Wada Sambhar
Sendur Sarvana Bhavan is one of the very few south indian restaurants in Pune offiering authentic Tamil Nadu taste in all their south india dishes. We tried Medu Wada, Idli, Masala Dosa, Sakkarai Pongal (sweet pongal), Upma and Shira and found Medu Wada and Sakkarai Pongal to be the best (wow!! dishes). Wadas were soft, fluffy and crisp without too much oil. Sambhar was thick and tangy having the typical Tamil taste – it was different from the ones that we get at most of the udupi style restaurants that we have or the sweet tasting puneri style sambhars. Coconut chutney was very fresh and flavourful and one of the best we have tasted in Pune. Saravana Kumar, the chef, explained how he sources all the spices for Sambhar from Tamil Nadu and the detailed preparation that goes in the making of Sambhar (around 20 different spices are used). All the dishes are freshly made with limited/no use of cold storage for any item.
Restaurant Description
Most of the south indian restaurants in Pune are either Udupi style or Puneri style and it is very rare to find one which offers authentic Tamil Nadu taste (like the one you get in Sarvana Bhavan in Chennai). This is one such restaurant. It is located in Badvhan just next to Chellaram Hospital, with entrance from the service road next to Mumbai Pune Expressway. Although it is a small outlet with outdoor seating only, it is worth travelling from any corner of Pune. Run by Saravana Kumar and his team from Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, it offers a range of dishes from snacks like Medu Vada/Idli/Dosa/Upma/Onion Bonda/Dal Wada/Dahi Wada to sweets like Sakkarai Pongal, Shira, Thengai Poli and lunch items like thali, lemon rice etc.
