If it wasn't for Zomato, I would've missed this neat little place! It's one of those restaurants which easily slip notice despite the fact that it's advertised decently enough and someone at some point of time in your circle would have visited the place, but ends up inadvertently forgetting it (both cases are true for me). As a previous reviewer had pointed out, this just might be one of the most underestimated restaurants in Anna Nagar, and you'd scarcely believe how good the food is here until you experience it for yourself!
I've pretty much spoiled my friends with my "a new restaurant every week" routine. So much to the point that they expect me to find a new place each week, even if I'm not exactly in the mood for experimentation. Not that I'm complaining or anything, if it weren't for their spurring I would've missed an awesome dinner at Dhaba On Wheels. The restaurant's location is not exactly difficult to determine; that said, it's also really easy to miss. Take me for instance, I've passed by it numerous times without bothering to give so much of a glance. Parking won't be an issue since it's located in a residential neighborhood with empty streets aplenty.
The ambience reminds you of every other budget Punjabi dhaba, with de rigueur wooden furniture, plastered walls and a generally threadbare, laid-back atmosphere you'd have come to know and love with the only visual relief being an actual Punjabi Dhol hanging at one corner of the restaurant. We dropped in around 8 pm, the place was almost full and we found ourselves sitting in a table facing their fridge. I especially stress the location of our table because this is when I caught sight of the giant glasses of Lassi arranged neatly in their fridge, but I'll get to that in a moment...
We started off with the Chilli Fish, a dish which at most places sets your palette on fire, but here it was only mildly hot, striking a balance between the bearably spicy and the enjoyable, just the way I like it. Even my friends who subscribe to the spicier school of flavors felt that it was a different for a change.
My friends and I are huge fans of Grilled Chicken, and having sampled it in most places in Anna Nagar, it's safe to say that the Grilled Chicken here is one of the best ones we've laid our hungry claws on! "Why?" you may ask, for one it's the price - a full grilled chicken for a hardly believable Rs.195 and most importantly it has almost zero traces of any fat or grease on it. The chicken is so light and tender, not to mention the herby, peppery seasoning that's strewn all over; my friends say that this is perhaps the healthiest way to enjoy a good chicken, and I completely agree with them!
Somewhere towards the end of our Grilled Chicken hog-fest the waiter enquired whether we need anything cold to drink (I guess he assumed that we were towards the end of our meal) and I was immediately reminded of the Lassi I saw earlier. I ordered one immediately and there's no other way of describing it - this must be, hands down, no contest, one of the best Lassis I had ever had at a Punjabi dhaba in Chennai! It was that rich, that creamy, so smooth and fresh; the perfect foil to the grilled chicken, I must say, and the surprising part is that it's just Rs.30! Hell, I can just sit there and drink their Lassi all day, it was seriously that good!
The waiter thought we were done with the meal and came around to ask whether he could bring us the bill, but being the gluttons we are, we decided to fill whatever little space that remained in our tummies. We wanted something light, so we decided to settle for something vegetarian and ordered a Paneer Tikka Masala and a couple of Romali Rotis. Although nowhere near the non-vegetarian food here, the Paneer Tikka Masala was decent and Rotis were alright, just enough to satisfy us. My friends decided to finish their meals with a dessert and ordered the Long Gulab Jamun, which they found was pretty acceptable.
Finally we were presented with the bill and at Rs.600 odd for 3 people, considering the quantity of what we ate - a Chilli Fish, a full Grilled Chicken, a Paneer Tikka Masala, 4 Romali Rotis, a Lassi and 2 Gulab Jamuns, it's safe to say that Dhaba On Wheels is heavy on your stomach and light on your wallet. We were so impressed with the quality of the food here and the pricing that we've elevated this restaurant to "fail-safe" level, yes this is now a part of those few restaurants we turn to if we want a quick bite or if we need a cheap but heavy meal if funds are tight. And that by itself is a great distinction!
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