Crispy Fried Opinions’ Top 10 Dishes – Best of 2024

Wish you and your family a very Happy and Prosperous New Year 2025!

After an year of eating out, sieving through all the posts and arriving at 10 dishes that I consider as Best of 2024 is not an easy task at all! Anyways, I have tried my best after scrolling through a few hundred posts. 🙂 The added complexity this time was quite a few posts were from Singapore, I have excluded them from this list.

Listed in no specific order, these are dishes that I would readily be willing to have again! In fact, that is the only criteria they are listed here!

A thousand things have been said about the overdose of Ghee! Guess what?!?! I loved it, totally ! 🙂 Agree, its not an everyday thing! Once in a while, why not!?!?! The texture of their Benne Dosa is simply mind-blowing, and another very underrated dish I love here is the Ghee Pudi Kharabath. The Rameshwaram Cafe, Indira Nagar, Bengaluru – just Brilliant ! 😉

You like it, or hate it, but you cannot ignore it! Located in the most modest of settings, Rayar’s Mess, Mylapore that has been operating here over the years serves some lip-smacking Vadais, tasty Pongal with their special Green chilli chutney, Getti chutney and Sambhar. Its a blessing if you manage to get a seat without a long wait! 🙂

Tasty Rajwadi Thali, still holding forte as one of the best in Chennai for a long time now. Located in Anna Nagar, Sri Rajasthani Dhaba, Anna Nagar is the place to go if you love Rajasthani food.

The 4 different gravies generously poured over shredded piping hot parottas, that first mouthful is pure bliss ! <3 Tirunelveli Parotta Kadai, Pallikaranai is a must-try for parotta lovers.

One of my favorite places Andhikkadai, Velachery serves Ghee Pongal, which in my humble opinion is one of the best in the city. I am a big lover of Pongal and never miss an opportunity to order when I am having breakfast. Their Vadai is also good.

Madurai, a food lovers’ paradise indeed! Absolutely finger-licking Pepper Chicken and Chicken Omelette with Biryani, a meal I relished at Harish Mess, Madurai !

A totally surprise stunner! Just happened to enter Arusuvai Cafe, OMR with a friend, and ordered a Ghee Podi Roast! Perhaps one of the best I’ve had in recent times! That Dosai master, is an artist ! 🙂

Mr. Papdi, Velachery maybe one of the very few places in Chennai serving Litti Chokha ! I love the ghee-dunked Littis with their three Chokhas – Aloo, Baingan and Tamaatar.

If you like the various Mediterranean dips like Hummus, Babaganoush, Harissa, Muhummara, Moutabal, Labna, Tatziki, Mezze, Alwarpet is the place to go! Perhaps the freshest Hummus in the city! Love it with the Pita variants! Its a big favorite!

Breakfast Buffet at the Premium Travelers Lounge in International Airport! A couple of beers with a good breakfast spread is something I love! I can’t get enough of the sausages and hashbrowns in particular! 🙂

What if the place no longer exists?!?! That doesn’t take away the wonderful experience I had ! 🙁
The Pothichoru I had at Green Kerala Culture, Medavakkam is perhaps the best I have had in the city! Every single dish was very tasty! It is a pity they had to shut shop!

Then there are places that I visit a LOT, which are very close to my heart! Hence not necessarily including them in the list. If you haven’t tried them, you definitely should!

The Kozhi Rasam and Thool Parotta at Erode Amman Mess, Velachery, something I have every now and then!