Nov 30, 2002 12:38 PM
5741 Views
(Updated Nov 30, 2002 12:39 PM)
I quite enjoy any kind of South Indian dishes - be it Dosas & Uttapams or Chicken Stew with Appam ....
Sagar Ratna is one of the oldest restaurants here in Delhi serving South Indian food. It is very very popular with all - the Punjabis of Punjab, The Baniyas of UP, the Gujratis etc. etc. It amazes me how crowded it is on all days of the week!!. I have had to wait almost every time I have visited.
The address mentioned here maybe is just one of the many outlets they have - the one I most frequently visit is in Malyiva Nagar Market. So, I am going to stick to giving information on this particular branch.
Location- It is well located - very central & very favorable, except there are no arrangements for parking. So, you have to park your car somewhere in the market or right on the road & keep your fingers crossed – that it will still be there when you return!!.
Getting a seat - The Next Adventure - You will have to wait if you are later than 2030 hrs. on weekends. But they organise the whole show pretty well. You are allocated a number & depending on when a table of your size is empty - you get a place. No, I do not literally mean a table of <u> your </u> size - I mean the number of people in your group, ah, the group visiting the restaurant...whatever!
Take a seat - The restaurant is located on a whole floor - there is lots of space & it’s still full !! Would have about 35 - 40 tables of various seating capacity. Now that you've taken a seat - you will be served water & handed over a Menu almost simultaneously. With their turnover rate - they have to be quick. Another thing is you are expected to be quick too - take more than 5 minutes to place an order & you start getting GLARES....
The Menu - Is quite basic, many choices in Dosa, Uttapam & Idli category. But the best options are the kind of Rices, like Tamarind/ Lemon Rice, Coconut Rice, Puliograye (spl. !!!) etc. They are excellent & totally authentic. Okay, here I have something serious to say - the items cost a BOMB!! I mean, how can you charge Rs. 28/- for a plate of Dahi Vada. It’s a crime! I understand there is a whole lot of spending power in Delhi compared to Bangalore or Madras or many other places...but this is just too unfair to poor souls like myself. Just because I adore Puliograye I have to go through the torture of shelling out close to 300 bucks everytime we go out!!!!
The Food - Bit of an overlapping here - like I mentioned its excellent! Everything is good... no, actually not really. Stay away from the Ginger Fizz or Lemonade, which is not really drinkable - or edible!
The Service - not really commendable, but will do. But I should warn you that as soon as you have finished your food, your table is visited by a ''mundu'' who keeps a plastic tub on your table, picks up your empty plates and throws them in his little tub - something many people find disgusting. The waiters & staff are all very efficient, very quick, but lack manners.
Have I covered everything? I guess so..
Overall, the service is not really good & it’s very very expensive!!! Its also quite noisy. However the excellent food covers up for all flaws.
Must Visit!
