Menaka - Muscat

Palmgrove is a tiny piece of Madras carefully hidden in the heart of Chennai city. The moment you step into the property, we are transported to the past. Vintage car, old building, retro style interiors greet us as we enter the reception. I wouldn't have guessed that the restaurant Menaka would be so crowded when I saw it from outside. The tables were all occupied by people who seemed to be patrons of the restaurant since it's inception. We were guided to our table and given the menu card. We ordered mushroom soup and it tasted quite good with mellow flavours and made us feel warm and hearty. Most of tables around were ordering idli and we did the same. The idlis were served hot with a dollop of ghee on top which is rare scene in any restaurant. The accompaniments were tomato chutney, coconut chutney and sambar. The chutneys tasted awesome and the Karnataka style sambar with sweet tones was divine to eat the idli with. As we were waiting for the dosa next, we overheard the guests from the next table chatting. A old man of over 70 years was explaining to others he had come with about the legacy of Palm Grove. He was a true patron who would have brought in many new customers. He mentioned that one couple who celebrated their first year anniversary were throwing silver jubilee party again in Palm Grove. And our food arrives just in time, the plain dosa which was crispy and tasted nice. If you thought mushroom soup followed by idli and dosa was strange. We ordered gobi manchurian next . Isn't ordering a mix of dishes from various styles the point of a multicuisine restaurant. However the gobi didn't meet our expectations, it was soggy and chewy. We hope this was a one off situation. We expressed our feedback and it was waived off from the bill. We finished our meal with the signature grape juice. This juice has the whole grapes they were skinned and added back to the juice provided good bite and added texture. The whole experience was enjoyable and we would definitely go back again for the grape juice.

Been to this place quite a few times in the evenings and definitely recommend this place for decent veg food and value for money Idly and vada both served hot and were yummy. Idlis had adequate ghee which was enriched the taste. Sambar was more of Karnataka style and was a bit sweet which is not my favourite Poori masala my all time favourite hereCoffee ok North Indian meals overall good but two of the side dishes were a bit sweet Value for money Taste goodOverall 4/5

I was longing for good meals for this rainy season. And this place was absolutely perfect for my craving.

One of the best veg restaurants in Chennai. Good food with a nostalgic atmosphere. A go to place for vegetarians.

A PLACE HAVE BEEN VISITING FOR YEARS ,BACK AFTER A LONG GAP TO FIND THE SERVICE AND FOOD TO BE VERY GOOD JUST LIKE THE OLD TIMES. SOFT IDLIS AND CRISP VADAIS ,THE SAMBHAR A LIL SWEETISH AND SUPERB.FRESH COCONUT CHUTNEY.THE FILTER COFFEE TO DIE FOR .ONE OF CHENNAI S ICONIC PLACES