CHENNAI: When Margazhi settles over Chennai, the city’s mornings begin long before the first note is sung. Even as sabha halls prepare for music, their canteens come alive with the comforting scent of piping hot idlis, ghee-rich pongal, crisp vadai, and freshly brewed filter coffee. Musicians arrive between concerts, seasoned rasikas claim their usual corners, and newcomers quickly learn that the Margazhi experience is incomplete without a canteen stop.
Rooted in routine yet vibrant with life, these kitchens uphold culinary traditions that have remained unchanged for generations, mirroring the discipline of the art forms they serve. From early-morning meals to leisurely mid-day pauses, sabha canteens quietly hold the season together, nourishing not just audiences and artistes, but Chennai’s enduring cultural rhythm.
Here is a guide to notable canteens serving traditional and innovative sabha delights across the city.
Feast amid temple-themed ambience
Adambakkam Balaji Caterers (ABC) is back with their exquisite, rooted Margazhi feast this year. Their banana leaf wedding feast is served for breakfast, lunch, evening snacks, and dinner. “Our traditional snacks include pidi kozhkattai, nombu adai, mor kazhi, vethala bajji, and kathirikkai bajji, among others. We have 25 varieties of dosa, 10 types of boli, idiyappam, and a live counter serving Karnataka delights for dinner. Rasikas can relish the savours in a temple-themed interior,” says Dhanwyn, manager of ABC.
Notably, last year, they served around 800 people during Margazhi. “We also serve Jain food because North Indian people account for the majority of our crowd. We are also going to serve a special lunch for Christmas and New Year,” he adds.
Indulge in the flavours of a traditional feast at Mylapore Fine Arts Club till January 4. With around 25 items for lunch, the cost is approximately Rs 600 per meal.
From sappotta kesari to navathaniya dosa
Celebrating their ninth year of serving in a sabha canteen, Sastha Catering Services, Porur, are the flagbearers of blending innovation with traditional canteen food. “We grew popular through sabha canteens, and we have an ardent set of customers who never miss our feast during Margazhi. This year, we are serving 13 varieties of idlis, 40 varieties of dosa, and we prepare distinct sambar and rasam each day,” shares Venkatesan Krishnan.
Some of their unique dishes include sappotta kesari, strawberry kesari, walnut halwa, vethala bajji, amni kozhukattai, thattu idli, fried molaga podi idli, and their signature Kancheepuram idli.
Sastha Catering Services, Porur, is running the sabha canteen at Music Academy until January 9, and lunch is priced at Rs 550.
Traditional delights with an English vegetable twist
With more than seven decades of experience in the industry, Arusuvai Arasu Caterers are known for their great food and quality service. “Our motto is serving traditional feasts, but not that simple. We try to incorporate English vegetables with rooted flavours. For example, paruppu usili with broccoli,” notes Kamesh Narayan.
Popular for their thangathambalam kalyana virunthu, the caterers also aim to bring back forgotten recipes. Lemon rasam, poosanikai rasavangi, drumstick capsicum sambar, and pineapple mor kozhambu are among the top picks on the menu.
“Weddings do not take place during Margazhi. Mostly, NRIs fly down to India only during the winter break. To give them the feel of a wedding feast, our sabha canteen food revolves around the same, with no compromise on the traditional touch,” he adds.
The menu extends until January 1 at Parthasarathy Sabha, Mylapore, and costs around Rs 650.
Taking forward the legacy with elaneer rasam
Mountbatten Mani Iyer is one of the pioneers of the sabha canteen culture in Chennai. After his demise last year, his son Srinivasan has taken on the responsibility of serving quality food to patrons.
Bringing a fruit-based twist to dishes, Srinivasan says, “Not all fruits are apt for this season. We have meticulously selected a few fruits to prepare innovative dishes. Some of them include custard apple kozhukattai, pineapple and strawberry kesari, guava kozhukattai, and red banana kuzhipaniyaram, among others.”
They also serve elaneer rasam, karupatti katli, kombu thaen sweet pachadi, gongura-stuffed dosa, mozhaga bajji, sangu poo idiyappam, and more. “Over time, we are unable to find many traditional dishes at wedding feasts. We aim to bridge that gap with novelty and taste.”
The sabha canteen is open at the Indian Fine Arts Society, T Nagar, till December 31. The meal is priced at approximately Rs 685.