When G. Natarajan founded The Grand Sweets & Snacks in 1982 with his wife Bangaruamma in Adyar, they were selling only three snacks: mysore pak, laddoo and mixture. His shop was so popular at the time that when a customer commented saying his sweets were 'grand', he decided to adopt the name Grand Sweets & Snacks, and what a run it has had! Built on a strong foundation of tradition, hygiene, a simple home-like ambience, this store has grown to become one of the best sweets and savouries shops in Chennai. Never been there? Missing it too much? Check out these top 5 dishes for a wholesome dining experience at any Grand Sweets & Snacks joint!
Gulab Jamun. A dish that anyone with a strong sweet tooth will appreciate, the gulab jamuns here are served warm with just the right quantity of sugar syrup. Made fresh every morning from scratch at their central kitchen, the jamuns here are soft, spongy and yum. Next is Mysore Paku. No trip to Chennai is complete without trying out this sweet which melts in your mouth. At Grand Sweets & Snacks, the Paku is coarse but crumbly and doesn’t fail to impress. Made with ghee, sugar and gram flour, the fudge-like texture will have you hooked.
Filter Coffee. Coffee enthusiasts obsess over how Grand Sweets & Snacks manages to perfect every process that goes into brewing a cup of filter coffee. Priced at INR 28.50, we bet you won't be disappointed. Their Adai Avial is our fourth favourite pick. Made with a combination of rice and dal ground together with other spices and similar to a dosa, the adai is served with avial, a coconut-based curry with vegetables. Loaded with protein, this healthy meal is also super tasty. We like.
Last on our list, but actually the most celebrated dish at Grand Sweets & Snacks is Kuzhi Paniyaram. More like steamed dumplings, made using dosa batter, these are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, just as they're supposed to be. Served along with some bombastic onion chutney and sambhar, these make for the perfect snack. They have both kara (spicy) and inippu (sweet) versions of these. Just skip eating at home once and head there for a flavoursome and nostalgic indulgence. Your tummy will thank you.