Written By: Deepak Kejariwal
As a Philadelphia suburb native, I would often visit the city with my family. Like many city-goers, Center City would be our primary destination, often to dine at the assortment of restaurants available in the area. Growing up, Amma’s South Indian Cuisine was a family favorite: the rich Chicken curries, steaming biryanis, buttery parathas, and crispy dosas were a sure way to put a smile on any of our faces. So, when I had the opportunity to research this small minority owned business through the lens of an anthropologist, I immediately became excited.
As a frequent visitor myself, I decided to use this opportunity to interview one of my friends from high school, Neha Chongtham, who now goes to Drexel and also has spent many dinners enjoying food from Amma’s. Deciding to really immerse ourselves in the spirit of Indian cuisine, we decided to hold our interview during lunch at Amma’s. Over the course of our meal, Neha emphasized the importance of Amma’s during her time away from home and at college.
Neha first came to Amma’s after missing Indian food during college. When she first entered, she was struck by the amount of diversity represented in the restaurant’s patrons. She specifically noted how Amma’s was a really authentic Indian restaurant, so she expected to be greeted by a majority of customers of Indian and South Asian descent. In her own case, she was dining with two of her other friends, one of which was not Indian, so she immediately knew that Amma’s was going to provide the authenticity of Indian food, while also being very accommodating to people of all backgrounds/cultural experiences.
She also thought it was interesting that compared to many of the other restaurants in the area, which were not minority or Indian owned, Amma’s stood out in this regard. She felt that the purpose of Amma’s was two fold: not only to serve as a place for the Indian community to gather and find some semblance of home, but also as a place to share the Indian culture with the broader Philadelphia community. She also noted that compared to other major Indian restaurants in the area, Amma’s distinguished itself as the most authentic, and the most “homey” place.
She specifically mentions how other Indian restaurants try to market themselves as fine dining, but in reality, for many Indians, eating food is not meant to be a luxury experience. She remembers her time going to India, food was meant to be a familial bonding experience, and a gesture of hospitality. One would go to someone’s house, and dining would be an experience that was meant to be relaxing and bring people together. She feels that this experience was best captured by Amma’s, more so than any other Indian restaurant in the area.
Through my conversation with Neha, I learned that her experience as a customer aligned pretty well with the experience owners Satish Varadhan and Bala Krishnan hoped to share through their restaurant. Translated from Tamil, Amma’s literally means “Mother’s”, and they created Amma’s as a tribute to mothers around the world. Their goal is to truly share the authentic Indian dining experience through all-natural cooking using the spices and ingredients in traditional home cooked Indian meals.
Set in the bustling neighborhood of Center City, Philadelphia, Amma’s location is perfect for just that mission. Just two blocks away from City Hall, and located off of Chestnut Street, there is always a crowd of people passing by the windows of Amma’s, ready to taste the dishes being served. During a normal night at dinner, Amma’s is quite busy. The rustic and simple design of the main dining hall draws in dozens of guests who look forward to sipping on Madras Coffee, a fan favorite, and digging into the house special Chicken 65.
I wanted to close with an Amma’s experience I shared with my roommate, Kaito Tsumita, last semester. He had never had South Indian food before, and as someone with family living in South India, I wanted to share that part of my culture with him. I knew Amma’s was the best place to go for a true traditional meal, and without a doubt, they did not disappoint.
This theme of sharing Indian culture ultimately is what I personally have taken away from Amma’s, and in my conversation with Neha, she seems to have appreciated this too. Amma’s is hands down the perfect place for any occasion—whether it be to reconnect with family, introduce your friends to the experience of Indian cuisine, or simply a place to destress and be reminded of a nice home cooked meal after a week of stressful finals. I can easily say I look forward to visiting Amma’s again in the near future.