Where to Eat Vishu Sadhya in Chennai?

I enjoy traditional South Indian meals, and I have a special liking for Kerala-style feasts. A few times in the past, I’ve had the chance to taste an authentic Onam Sadhya, and I’ve loved it every time. So, when I saw an advertisement for Vishu Sadhya being served at Ente Keralam, I quickly booked a table for two.

Vishu marks the Malayalam New Year and is celebrated in Kerala and by Malayalees across the world. It usually falls around mid-April and, like Onam, is associated with a grand vegetarian feast called the Sadhya.

Ente Keralam is a fine-dining Kerala restaurant located in the quiet and posh neighbourhood of Poes Garden, Chennai. Today, the 13th April (a day before Vishu), I went there for lunch along with my wife. The restaurant had arranged the Sadhya meal as part of their Vishu celebrations.

Just like a Tamil Nadu virundhu saapadu, the Sadhya was served in a long banana leaf, with each item placed thoughtfully. Though the restaurant usually serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarian fare, the Sadhya was a traditional all-vegetarian spread. For those interested, seafood dishes were available to order separately.

The meal began with a small cup of spiced buttermilk and a warm rice porridge (kanji). This was followed by Ela Ada, a sweet dish made of rice flour dough filled with grated coconut and jaggery, wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed. It was soft, mildly sweet, and a lovely way to begin.

Then came the main fare—a variety of side dishes accompanied by unlimited servings of Kerala red rice, fresh curd, crisp papadam, spicy and tangy pickles, and crunchy banana chips. What made the experience even better was that refills of every item were offered generously, as many times as you wanted, just like how it’s done in traditional feasts.

The grand finale was, of course, the desserts—four types of payasam and pradhaman. Each one was rich, mildly sweet, and served in small quantities, just right to round off the meal without feeling too heavy.

Overall, it was a relaxed and enjoyable lunch outing that gave us a taste of Kerala’s festive warmth and flavours.

Disclosure: I write reviews about restaurants that I have visited and paid in full. There were no sponsorship or advertisement, or commission of any sort involved in this post.