Kaaraikudi Restaurant

Good Quality South Indian Tamil Cuisine

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 7
Value for Money: 7
Spent about SGD $10 / INR $432 per person.





Part of the Shyam's Hospitality Group chain of restaurants that originated in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, the Kaaraikudi Restaurant is the franchise that specialises in Chettinad cuisine. Characterized by its spicy, oily, and aromatic dishes, Chettinad cuisine is not for the faint of heart. And in Chennai, one of the best places locals go to for Chettinad cuisine is Kaaraikudi Restaurant.

Ambience at Kaaraikudi Restaurant is good, but rather dated and shows signs of aging. The decor is styled after the elegance of Indian palaces, with statues of royal Indian guards outside, and stylish mahogany looking furniture within. The interior is slightly dim, and lighting is below average. Hygiene is rather good as well, and Kaaraikudi Restaurant is considered by many to be a safe place to dine at.

Service at Kaaraikudi Restaurant is pretty standard, and staff are able to understand some basic English, though most converse in either Tamil or Hindi. They do have slight problems managing peak period crowds, but overall, the staff are polite and efficient. Food is served quickly, though some dishes are prepared only upon order and may take awhile.

Food at Kaaraikudi Restaurant is excellent, and more importantly, true to authentic and traditional Chettinad cuisine, with its liberal use of spices, oil, chili and pepper. Kaaraikudi Restaurant is known for its chicken dishes and fish dishes, and freshness of ingredients, but be prepared to pay slightly more than other places.

Kaaraikudi Restaurant is a good place to dine at, though also more expensive overall. But with their many locations, Kaaraikudi Restaurant is quite convienently located all throughout Chennai, and finding an outlet shouldn't be a problem.





The little touches of Indian-influenced decor start from the outside, all the way inside. While slightly run-down with signs of aging, the place exudes an old world elegant charm.

Kaaraikudi Restaurant Exterior

Kaaraikudi Restaurant Signage

Indian Guard Statue

Indian Guard Statue And Kaaraikudi Restaurant Signage

Kaaraikudi Restaurant Menu Cover

Shyam's Hospitality Group Contact

Kaaraikudi Restaurant Locations

Kaaraikudi Restaurant Interior

Kaaraikudi Restaurant Table And Lamp

Kaaraikudi Restaurant Billboard

Served with chunks of mutton and a whole hard boiled egg buried under a mound of fragrant rice, the Biryani Mutton here is slightly less spicy, but no less tasty than most other versions.

Biryani Mutton 01

Biryani Mutton 02

This place specialises in Chettinad cuisine, and their most famous dish is Chettinad Pepper Chicken. Spicy, oily and fragrant with the aroma of chili and black pepper, this is a dish best eaten with caution, and no small amount of milk / yoghurt / lassi. The tender chicken meat is just delightful.

Chettinad Pepper Chicken 01

Chettinad Pepper Chicken 02

The Mysore Pak sweet / dessert is considered a Chennai sweet, and is very commonly served here. Sweet, and fattening because of its use of clarified butter (Ghee), with a crumbly texture similar to a shortbread biscuit.

Mysore Pak

The Economic Rice (Indian) / Thali is available in vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, though the vegetarian option is more popular. A filling one-dish meal all by itself.

Economic Rice (Indian) / Thali

The Seer Fish Fry was fantastic. Fresh and firm seer fish, with a nice crisp coating of spices... Excellent!

Seer Fish Fry