Review Kasi Vinayaga Mess - Chennai (Madras)

This is situated almost at the end of Akbar Sahib Street. Only mess which provides meals (Rs.100) as lunch and dinner. Have taken their food several times. No other tiffin items or variety rices are served here till corona. Nowadays few dinner items are provided. Likewise post covid parcel meal is given Two wheelers can be parked just opposite to the mess at a dedicated space. Will be crowded always. Will be given yellow/white token. Waiting time will be there. They will call out the color of the token. Upto 40 people can take meals. But for each color token, 20 people will be allowed. They offer limited meals. For Curd and dhal, we need to pay extra and get token for that (Rs.10 each). Table and stool set up. Plantain leaf will be provided. They serve in a systematic manner in a disciplined line. Like how rhey serve in a marriage hall. Poriyal and kootu will be given twice. Extra rice will be given on payment. They rotate the items daily. Their pineapple rasam is the standout one. The food will not harm your stomach. It is adequate. Only cash is accepted. This place will suit bachelors and woling persons. It is not a place where you can take meals at a slow pace (though they don't show any urgency) because most of them eat food fast and leave.

For authentic meal experience,it's a must goer.Expected much taste but it's not upto my expectation.They could have add one any fry with kootu and poriyal. The reception was so nice and the owner of the hotel had food alongside us which was quite interesting.

Kasi Vinayaga Mess is the best place in Chennai to indulge in a satisfying vegetarian meal. For your convenience, bike parking is available, although car parking is not provided. Please note that during peak hours, there might be a waiting time of approximately 10-20 minutes if you arrive early. However, it's definitely worth the wait for the delicious food they serve.

Best authentic home style food 😍 must try with ghee & parupu podi 😋😋Price reasonable... But you have to wait 10 mts in peak hours... Must try in Triplicane ❤️❤️

Not like the olden days when we had super tasty food was served here. We cant blame the management as it is trying to do their best but ingredients used they get or supplied are sub standard which make the quality suffer. .. As usual very crowded and to manage they have to plan something better

A simple, neat and an orderly way of food will arrive on to your table; once you pay Rs. 120/- and get a token. A limited meal yet that fills your tummy and you may leave some rice without eating. It is a normal hotel for me with years of experience. Not worth the hype which we see in youtube but still the place is a worth to visit.

Regular lunch Rs. 100 Dhall and ghee extra Rs. 20 Parking available in the opposite building. Great place to have lunch.

Strictly for South Indian vegetarian lovers. There's always a queue outside and you're allowed some 12 minutes to finish off your food before you're expected to leave. Food is okay, serving is generous. Service is mechanical- no human touch to it

Good food. curd is very tasty

Traditional Pure vegetarian meals and they are serving food in Banana Leaf. Food is really good and Rasam superb taste. They added pepper in rasam that's taste is awesome. Meals price is 100/ Limited Rice and if u want to eat Curd and Ghee u have to pay extra 10/- each for this. but everything is good. And too much rush, u need to wait for few minutes to get seat.

Best traditional mess in and around triplicane and also in Chennai. Heaven for bachelor's and people who love traditional meals. There is token system followed here and all time rush. Go for it and enjoy the meals. Many technology in place now, but still not changed their way and ppl loved this place for this. Innovation, technology, automation not require for these places and only tasty b good food, which is actually require now.

Very tasty south indian meals. need little patient to wait in queue to get lunch. They can accommodate maximum 40 members at a time. They are following good token procees to provide seat. Timing 1 pm to 3 pm

If you want to taste a highly traditional and truly South Indian food, then this might be a better choice within your budget. I've gone with my mates and the lunch was highly satisfactory.

Token system followed here. Yellow and white token given for each row. Very good veg meals available. Taste is very good 👍

Loved it Very tatsty food The hype is real must try and experience it Very well organised

1. Very nice vegetarian food. 2. 100Rslimited meals . 3. 10 Rs for ghee and paruppu dhal 4. 10Rs f0r curd5.token system .5 only two wheeler parking .6.parcel also available.7.no plate-banana leaf meals.8.garlic also included in Rasam. 9.poriyal and kootu good

Always crowded place … u need to wait atleast 30 mins for ur turn… food taste is good .., but need patience to wait n have meals … suitable for single and bachelor… not for family

Amazing place for lunch. Excellent and ultimate taste. Food quality was really good. But tough task is you need wait for minimum 30 to 45 mins to Dine in. Highly recommended. Veg only....

Taste was good! And it's Limited meals. But rice was overcooked and kozhanjified.. I felt, it can be served properly for such a tasty meal.

Excellent taste feels like home meals !! very hygiene !

