Meenakshi Meyyappan knows a perfect dish when she sees one. So while the milagai mandi (okra, garlic, shallots simmered in a tamarind and rice water broth) gets an approving nod, the beetroot thayir pachadi (raitha flavoured with ground mustard) needs some more fine-tuning, she suggests. At 86, the matriarch of The Bangala, Chettinad's first heritage hotel in Karaikudi, is uncannily astute in her observations. The sage-like wisdom comes from years of helming the kitchen at the family-run hotel that has rustled up mouth-watering, unforgettable Chettiar food since 1999.

The pop-up will run till May 19 at the Lower Parel restaurant