We saw this restaurant tucked in one corner of the food court with this amazing looking thaali in the display window. My growling stomach urged me on for a try and I am so glad I agreed.
We went pretty late on a Saturday for lunch at the food court in EA Mall but it was jam packed. Maybe 2pm is not that late by Indian standards but since coming to Singapore I’ve gotten used to lunch at noon and my stomach was crying bloody murder by then.
The waiters were all Rajasthani or Gujarathi. They bring around this jug and a basin for you to wash your hands at your table before and after eating. He managed to pour the water in a slow trickle and it all escaped into the bottom of that basin. Smart!
Once we are done with washing our hands, the steady barrage of dishes follow. Yummy things keep appearing on your plate at lightning speed.
It was tough to take pictures with a 50mm lens in a crowded restaurant but this thing on top of the rotis, that small flat disk, was mindblowing. It tasted like a much thicker version of puran poli. It was hot and oozing out ghee. I am getting hungry as I type this and I just had my lunch so you can imagine!
The food was amazing. It could be because I am a novice at this cuisines but it tasted very homemade, and very authentic. The only time I had a better Rajasthani meal was at Chowki Dhaani in Jaipur but that doesn’t count. This was in the heart of Chennai!
Priced at Rs 375 per thaali, its not a cheap meal. Its an unlimited thaali (except for sweets) with almost 30 items I think, so one round of every item is all most people will be able to manage. TH thought it was too expensive but then we seldom agree on these things so I will let you decide for yourselves. Definitely worth a visit.
Rajdhani Restaurant – Official Website
We visited the branch in EA Mall, same floor as the food court. I hear they have outlets all over India and abroad too.
Note: this is not a paid review. It’s based on my experience of going there once for lunch and we paid for our own meal. Please check out the comments for some mixed reviews.
We stumbled across your site when we trying to find out more on the Rajdhani. Hubby & I made plans and combined a movie outing at the EA with trying out this restaurant. We landed at the restaurant after some snacks at the theatre. I have had thalis in Rajasthan and my expereince of thalis at the roadside eateries in Rajasthan was awesome. My experience at Rajdhani was not good. The AC did not work. When we enquired about the AC, the waiter calmly told us that it was not working. Moreover, inspite of an early reservation, he placed us bang right in the middle of the restaurant and the waiters who passed by were always distrurbing the table. The chat that was provided with the thali has coconut and the sweet flavor didnt gel. None of the sabji's was what you could call yummy. I was initially misled cos i saw a couple of gujarati/rajasthani folks eating at the restaurant. It was a huge disappointment. I had been to Rangoli, the restaurant at T. Nagar and i had loved the food every single time. I had stuffed myself and actually had had trouble getting up and walking out. Nags, i was really taken by the photos you had up that i had made grandiose plans for Rajdhani. I was really disappointed. I made sure that we went to Rangoli the very next day so that hubby dearest could truly appreciate the difference between the thalis. Rangoli was simply superb! The price was Rs. 265/- compared to Rajdhani's – Rs. 350/-. Total paisa vasool at Rangoli. Do make it point to eat at Rangoli when you come down to India next.
I am very sorry to hear this and regret it even more because you went based on my review 🙁 To be fair, I have been there only once, we got a nice table right by the window maybe because we went well past lunch time, around 2:30pm. I loved the food but that could be because I haven't tasted anything better. Will definitely try Rangoli restaurant in T. Nagar next time I am in Chennai.
Thank you for leaving a note. This will be a good reference for anyone else looking for reviews of Rajdhani restaurant in EA mall chennai
I've been to this place in Mumbai cos i was dying for some home food …actually lots of it and voila! It was an amazing treat. Me and my cousin ate like pigs and skipped dinner after it. Rajdhani has a Gujrati cuisine. Most typical dishes of Rajasthan are not a part of it. What you had in Chowki dhaani was probably more closer to a Rajasthani cuisine. I have was born in Rajasthan and lived in Gujrat for 2 yrs.