Taste of Triplicane

I'm talking about Ratna Cafe. The original one, in the dingy lanes of Triplicane, sharing space with cows, goats, hens and other forms of life that you wont usually find on their menu.
Strictly vegetarian. And it has been for almost a century.This place is an ode to the humble lentil. Its a temple where the presiding deity is the Sambhar, and all else are just there to make up the pantheon.It is perhaps the only place where Idlies and Dosas are served as accompaniment to the sambhar, which, btw, is ladled out in huge mugs. Come in on a sunday morn and you'll see people of all shapes, sizes, ages and dispositions slurping away without a thought for propriety. You dont daintily pick at ur food here; you devour it with an auditory accompaniment of grunts, squeals and belches. For the faint of heart and graduates of epicurean finishing schools, this is valhalla. For those who love to eat without allowing things like table manners to come in the way, this is manna. So the next time any of you is in Chennai, and you want to check out some herbivore sanctuaries, u know where to find the Great Indian Sambhar!