Situated in Kaveri complex in Nungambakkam which in itself is a violation of gazillion building and human laws is a little-known restaurant catering to the japanese living in the city and to the faux-japanese like me. Dahlia . Obscure it might be; but it is forever buzzing with activity.
To the uninitiated, Japanese food ( although the country is in the far-eat) is NOT chinese. To understand the japanese cuisine a little bit of research and some prior knowledge is required. I really get tired of people saying "japanese-chinese-all-same". My god. Are they wrong. Just because they also have noodles. Sheesh. If you enjoy the "Chinese food" in the city; then well you don't know what chinese food is really. Anyway getting back to Dahlia. It is a small restaurant, can seat bout 8 families of 4 at any one time. Blue walls, racks and racks of japanese tv serial DVD's, tatami mat-low floor seats along with typical western chairs and tables create a perfect ambiance(at least in my opinion) for a night of sheer tongue-gasm . I hog the low floor seats all the time. Man are they comfortable or what? As far as the decor goes; well thats it. Don't expect much. Like i mentioned the building in which the restaurant in situated is very old. Decor and ambience are not what the restaurant offers. People come there for only one thing and that is what they excel at; FOOD.
Right the food, They have everything that you expect from a normal japanese restaurant. Sushi, sashmi, udon, soba, donburi-set meals tempura and so on. Sushi and Sashmi are their speciality. I would also recommend Yaki-soba and Okonomiyaki. To go into details: one can order sushi platter or sashmi patter which encompasses all the sushi/sashmi varieties they have. Try the inari/fried tofu sushi as well. Japanese cuisine, everything is served as a meal; consists of a bowl of rice, miso soup and the main that you order. If that proves to be heavy just ask for the main without the rice.
If you are a vegetarian, fear not. They have a separate section for you. What udon/soba/rice they serve with meat they serve them with vegetables also. So take your vegetarian friends along with you. Sake; yes sake; cold or hot the sake is simply amazing. It is such a rare find in chennai. When i drank the sake in Dahlia i had a religious moment there. I could hear the hallelujah!! Try it. If you drink or if don't try sake. They also serve kingfisher beer(yuck). Apart from this you get the standard drink juices and teas as well. Soba especially cold soba have a special way in which it should be eaten. If you want to try the cold soba(which is beyond yummy) kindly google the method or ask them there, else you will be left eating what is essentially cold noodles.
Take note that the food takes a while to arrive. Give yourself a minimum of 1 1/2 to finish your dinner/lunch. But the time is well spent there. Constant flow of japanese coming in to eat should in itself reassure you of the quality of food provided.
Did i mention that the place is run by a indian and a japanese?
Don't have to take my word for it. Reserve a table and indulge and then become a addict just like me. Welcome to Dahlia. Welcome to a world of tongue-gasm.
notes:
Dahlia Address: Kaveri complex, 96 & 104 Nungambakkam High Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai: Phone: 28265240
Information:
- Udon: Thick Wheat flour noodles
- Soba: Thin buckwheat noodels
- Sushi: rice and fish
- Sashmi: meat strips mostly fish
- Okonomiyaki: Pancakes made of onions and cabbage and meat (beyond yummy)
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