have. So as far as food is concerned stick to the basics and the food made here. If you dont like USHA UTHOP singing LATA MANGESHKAR songs, then probably you will hate the NORTH INDIAN FOOD IN SOUTH INDIA so pick and choose.

With IDLYS done, I will be back with some other tasty item from Chennai and India the next time round.

Ciao

Sahil “Chennai wisdom” Gupte