Sri Ananda Bhavan

Sri Ananda Bhavan is an all-vegetarian restaurant in Chennai, India, known for its Udupi cuisine, a sub-regional South Indian style that emphasizes healthful eating. Established aficionados of Udupi restaurants judge the quality based on dishes such as dosa (thin crepes), idli (savory cakes made from fermented rice batter and lentils), and sambar (spiced lentil gravy). Sri Ananda Bhavan excels in these specialties, offering various fillings for dosas like spiced potatoes and onions, often garnished with ghee or podi. The restaurant's signature sambar is made using toor dal and flavored with tamarind, shallots, sugar, and house-roasted spices. Diners can enjoy the texture contrast of crispy dosa softened by dipping it into the rich sambar. For dessert, pineapple kesari, a semolina pudding with cashews and raisins topped with homemade ghee, is served. The restaurant also prides itself on its Chennai-style filter coffee, which is hot, strong, and foamy.