50 Year Old Kasi Vinayaga Mess 🌃♥️💯<br/>.<br/>.<br/>Kasi Vinayaga Mess 🌆 (Since 1971) Located in a Small Street 🛣️ in Triplicane and are famous especially for their Meals Varities 🍚🍲🍛 and has become a Landmark in Triplicane 🗼🌀🍁☃️❄️<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>🍃🍙 South Indian Meals 🍙🍃<br/>.<br/>🔹 Veraa Level Place 💯 starting Paruppu/Dal was weightuu ♥️🌀☃️ and Sambar 🍝 was totally different compared to other restaurants 🏢 plus Kara Kozhambu 🍲 was average spicy and Rasam was ulti 🔥 too Overall I'd recommend this place to anyone 👑🇻🇮🌃<br/>⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐💯 (Must Try)<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>📣📣 Apparently US Embassy 🇺🇲 People went here as a Family 💛💯 (chumma oru fact kaga sonna pa) and people come in Luxury Cars to this place wait and have the food 🌠💯<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>📋📋 Kasi Vinayaga Mess, Triplicane<br/>🍃🍙 Meals - ₹80 INR<br/>🌾🍛 Dal & Ghee - ₹5 INR<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>⏲️ Timings ⏲️<br/>Morning 11:45am 🌅 - Noon 3:30pm 🌇<br/>Evening 7:30pm 🌉 - Night 9:30pm 🌌<br/>.<br/>.<br/>🌍 Location 🚩 - Kasi Vinayaga Mess<br/>No 5, 58/2, Akbar Sahib St, Police Quarters, Triplicane, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600005<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>#peppafoodie #peppapodcast #foodpodcast #podcast #chennai #peppafoodie_triplicane #southindianfood #chennaifood #triplicane #kasivinayagamess

Parking ( oppsite there is parking no need to worry ) <br/>Payment : cash only<br/>Token system ( waiting time depend upon the token number and the crowd ) <br/>Cost :90 per person <br/>Food quality 5/5 <br/>Home food 🥘 <br/>Rice ( limited ) that serves one person more ! <br/>Start serving with Green Bay leaf <br/>*Podi rice with ghee (₹5 ) additional for ghee <br/>*Rice 🍚 best rice I had in south Indian hotel <br/>*sambar , pappad , pickle , green , sides <br/>*rasam <br/>*buttermilk <br/>* curd ( ₹10 ) additional but worth it best homemade curd u ll love it <br/><br/>

Typical south indian meals. It was like home food. Its quite a small with no great ambience. Its crowded so have patience to wait however they manage the ctowd very well with token systems which is very systematic. Cost is nominal, 70 for meals with extra 5 for ghee dal and 10 for curd. Taste was awesome. Sambhar was good. Overall its good if you want some home made south indian meals. Only issue here is you will have to eat food in hurry due to long queue.

Typicall south indian restaurant. If u are hungry and if u want to try home food with less cost, this is the place to try. Good food. Podi is amazing. Unlimited meals. Good sambar. Only draw back is waiting time. Highly crowded. So need to wait. Ambience is not that great.

Kasivinayaga Mess is all Time Favourite. Usually we visit on Sundays for lunch. A good quantity of steamed rice, Sambar, Rasam, Kootu, Poriyal, Mor, Semiya & Javarisi Payasam ( Only on Sunday's) are offered for Rs. 55 and You get extra Rice, Paruppu Podi, Ghee, Curd for extra amount. Small place but Great Service, Clean and Hygienic.

A typical South Indian meal with yummy “podi”. A must try mess for an authentic fulfilling meal. Those who are away from home and miss the home food, can definitely get the taste here.

Highly overrated restaurant.For 70 Rs the quantity of Rice they give does not satisfy an individual. Also the behavior of staff is not good.The place is cramped.So they force customers to eat fast since there are always people who wait for a chair. Worst experience.

No reason not to give Full 5Stars.. Exceptionally great place for meals..Only Meals plz..70 rs worth every penny for the food served. Rice bowl is just perfect nothing more nothing less. Beetroot Kootu, Poriyal, Vendakka (Lady's Finger) Sambar, Vatha Kolambu, Rasam, Moore, Thaiyr (Curd) extra 5 bucks but fresh, pickle, appalam.. Missing is Beeda but that we had at other roadside shop 😁

This mess has legendary status in the eyes of all the hostel population in Big Street, Triplicane, who want simple vegetarian food. The quantity is adequate and the taste is homely. People in and around Triplicane who are looking for quick lunch options should definitely try Kasivinayagam. However, the place is generally dominated by male working population and women may find it bit stuffy.

