As a scythe-swinging, pathfinding foodie who’s spent years mapping Malaysia’s wild gastronomic landscape, I had grown secure in the conviction that I knew all the country’s culinary hotspots like the back of my permanently cutlery-attached hand. So it was with the “can’t even” glee of a zoologist stumbling across Big Foot in his own backyard that I discovered a South Indian F&B institution smack-dab in the heaving bosom of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman – one of my stomach-stuffing stomping grounds.
The place
A papadum’s-throw away from celebrated gastronomic heavyweight Restoran Yasseen Nasi Kandar – which I, strangely enough, have made numerous pilgrimages to – Restoran Chennai Rawther Thalappakattu Briyani is the local blood relation of one of Chennai, India’s, most illustrious eateries. Unbeknownst to me – a loudly self-proclaimed gourmand extraordinaire – the dining establishment had been operating for years, right under my haughtily-raised, food snob nose. It would seem that I had a lot of voracious dish-clearing catching-up to do.
Though my maiden visit to Thalappakattu Briyani was a no-nonsense affair with the objective of engaging my tongue in an intense wrestling match with its fare, I noted with approval the restaurant’s obsessive-compulsive disorder-driven cleanliness and acute orderliness (the premises bore a certificate, indicating that it was classified by DBKL as a Grade A eatery for cleanliness, with badge-laden boy scout pride); it’s mercifully cool, air-conditioned interior; and the brisk, automaton-like service provided by its seemingly dance-choreographed staff.
The food
Thalappakattu Briyani’s menu is a virtual encyclopaedia listing the ‘who’s who’ of South Indian specialties, all of which are divided into the following cramped categories: Briyani, (a rowdy mass of) Side Dishes, Mutton, Fish, Prawn, Egg, Quail, Squid, Tandoori Pot, Rice Dishes, Noodle Dishes, Roti and Vegetarian; as well as a waterfall of beverages, including a flood of fruit juices. Prices were grin-inducingly reasonable, and my wallet instantly relaxed.
Since this was a sizing-up encounter, I placed a simple order: the Chicken Briyani Set, with the price tag of just RM12. Before I could even fidget, my order came sailing towards my table in a massive ocean liner of a steel pot, brimming with steaming Briyani rice. Accompanying the main order, like shy handmaidens, were bowls of Raita, Dalcha and Chicken Soup.
Intermingling sociably with the Briyani rice were dainty morsels of tomato, green chili, and a dizzying traffic jam of spices, including cloves, cardamom, coriander and bay leaves. Anchoring the entire dish was an aircraft carrier-sized chicken drumstick, and a luscious boiled egg.
My first mouthful of the dish electrocuted my palate. The freakishly-long Basmati rice, which had apparently been imported from the restaurant’s Chennai mothership, was wonderfully light, fluffy and sensationally flavourful – so much so, I began whacking the rice all on its own, minus its accompaniments. I didn’t need a moment’s sober contemplation to decisively conclude that this was the best Briyani I had ever tasted in Malaysia. Ever. Rating: a perfect 10 out of 10.
The mammoth chunk of chicken, which exuded a commotion of sublime spice-based aromas, was a marvel in itself. Expertly marinated and slow-cooked, the meat was fall-off-the-bone tender, juicy and heavy with rich tastes. It was a drumstick of deliciousness, and proved itself worthy of being the rice’s BFF. Rating: also 10 out of 10.
With the Briyani obliterated, I was reduced to consuming the Dalcha on its own, like a soup. And though doing so felt strange, the experience was almost magical. A bright golden chartreuse, fragrant and magnificently pungent, the Dalcha was prodigiously, preposterously delicious. In between sips, I also dove into the Raita, whose ingredients and preparation were clearly of exotic Chennai origin. Skinny-dipping in luxuriously-thick curd was a tangle of sliced onions, carrots and Indian green chilies – all of which laid waste to my lightning-struck taste buds. The Raita was also ‘boss’. Rating for both: 10 out of 10 (are you starting to see a pattern here?).
Restoran Chennai Rawther Thalappakattu Briyani
No 375, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman
50100 Kuala Lumpur
Hours: 11am to 11pm daily
Tel: 03 2602 2702
*Based on an article published by militant foodie, omnipresent shutterbug, indefatigable traveler and bionic blogger, Venoth Nathan, in Venoth’s Culinary Adventure. Images are courtesy of http://venoth.blogspot.my/.