August 28, 2008 8:42 AM
Chennai, and a bit of Hyderabad: movies, restarants, and miscellaneous
August 10, 2007 3:03 AM
Stayed at Chennai for almost two months, and visited Hyderabad for a day or two. Restaurants: Palimer, The Crown. Theatres: Devi, Satyam, and PVR Multiplex. And some miscellaneous tips.
Plane ride was bearable, but only because Pan's Labyrinth was playing. We stopped by UK. I hear Jet Airways will start flying from Newark airport to Dubai, stopping by Singapore. Next time we go to India, we may take that flight instead.
Chennai is very hot. It's a congested city, lots of people and pollution. The roads are crammed, don't expect to drive. From my experience, Indian cities don't have taxis; they have autos. Yellow autos are for the public - they're basically taxis; non-yellow autos are private, you can't hail them. If you're taking an auto, carry a handkerchief to protect your mouth and nose from smoke.
I saw Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix at Devi Theatres (Cost: 50 rupees/ticket), which I don't recommend. It's a loud theatre, people yelled throughout the movie. If you're looking for a theatre in Chennai, I recommend Satyam Complex theatres (Cost: 50 rupees/ticket, I saw Sivaji: The Boss) - the audience is quiet and I think the screen/sound may have been better quality (don't quote me on that). All the theatres I've visited are very loud. Next time, I may carry some cotton balls to stuff in my ears (No, seriously.) YMMV.
I went to Palimar at the Gemini flyover (I believe there are two 'Palimar's in Chennai). I had the fajitas, which I don't recommend. It was too bland. I recommend sticking to Indian dishes if you go there. It's a comfortable place: air-conditioned. It costs about 200 rupees/person for a meal, an entree's around 100 rupees.
The Crown, which is located in The Residency Towers, was awesome. (Sidenote: if you're visiting and don't have a place to stay, Residency Towers is gorgeous.) An average entree there costs about 200-250 rupees. I had the Ratatouelle, which was delicious. My aunt and uncle ordered Indian food, which was also very good. Best part: the Indian food tastes Indian and the French food tastes French. The restaurant's located on the 20th floor of the building, and you can eat on the terrace (Watch out for mosquitos if you go there in the later hours of the evening). Fantastic view, bring a camera. The building is home to a bunch of restaurants, including a buffet style place downstairs.
I went to Hyderabad for a few days. We flew via Jet Airways, which was excellent. They didn’t have the meal I ordered, so the flight attendant brought me a first class meal. In Hyderabad, I saw Cash in the PVR Theatres multiplex. Out of the three theatres, PVR gets my vote. My cousin (who lives in Hyd) tells me that there’s a strong movie community in the city, and there are actually three multiplexes in Hyderabad (PVR, Prasads, and something else).
Wherever you go, enjoy the fruit/veggies and the fresh juices. Indians love mangoes, and if you taste them, you'll know why :) I’ll post more in the comments if I remember anymore, but that’s all for today.
posted by theiconoclast31 to Trip Reports (2 comments total)
Plane ride was bearable, but only because Pan's Labyrinth was playing. We stopped by UK. I hear Jet Airways will start flying from Newark airport to Dubai, stopping by Singapore. Next time we go to India, we may take that flight instead.
Chennai is very hot. It's a congested city, lots of people and pollution. The roads are crammed, don't expect to drive. From my experience, Indian cities don't have taxis; they have autos. Yellow autos are for the public - they're basically taxis; non-yellow autos are private, you can't hail them. If you're taking an auto, carry a handkerchief to protect your mouth and nose from smoke.
I saw Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix at Devi Theatres (Cost: 50 rupees/ticket), which I don't recommend. It's a loud theatre, people yelled throughout the movie. If you're looking for a theatre in Chennai, I recommend Satyam Complex theatres (Cost: 50 rupees/ticket, I saw Sivaji: The Boss) - the audience is quiet and I think the screen/sound may have been better quality (don't quote me on that). All the theatres I've visited are very loud. Next time, I may carry some cotton balls to stuff in my ears (No, seriously.) YMMV.
I went to Palimar at the Gemini flyover (I believe there are two 'Palimar's in Chennai). I had the fajitas, which I don't recommend. It was too bland. I recommend sticking to Indian dishes if you go there. It's a comfortable place: air-conditioned. It costs about 200 rupees/person for a meal, an entree's around 100 rupees.
The Crown, which is located in The Residency Towers, was awesome. (Sidenote: if you're visiting and don't have a place to stay, Residency Towers is gorgeous.) An average entree there costs about 200-250 rupees. I had the Ratatouelle, which was delicious. My aunt and uncle ordered Indian food, which was also very good. Best part: the Indian food tastes Indian and the French food tastes French. The restaurant's located on the 20th floor of the building, and you can eat on the terrace (Watch out for mosquitos if you go there in the later hours of the evening). Fantastic view, bring a camera. The building is home to a bunch of restaurants, including a buffet style place downstairs.
I went to Hyderabad for a few days. We flew via Jet Airways, which was excellent. They didn’t have the meal I ordered, so the flight attendant brought me a first class meal. In Hyderabad, I saw Cash in the PVR Theatres multiplex. Out of the three theatres, PVR gets my vote. My cousin (who lives in Hyd) tells me that there’s a strong movie community in the city, and there are actually three multiplexes in Hyderabad (PVR, Prasads, and something else).
Wherever you go, enjoy the fruit/veggies and the fresh juices. Indians love mangoes, and if you taste them, you'll know why :) I’ll post more in the comments if I remember anymore, but that’s all for today.
Advertise here: Contact FM.
Uh right, I'm an idiot. Dubai is not quite as convenient as Mumbai. Gosh, this trip was so long ago. More folks need to post here.
posted by theiconoclast31 at 1:27 AM on July 8
posted by theiconoclast31 at 1:27 AM on July 8
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posted by mdonley at 4:53 PM on August 17