Sooper saapapdu.,., after a long time.,.,., serves tamilnadu unlimited full meals for a very low rate.,., no varieties .,., ghee podi and curd optional.,., Need to stand to get place.,., nice experience.,.,

This place is located in a narrow street so, no parking space for even two wheeler.<br/><br/>You enter and see a big hall with wooden benches. Food is served in banana leaf. You get token for meals, ghee and curd and seat yourself.<br/><br/>The service is like in marriages (oru pandhi mudinju dan next).<br/><br/>There was one vegetable ,one kootu, appalam, payasam, oorugai,sambar, rasam and gun powder.<br/><br/>The gun powder was ultimate and tasted excellent with ghee.(ghee is priced seperately) I skipped the sambar and went for one more serving of podi with ghee.<br/><br/>Then asked for rasam. Pineapple rasam also tasted yum!<br/>Lemon pickle along with curd rice was heavenly.<br/><br/>Payasam though was good, it was too sweet for my liking.<br/><br/>Overall a very satisfying experience and worth the money you pay

Close to home meals. Dont be fooled by the appearance of hotel, food is just healthy and stomach filing. Oly meals is served here. Just go for it if you want have proper meals.

Kasi Vinayaga Mess is situated in bylanes of Triplicane . If you could define the place in one word it would be,orderly.Right from making the payment where you are alloted a token with your designated seat number to the single seater benches arranged in four rows. As soon as you are seated, you are supposed to clean the banana leaf on your bench with water, so that the server can start serving you. Interestingly a mound of rice is served with slightly sticky consistency. This is accompanied by two side dishes,sambhar, rasam, buttermilk, pickle and papad. You can ask for extras like curd and daal.As everyone around you is focused on food the entire meal will take around 10-20 minutes depending upon how fast you eat.<br/>Service is friendly, and the food is not laden with masala and has homely feel to it. Go there to experience old world vibes and no nonsense food.

Typica Tamil lveg meal fare. Def above average quality. Will beat many established veg meal hotels hands down. But priced a bit on the higher side. They refuse to give you rasam to drink or even second serving of kara / vatha kozumbu.  Curd & Dhall with ghee is charged extra.  Basic facilities. But def gotto visit atleast once. Quality of steamed rice is a bit of a let down.

You may feel like home when you enter this mess and here always served with vegetarian meals all the time and you have option to buy curd cup or dhal curry with ghee for extra cost. You have to be here early because this mess is always busy during lunch hours. Rice is well cooked, sambar, vegetable curry, curd, and rasam are well in taste.

very sudden and a happy decision.. we went here yesterday .. there was a huge q. we had to wait for getting a table for like 20 mins. but let me tell guys ...it's definitely worth the wait .. I am a lover of simple and tasty food and this is my heaven and that too south Indian lunch .. just ❤❤.. it is a very simple spread of dishes .. don't miss the dhal powder alias paruppu podi with ghee .. amazing taste.. then they served two side dishes , one was beetroot curry and another one cabbage sabzi.. both were different and good. no unwanted masalas and all .. simple but best.<br/>then sambar,rasam,vatta kuzhambu ... all the three were exactly tasted like home-made. . I still can't stop missing yesterday's lunch .. and to top it all an appalam. .<br/>last but not the least curd with rice and pickle .. what more you need being a south Indian...<br/>will visit this shop again and again definitely. . 😍<br/>what say Koushikan Swaminathan.<br/><br/>The review is completely based on my taste buds and my love for food. (no influence)..<br/><br/>Thank you 🙏

Went there today (17/03/18) with one of my friends ...the food was excellent.. specially that parupu podi..easily filling for a normal person.if u want to have south indian, this is the go-to place.<br/><br/>At Rs 85/person (i.e.meals+curd+ghee) it is an absolute bang for ur buck<br/><br/>only limitation being the limited food 🤤

Been their customer for more than 10 years since I came to chennai. Ate many times, never disappointed me once, that is their consistency .<br/>Only meals, served for lunch n dinner except sun night. Meals is limited( can get extra rice by paying extra) ,they provide daal n ghee 5rs extra in lunch, dal podi n ghee for night.. curd 10 rs extra. Rice will be little sticky ( kolanchadu).Their rasam s all-time fav one esp pineapple rasam.. their method of seat arrangement, serving are systemic n neat.. All time favorite for meals.

It is an experience worth having, the honor of having supremely made authentic food. This place is very old, and has its fair share of patrons. I visited here with my client as I wanted to have lunch at a proper Chennai mess. Post taking tokens (around 70 Rs per meal excluding paruppu with ghee and curd) we waited. Once indicated, I sat on table 21 and the meal was served in proper sequence.   Post washing the banana leaf, poriyal and kootu was served. The sticky rice was accompained by ghee and paruppu. It might be a limited meal but it is absolutely filling. Few places rival this place in terms of the contentment they give once the meal is over (I am looking at Kerala Hotel in Delhi), here in chennai, Kasivinayaga is a winner though, through, and through.<br/><br/>5/5

Simple, hygienic limited vegetarian meals. You really can't go wrong here. Must try Papu with ghee. Better go early as it gets crowded after 1:00.

