I first went to Ponnusamy’s as a student in the sixties when it was in the MLAs hostel . It was more like a dining room with formica top tables and no decor to speak off. They did not have a printed menu and the waiter would bring you a big tray with little saucers of all the dishes on offer. You let your eyes feast on them before you chose what you, as a student, could afford.
A "meal" with one non vegetarian side dish, two veggies and the usual free mutton, chicken and fish gravies would work out to all of three rupees.I have been dropping in of and on over the years and watched the changes as the occurred ever so slowly.
The one thing that has remained as always is the food - authentic chettinad fare. Especially stuff like thalai curry, kola urundai, sura puttu, crab and so much else that is hardly matched by anyone else. The prices remain easy on the inflation adjusted wallet.
On the other hand, the tandoori chicken, Singapore noodles and some other stuff are intruders who have no business being there !. Why should anyone come to a really good Chetttinad restaurant and order what is best had in a Chinese or tandoori restaurant ??? I guess it takes all sorts to make the world !