A seaside love letter to Tamil Nadu’s regional flavours

It is rare to come across a restaurant where, even as you are savoring your meal, you find yourself planning a return visit to try the rest of the menu.

Located in the Besant Nagar beachfront, Rasanai offers alfresco dining with sweeping views of the sea, along with comfortable air-conditioned indoor seating. The décor highlights the culture of Tamil Nadu, with roof decorations made of glass bangles, lamp shades crafted from palm leaves, and Kolam motifs and drishti face masks adorning the space. The setting is relaxed yet thoughtfully designed, allowing the food to take centre stage.

Rameshwaram pottalam soru, thogayal omlette and kodi pesaru ponagalu.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Even going through the menu proved to be an enjoyable experience, with a generous selection of vegetarian dishes on offer. The menu has been curated by the founder, Vikram Mohan, Chairman of the Pricol Group and Managing Director of Pricol Limited. The group forayed into the hospitality space in 2017 with the launch of Pricol Gourmet Private Limited.

Speaking about the process, Vikram Mohan says, “I curated the menu myself after a series of trials at a facility in Coimbatore. Having travelled extensively across Tamil Nadu, especially through its rural heartlands, I have encountered seasoned masters who create exceptional dishes in small messes and thattukadais. Their skill amazed me, and I normally invite them to demonstrate their cooking.”

Thogayal omlette
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Special Arrangement

It is interesting to note that Vikram’s personal passion for gastronomy has been a defining element of his entrepreneurial journey. A self-described culinary anthropologist and a gourmand, he has explored cuisines across more than 30 countries, with a particular fascination for Indian food.

“It was this passion that inspired the creation of Pricol Gourmet,” he says, under which he has launched several brands, including Savya Rasa, Soy Soi, Dou, The New Punjab Club, Austin, Delish, Little Soi, and now Rasanai. “I am actively involved in curating and crafting the menu, and every dish has an interesting backstory,” he says.

We begin our lunch with thengapaal rasam, a Kongu speciality that is soothing, comforting, and mildly spicy. The soup draws its delicate flavour from coconut milk and coconut oil. The thogayal omelette (a blob of coconut thogayal is whipped along with eggs, throw in some minced onions, and slow-cooked in a greased cast iron ladle) immediately catches my attention—and it did not disappoint, quickly becoming a favourite. As we wait for the Kodi Pesaru Ponagalu and Kovai Paneer Monica to arrive, Vikram ushers in Trivandrum Fried Chicken and Venad Paal Konju. Developed from a street-vendor recipe, the fried chicken is a constant at toddy shops across Kerala and is therefore unapologetically spicy, explains Vikram. In contrast, the paal konju is gentle and comforting, its subtle flavours juxtaposing the fiery chicken and soothing the senses.

“The Kovai Paneer Monica has a funny story,” Vikram shares. “To celebrate my parents’ 25th wedding anniversary, we hosted a party where the cook we hired prepared a chicken dish that all the guests loved. When the recipe was written down, the cook’s name was mistakenly noted as Monica instead of Manickam—and the name stuck.” At Rasanai, the dish is offered in both paneer and chicken versions. A popular dish from Andhra Pradesh, Kodi Pesaru Ponagalu—similar to Tamil Nadu’s paniyaram—is made from a batter of moong dal and urad dal, stuffed with mildly spiced minced chicken, and served with a flavourful chutney on the side

Kal appam with milagu kozhi taco
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“Some of the popular street foods are presented in a relatable avatar to get the attention of the millennials,” says Vikram, adding that, “it is my endeavour to popularise Tamil food in a contemporary version.” We tasted the kal appam with milagu kozhi taco. The thick appam folded like a taco and filled with milagu kozhi and sprinkled with coriander leaves, was a perfect recreation and faultless. Similarly there is also a kal soru sizzler, where a Thanjavur street food, the kal soru, is presented like a sizzler.

A regional speciality from the Ramnad district, the Rameshwaram pottalam sadham features seeraga samba rice cooked in coconut milk to a creamy consistency. Accompaniments include mutton chukka, fried chicken chunks, a boiled egg, salna, and a tangy mango pickle. Everything is assembled, wrapped in a banana leaf, and grilled on a hot tawa to allow the flavours to intensify. The unassuming mango pickle steals the spotlight here , while the mutton and chicken quietly beg to be noticed. A small dollop of thogayal would have completed the experience.

Banana appe and vetrilai shots
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Special Arrangement

We rounded off our lunch with banana appe and vetrilai shots, another of Vikram’s innovations. The dessert pairs a sweet paniyaram made from ripe banana, wheat flour, and jaggery with a fragrant infusion of coconut milk and betel leaf. We bite into the warm appe and wash it down with the vetrilai infusion—a playful, thoughtfully composed finale to the meal. And yes, I have made up my mind on what to order on my next visit to Rasanai.

Rasanai, Besant Nagar. Open for lunch and dinner. Meal for two costs approx ₹ 2000. For reservations, call: 8925915856.

Published – February 13, 2026 11:45 am IST