There are places that you visit for experiencing food and then there are places like Kasi Vinayaga Mess where the experience is the experience of eating in such an iconic place. Not going to review the food, because honestly, for once, it didn't really matter what came to my Vazhai Ilai.<br/><br/>The Menu for the meal is fixed. We were early birds on the day we landed here for experiencing Kasi Vinayaga Mess. There were 2 Rows filled with people eating. There was 2 more rows empty but still we were asked to wait. It was because the staffs were being served food. And, this place opens to public after the employees finish eating the meals. It was goosebumps moment to see such a dedicated employer and employee relationship and this place earns more respect from me for their Principles than for the meal itself.<br/><br/>The place has 4 rows of tables and stools (Totally 40 seater) each numbered. One has to pay ahead and buy the token. The token chips carries your seat number.<br/><br/>Meals costs ₹70. ₹5 for Paruppu+Ghee. ₹10 for Curd. No parcels. The meal here is limited. The day we went it was Cabbage Poriyal and Tomato Kootu. Other than the Paruppu, there was Sambhar, Vatha Kuzhambu, Rasam and More (Buttermilk). Pickle and Salt was served too. <br/><br/>Once the meal service starts, it's only the hand and mouth coordinating sounds that one gets to hear. This place has excellent discipline of people finishing meals and letting the next batch who are waiting to come in for their meal.

I just want to finish this in two words<br/><br/>1. Ancient but simple<br/><br/>2. Must Eat<br/><br/>I ll leave with an article in Hindu which explains everything<br/><br/>http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/chen-downtown/simple-formula-keeps-this-mess-afloat/article5408478.ece

Another brilliant place to have food.<br/><br/>Meals are generally heavy and consists of lot of masala. But this place serves meals with the proper portion of masala which gives you a feeling that you are having it at your home. Not a place with great ambience but is hygenic enough to have food.

Tasty and Hygienic. Very Reasonably Priced. Easy to locate. Friendly Staff. Mind that you cannot enjoy the food as you have to eat pretty quickly. Reason, they serve like it is done in South Indian Marriages. And, as it is a very busy place , people will be waiting for their turn and you will be under tremendous pressure to finish your tasty food. Till they work on the above issue, it's a definite definite try once place.

This is a mess so don't expect luxury amenities or service. You need to stand in Q and take token for limited meals 70rs and ghee plus dhal cost 5rs extra, curd 10rs extra.<br/><br/>You have to sit only in your seat number provided in the token.<br/><br/>Very homely tasty food, no side effects or won't feel heavy.<br/><br/>You get vegetables and side only twice and its not unlimited.<br/><br/>3.5 because, owner is very rude or unfriendly still I would go for the food<br/><br/>

A very tiny place in Triplicane, which is bachelors paradise. Very old traditional mess at a very affordable rate of ₹65 for a limited meal which really means limited. You can add Ghee parupu for ₹5 and curd for ₹10. Strictly no parcel. The procedure starts with standing in a line to get your tokens. You will either get a white token or yellow token along with the blue square tokens for the add ons. Then you will have to wait till one of the person calls for the colour of the token. So please walk in along with your tokens and find the table no that is matching your token and settle down. The tables are very old granite slab ones with wooden chairs. Only 14 tokens are issued of each colour. You will have a banana leaf laid and then the water. There will be a small moulded of rice in page is served and followed by Ghee dal who ever opted for and then the poriyal , kootu, pickle, kollambu and sambar. Then you will have one more round of poriyal, kootu. Then rasam follows. Only thing that you can ask multiple times is sambar, rasam or mooru (butter milk) . Once every one in the row completes the food the next waiting people are been called. You don't realise that you have had your food comfortably in just 10 to 12 minutes. It was surprising for me. But I totally appreciate the management for running this like a responsibility than a commercial establishment. The taste is pure.. it's an experience and go for it.

My colleagues at work have been raving about this place. Gave it a try today. Hype it is not. It is truly wholesome, delicious, simple, balanced fare. I loved that the quantities are just right. Gluttony takes a bit of the enjoyment of a perfect meal and so for me, this was just right. The food itself is not varied but what is served is perfection. Vatha kozhambu as other reviewers have gloated over lives true to its hype. I actually liked every element of the dish. I find it to be a balanced very flavorful and the right spice levels. I also love the discipline around here. Everything is like clockwork and the visitor succumbs to this without complaint. There is no chatting, lazing around. It is all about the food. Obviously you do not go here for ambience and special service. Equality is the lay of the land. All are treated with the same courtesy and urgency : ))<br/><br/>R.E.S.P.E.C.T

Nice homely food. Having it for more than 12 yrs since my existence in triplicane. Pls go before 8:45pm in night and 2:30pm in afternoon.Only twice the curries are placed here which is enough.Can improve the space of this mess.

Been going here almost every weekend. Best south Indian veg lunch you can find in town... The dal+ghee combo is heaven.. the curd and the buttermilk they serve is my favourite... Only con I feel is the long waiting time and the rice cake...

