Still working through some options from the South Asia thread from awhile back–and, by the way, may as well mention here as an aside that the Indian/Bangladeshi place Chili, Mango and Lime in Weymouth that was mentioned there has just closed–so I thought while out in Burlington last weekend that it seemed about time to try out Chettinad Indian Grill.
Seemingly, though my knowledge here is still scant, Chettinad cuisine comes from the Tamil Nadu region of India. On the way in to the Chettinad Grill, I got asked by the S.O. if she would ever get to try the buffets at these places? Apparently this is because I tend to be a jerk with a list, who wants to order specific items off the menu as had previously happened when we went to Ritu Ki Rasoi and Suvaai on Saturday afternoon for lunch. SO OK! I will forgo my dreams of Chicken 65 and Upma etc and will acquiesce this time.
Buffet here is a mix of some Punjabi, South Indian and Indo-Chinese food. The cut mirchi and medu vada are fine, if a little soggy from having sit out under the heat lamps a bit. Chana batura and papadum are really good. Mysore rasam soup is spicy and delicious. Paneer tikka masala, for all I know a more Punjabi dish, is really good.
There was also a nice beans poriyal and some well cooked gobi machurian. The vegetable noodles are clearly Chinese influenced, being sort of like lo mein with an Indian twist. Guntur chicken was maybe my favorite thing here, a spicy and flavorful offering with moist chicken and lots of heat.
Gongura goat is OK, but not exceptional with well cooked goat but a slightly muted flavor. The Chettinad chicken biriyani is about par, some heat and good rice. Decent naan is available (and I think you can ask for fresh bread if you want) and there’s OK gulab jamu and semiya payasam for desserts. The chutney bar is kind of fantastic–the kara (spicy) chutney is great and there are good other options here.
But if you go here, please don’t be dopes like we were and ignore the prominent signs over the buffet that say you can ask for a fresh dosa to be made for you–this is clearly what the chutney bar is mostly for, but we were too dumb to read the signs and request a dosa before we had inhaled way too much food. D’oh.
All in all, this seems to be another good Burlington Indian place. I need to go back and order off the menu and get some of the menu dishes that are really more based in Chettinad. But the buffet itself was a fine lunch, and is worth a visit–even if Ritu Ki Rasoi is right across the street.
