Gorgeously dressed in silks, smiling attendants press strands of fragrant jasmine upon you. If you cannot wear them in your hair, just wrap them around your wrist. Now, on to your table, which is laid with richly bedecked gleaming urlis and addukus, the traditional serving vessels, and clean green plantain leaves  

  Vaenchina Mamsam (lamb cooked with onions and spices)

A delicious tingle courses through your body to the strains of the nadaswaram; the first sip of the fiery rasam does have this effect. The resounding beat of the mridangam muffles the crunching of crisp papaddams and sandige. Soft and sensuous, the melody from the flute is the perfect accompaniment to the banana dosa.

The live Carnatic music heightens your enjoyment of the superlative spread of food from across the south: from the cuisines of the Coorgs and the Madhavas of Karnataka, Nairs and Namboodiris of Kerala, Chettiyar and Andhra Pandiga; from bisi bele bath and banana dosa to yetti masala, pandi curry and mamsam koora.

It counts among its applauding patrons N. R. Narayana Murthy, Chairman and Chief Mentor of Infosys, Dr Shashi Tharoor, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, and the rock band Aerosmith