One tiny lane in Triplicane serves really humble but top notch Tamil food! Parking cars is simply not possible even in your wildest dreams :) two wheelers can be managed.<br/>One needs to pay up in the counter, they give us a token and ask us to be seated.<br/>Limited meals - INR 65<br/>Dal with ghee - INR 5<br/>And curd - INR 5<br/>Extra rice and apalam can be asked for during the meal and paid later.<br/>There are rows of tables and stools placed very close to each other so comfortable seating is out of question! <br/>We were served dal with ghee, sambar, vathakulamu, rasam and curd with a poriyal and spinach. <br/>The service is too quick and everyone's meal won't last more than 20 minutes!!<br/>The vathakulambu was made so well that I couldn't help licking off the cup :D <br/>This is one place to go if someone wants to experience authentic Tamil meals!

Decided to go this place a week ago and my friend showed green signal to accompany me this weekend. My dad hail from Triplicane and I remember him saying once "if you enter the street the food smell will simply blow you away".. That put a seed to go to this legendary place. Located in one of the narrow street located near chepauk stadium.. The entry to the lane is from bells road. Google maps will help you to find this place. I missed noticing the place on the first attempt.. But as my father said the food smell helped me to find the place. They have good parking for two wheelers but not for car. I am not gonna cover about the ambiance as this place is meant to be like this and that adds more taste to the food. Open kitchen and food smell.. Such a divine..<br/><br/>From the previous reviews we found that there will be a huge waiting time. Luckily since it is a weekend when I enter there was less crowd. But all of a sudden we found a huge line to get the tokens.<br/><br/>The system they follow to give a table to you is very old fashioned and its very rare to find any eatery with this style of token system. They give you colour tokens and that has table number in it. They will allow you through batches like in marriage dining(typical Tamil marriage). Each batch has a unique colour code. So you have to wait for your colour. And once they call the colour you have to find the table that mentioned in the token. It's really fun. But make sure if you are so hungry you might get furious..<br/><br/>The banana leaf is placed and they start serving you curry, kootu,appalam, rice(limited), dal, ghee, Sambar, kara kozhambu, rasam, Curd and Buttermilk.<br/>Dal and ghee(5 rs extra token), curd(10 rs token), extra rice(10 rs token). If you don't want these optional items then you'll be charged 70 rs. Place can accommodate 40 persons in batch.<br/><br/>One meals is very sufficient for one person despite the limited quantity of rice. But ppl like me who loves to eat a lot can get extra rice and the extra rice is less in quantity than the first serving of rice. Every thing.. I mean everything tasted really really good and they don't mind serve you other items than rice at anytime. The Staffs were provided yellow coloured t shirt so that you can easily differentiate them. They are polite to serve and friendly too.<br/><br/>The main thing is.. THIS PLACE IS ACTUALLY NOT MEANT FOR SLOW EATERS. I DON'T BLAME THE MANAGEMENT BUT THE LONG WAITING LINE TO HAVE FOOD. My friend took some extra time.. They didn't ask him to hurry up but the next batch have started occupying the tables and its very hard for them to skip your table number. So you might feel embarrassing.. So take a note of this guys.<br/><br/>They don't give parcel and don't provide other items than thali. Have to check the place for dinner.<br/><br/>It's highly recommended place if you want to have a authentic south indian lunch thali. Very reasonably priced and they don't accept cards. Very very old fashioned eatery that really takes you to 90s(i am 90s kid.. But from my father I came to know this place is more than 50 yrs old).. #Happy #eating

This is the one of oldest mess in Triplicane. The quality of food always great, never changed for years. The service is quiet fast, no need to wait for long time as we fo earlier.

Good food at very reasonable price. Very simple but you would like to go very often. They serve lunch and dinner. Decoration: Basic old style sitting.

Served quick.<br/>A perfect meal.<br/>Clearly a place to go for Homely food.<br/>Reasonable price.<br/>Going early is a good option as it gives you more time to eat.<br/>As it is a mess, Not many women are seen around.

Taste: 3.5 Service:4 Ambiance:1.5 VFM: 4.5<br/>Traditional way of Serving typical South Indian meal. Even foreigners visit this place for lunch. You can fill your stomach if you go with hunger for your meal. Taste and service is good. Ambiance can be made better. VFM tops.

If you want to have a quick, tasty and quality south Indian meals this is the place. They run the place well. Limited items but worth the cost and taste.<br/><br/>Food:4.5/5<br/>Only additional option is dal and curd at extra cost.<br/><br/>Service:4/5<br/>Quick and fast<br/><br/>Varitety:3/5<br/>Only meals is served<br/><br/>Ambience:3/5<br/>Very small and compact space.<br/><br/>Overall rating:4/5<br/>

This reminds me the golden old days I used to take lunch with my grandpa. Waited in a long queue to get the token(white) and waited again outside till my color code sounds. By the time waiting I came know there are few more people came from a long way to have the lunch here. Probably one of the most quietly served place I ever noticed, the meal is quite good. Beyond the service most of the hotels turned to run as a business, but still few hotels like these haven't changed much from the traditional touch. food lovers definitely can try once for a homely veg meals..... 👍👍👍

The food was very bland. The waiter's were bunch of frustrated souls, any thing extra like sambar, rasam or vegetable was served with a hard heart. Horrible pathetic, never ever go there.

