Nair's Mess - SilverKris

"Tucked down a narrow lane opposite the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk, this unassuming but always-crowded eatery requires visitors to snake past parked bicycles and scooters to reach it. It does brisk business serving hearty banana-leaf meals — the set lunch comprises rice with sambar, rasam (a South Indian soup), and an assortment of gravies and dry vegetables — and there’s no printed menu, so you simply ask the waiters what’s on offer that day. Plates are best enjoyed with a variety of sides, and the standout speciality is a fish fry made with vanjaram (seer fish)." - SilverKris