We came here for Onam Sadhya (the annual harvest and Hindu cultural festival), and both the food…read moreand service were excellent. The restaurant was super packed (with lineup extending to the outside), and most people had to wait 30-90 minutes for a table (even with a reservation). The wait was worth it though.
The Onam Sadhya consisted of matta rice / Kerala red rice, served with 25+ authentic & traditional vegetarian dishes on a banana leaf. The curries / koottaan and chutneys included dal (lentils), parippu, sambar, rasam, pulisseri, kaalan, avial, thoran, olan, pachadi, kichadi, koottukari, erissery, mango pickle, injipuli, naranga achar (lime pickle), coconut chutney, pineapple chutney, as well as papadam, plantain chips, sharkara upperi, moru, and banana. Vegetables included yam, cucumber, ash gourd, and many more.
I liked the mixture of textures and flavours -- crunchy papadam and plantain chips were perfect with the soft rice and curries; the sweet and refreshing chutneys were a great relief for the spicier curries. Overall everything complemented each other very well.
Since it was a buffet, everything was refillable, including the rice and various dishes (there were staff walking around giving you refills based on the items you want). Desserts came in their individual mini cups.
I also liked that this meal was technically environmentally friendly - vegetarian, no utensils, and the banana leaf "plate" was compostable.