Don't judge book by its cover, an adage goes.  In one of my previous reviews I had reviewed a restaurant which looked posh but the food was horrible. But in case of Kasivinayaga mess, it is the exact opposite.  Enough being written about the legendary status of this mess. The place still manages to keep up with its old world charm, consequently doesn't have a presentable ambience. But the food here is awesome to put it mildly. <br/><br/>They serve only vegetarian meals. They serve their customers by strictly following the "pandi" style of allocating tables in turns and serving the items like how they usually do in a marriage. So after having to wait for 15 minutes to get the token, one token for the table, one for ghee paruppu podi (Rs 5), one for curd (Rs 7) and one for extra rice (Rs 10). The meal costs Rs 60. Once you get the tokens you have to wait for another 15 minutes for the current "pandi" to get over to occupy your table. <br/><br/>The place is helmed by a gentleman who is well over his 70's (by looks at least !) who reminds you of a strict school head master. It is natural to get intimidated by his demeanour when you go to him to buy the tokens. He also strictly ensures that correct people are seated in the correct tables. When i was dining, he was admonishing a couple for sitting in a wrong table. And under his supervision the hotel crew go about their job in workman like fashion. Here there is no room for pleasantries or smiles.  But they were quite efficient in their work.<br/><br/>The veg meals consists of limited rice (but the quantity is good), sambar, rasam, more, poriyal and kootu. As i have mentioned earlier, ghee paruppu podi and curd are extra. The rice was very well cooked and of high quality. Sambar was typical brahmin style sambar. The aroma and taste made me nostalgic. In the colony we used to stay there used to be brahmin families as well. And the aroma of sambar when you pass by their homes is what i experienced here.  When i dined they served neither more kolambu nor karakolambu. <br/><br/>Rasam was again awesome. To my taste the salt was bit less but with added salt it tasted terrific. More and curd were fresh and yummy too. They served potato podimas as poriyal and aviyal as kootu and it was served twice without any of us asking for it. The ghee paruppu podi was one of the best i must have tasted in my life, may be next only to my mother's.  <br/><br/>All of this was over in just 15 minutes including the extra rice i ordered. May be next  time i would try two meals on the trot. Still drooling thinking of the meal i had here, and mind you i have never drooled for a veg meal in my life ever.<br/><br/>Updated on 30/1/2020: The owner/cashier is very arrogant. He is just throwing away the tokens and the change as if we are asking for his alms. It is real pity and unfortunate that such a good eatery is manned by such a cultureless , arrogant, grumpy old man. This is what happens when you don't value what you have. Rating downgraded to 3 today.

This is highly traditional... Loved it!!!<br/>But we have to wait sometime for our food since they are following "pandhi murai" worth waiting!!!!

Like to have excellent veg meal ! Best place is kaasi vinayaga mess ! Parupu podi / ghee - wow ! Every Sunday we can get yummi paayasam ! White / yellow token system is long traditional method followed here ! But nice to wait for ur call . Parking shed is available for two wheelers ! For past 8 years I tasted the meal here, not even a single style of preparation changed . Worth to have FULL meals .

Tucked in a small by lane in Triplicane, this is specifically a joint for single gents at Triplicane (Bachelors Paradise) in Chennai. I carry fond memories of having had many dinners here. While one would be required to queue up and wait for some time (with three colored tokens system... hope it still continues), believe me, the meal here is worth all that wait. The no. of dishes may be rationed and so are the quantities... but the quality and taste are unmatched. The most important ask for a bachelor of having no gastronomic upsets after food is surely ensured here.

"The taj of Triplicane " <br/>Ordered limited meals (60rs)and dhal with ghee(7rs) <br/>After waiting for one hour got a table . Worth waiting. Service they do is really well organised. Mango pickle was so tasty with curd rice . Kudos for maintaining the mess for 20 years <br/>Ambience: 3 <br/>Taste: 4 <br/>Service : 4.5 <br/>Value for money:4

50 years old, that's twice my age.. I wonder how they could get those banana leaves in the correct shape.. Food is fantastic and the taste has never changed for the past 5 years to my knowledge.. Check this place out Shirley Pearls

During 70's I was working in Chennai and staying in a Mansion on Big Street. We had three good Messes - Mithra Bhavan, Sydoji Mess and Kasi Vinayaga Mess. If I remember correctly Kasi Vinayaga Mess serve Lemon Rasam on Wednesdays and Pineapple Rasam on Fridays. Never missed these Rasams. Also they very particular about size of the banana leaves. You will never get uneven banana leaves. Food always tasted good. Now this Mess is only one surviving in that area for nearly 50 days.

It's been 7 years since I have been visiting this place every Thursday's or Sunday's (thats a alternative day at the time of my school) especially for pineapple rasam. They only serve it on Thursday's and Sunday's. Year by year prices of the food changed but not the taste and the quality of the food, it's the same taste as I had for the first time before 7 years. They have their reputation in that area. I don't know their history. But it's worth trying.

After a long wait (in years!), finally made it to Kasi Vinayaga Mess. Worth the patience! Simple and homely, but amazing food. Unlimited and tasty to suit the way you would like to eat. Quite similar to the Andhra mess food but a full meal with buttermilk @ 60. Podi/ghee for 5 bucks more and Curd for 7 more. Dinner starts @ 7:45 pm weeknights & Sat/Sun nights.  Go in the nights if you want to avoid the crowds.  During lunchtime, wait times could be as much as an hour.

Very good authentic vegetarian meals available.<br/>My all time favourite hotel.<br/>I feel like having food in my home.<br/>Even if we are slow eater's they make us to eat fast ;)<br/>

I was going here for almost 16 years. Every time, the same standard is maintained. The meals was always excellent. My favorite was Sambar and Pineapple rasam. I used to visit this place once in every six months from the year 2000

This "Mess" should be in the "Legendary" list.  Consistent quality for the past so many years.  No extra oil / masalas / spices.  Never had any complaints after eating. A wholesome South Indian meal always.

I have been eating in Kasi vinayaga since my school days (7th standard). Almost, 18 years. It is one of the best mess in chennai. I guess this is running from 1970's. Token system was nice concept here, but some doesn't prefer if they were in very hungry, coz if we gone during lunch we have wait for atleast 15 mins to get the token. Since, 18 years i never find the change in taste of the food. Now, I am in USA. missing it lot. When i was in chennai i used to come here for a lunch from navallur it's almost 30 KMs from there.<br/>Plus: Taste, Service, Home food, No unnecessary masala, <br/>Minus: Token system(some times it test our passion)<br/>Recipe: Paruppu podi (rating 10), Pineapple rasam(rating 10), Vetha kulambu(rating 9), tomato kootu(rating 9). Even pickle also will be in good taste.<br/>Over all my rating is 100 :)

One of my friend who is from Pune, took me to this mess today! The kind of service they do is very well organized! Food quality and taste is good! It will take half an hour to get a seat and you just get 15 mins to finish your meal. The place is that crowded in the afternoons. Worth a try and it was a different experience! If you wanna taste an authentic veg meal don't miss this place.

An authentic vegetarian mess.. There was a long queue waiting patiently to get the token first, and then again to wait for there turn to eat.. All this was worth as the meal was delicious, it is simple home like food...<br/>Cost : 60rs limited meals, extra ghee dal : 5rs, curd : 7rs..

Read about this place on a Facebook group WCE<br/>The place was very clean <br/>At the billing counter u first have to pay and collect the token its limited meals here<br/>For Dal and curd we have to pay ₹12 extra<br/>All the items where good Aplam was also nominally priced <br/>But one thing I was shocked was that they don't serve rasam to drink <br/>The place is always crowded and served on banana leaf <br/>

Best lunch mess with banana leaf spread for bachelors in once bachelors paradise of Triplicane. Consumers book meal and wait for the next round as in a traditional wedding meal.

Best south indian meals restaurants that provides very tasty food for all people.Rasam is out of the world taste(everyday there is a variety). Watever is the dish its their taste that doesnt changed all these years(ofcourse im being regular customer there for past 3 years :D).

A mess where they follow a different rule. We need to wait in waiting room first. then they will call a batch of people. Once the batch is over they will clean and allows next batch. They never allows us to join in between once started. Feels like we wait for next show in cinemas. But when the food comes, we will understand its worth the wait... Also good for the pocket.

Taste : 3.5/5 ; Ambiance : 3/5 ; Service : 3.5/5 ; VFM : 3.5/5<br/><br/>Being in an area where the the non-veg hotels and biryani outlets are dominant...an urge for good southindian meals is not easy to fulfill...thats when many of my local friends suggested me to try kasivinayaga mess located near here...was hearing a lot abt this place but never really got a chance to try it....though nair mess is popular in this area...kasivinayaga is no where less important for these people...<br/><br/>Located in the chepauk stadium road...a couple hundred metres away nair mess..to get to this place...u need to get to parthasarathy road and then take a left....located in the parallel road actually....parking is roadside and is minimalistic and only for bikes...leaving cars back wil be a good idea.....<br/><br/>The place looks very similar to small mess that you wil find in any area....the arrangement or seats are like you will find in marriages....thats because this place operates in batch system or pandhi as we call them in tamil...i dont know how many batches they operate in a day but we will have to wait until a complete set ends.....the service really is quick and u should keep in pace with them....<br/><br/>They just serve limited meals here..we need to pay the money up front and get a token...and on presenting the token to the servers...we will be pointed on to where we have to be seated...we will be given a bowl of rice and sambar and rasam...along with poriyals...the poriyals are stricyly limited...atleast that was the response i got when i asked for some extra poriyal....the food is really good...the best of the meals you will find in chennai....the sambar and rasam are really good...rice is pipping hot...the poriyals too are good...<br/><br/>Priced at 60rs i guess..as it was paid by my friend...this place is definitely worth a try...very good food with a different dining experience...a must try for people who are looking to dine in this area....

My experiencehere: O My god!!!<br/>I have been eating at this place for close to 13 years and believe me, every single time I have my food here. . I come out with a hand around my tummy, trying to hold it from bursting. . I have never experienced a better place for South indian meal. .<br/>A very traditional mess, with token system, stable suppliers, quality food that never changes. <br/>They make the rice, ghee with dhall(noon)/ dhall powder (night) sambar, rasam, kootu, priyal, vathakolambu / more kolambu, buttermilk, thayir,oorga, appalam.(payasam only on Sundays) Standard menu.<br/>They start service by 11.45 everyday, goes on to 3.pm and around 7.30 night till 10.00pm.. <br/>This is one of the haven for South indian meals lovers. Absolute bliss.<br/>They have been in this business for a very very long time and they have made their place in history of chennai meals. I bow down to their food.<br/>This place is not a very aesthetically appealing place. They have this pandhi system and mind you they serve fast.. you might try to keep up your pace with pandhi. . But don't worry, they won't make you go away, so eat at your speed. But you will feel out of place to eat alone after all the companions of the pandhi finish. Normally they don't provide extra poriyal / kootu. These are minor difficulties in comparison to the amirtham you get to eat. .

One of d must try places in Chennai... Worth waiting for such a good food... Only thing is that there ain't any take aways... U gotta wait in queue to experience a really good meal...

If you have watched Seinfeld and seen the "Soup Nazi" episode, you will know about the arrogance of people who serve good food. You will also come to a calm acceptance that if you want awesome food, you will have to put up with things that you usually wont in a regular restaurant. Its 55 rupees for a meal,  you pay extra for a spoonful of ghee or appalam and tokens that tell you where to sit and how to behave (Ok, am partly kidding about the behave part. I was given 'the glare' when I asked for extra poriyal and I behaved after that). Nothing is served on demand, its like a badly catered wedding where you just have to patiently wait till they decide to do the refills. A sambar, Kara/mor Kozhambu, rasam, one poriyal, one kootu, one appalam and pickle if you are lucky, that's what you get. But then, if god was on a lunch break and decided to eat a simple yet awesome vegetarian south indian meal, this is where he would go.

Everything here is vintage .....an old mansion with rooms on top floor n a hall wee the food is served ....get in que collect the token ( white n yellow ) with a number printed on it ....u are suppose to come in n sit only wen ur are called for ....n also u need to sit on the designated table according to the number on the token ........now to the food nothing so great or unique to speak of ....all home cooked style it's a limited meals so had to opt for extra rice ( 10 Rs ) as provided rice was a little less for me ( me being n heavy eater ) ....if u prefer old style mess food in n old mansion n that too for below 60 bucks then go for it .....my meal venture will continue until I find the best veg South Indian meal (authentic ) please do recommend if u come across one ....journey continues ......

This is a place I have visited time and again over the past decade. The food here is decent. But there are days when it is excellent and there are days when the food is so so. Only problem is the waiting time since they operate in batch system. Only when the whole batch is completed the next batch is allowed to enter. Can give it a try.

I am a regular to this homely place for the past 10+ years and has not changed a bit in terms of taste and quality. Has been a boon for bachelors and single men. Its a place that has a close semblance to the "Mathura Cafe" in Trichy. It scores the lowest in terms of ambience but the taste and the value for money component s makeup for it. My ratings for each component is as follows. Ambience : 1.5, Taste : 4.0, Service : 2.0, Value for money : 3.5. Overall rating : 3

Proper South Indian meals <br/><br/>Omg it's so nice n fresh <br/><br/>Love d silence maintained in d place while everyone is eating <br/><br/>Everyone is like so much into eating dat no one is bothered wats goin on or who is sitting next to u

Excellent....Delicious. ...Hygienic food. One of the must eat out I'm Chennai. Cost is In 65 per head. Many times you have to stand in Que.

Hard to believe there is not a single review about this place which has been in existent for more than 50 years.<br/><br/>Being a mess, they largely cater to the bachelors and office going people around triplicane. The point to note is they serve only meals for lunch and dinner. <br/><br/>The meal is served on a banana leaf with one bowl of rice, parupu podi and ghee, sambar, rasam, potato curry, thovial, papad and butter milk. All cooked home style with minimal oil and masala. <br/><br/>Everything tasted good and there is nothing to complain. One meal will cost 55rs. <br/><br/>A great choice for people staying away from home.