In 1951, the Buhari Hotel on Mount Road (Now Anna Salai) opened its doors to the public, ushering in several firsts, including espresso machines brewing cup after cup of steaming coffee, a jukebox playing popular music, and cutlery and crockery brought from London to provide a "fine-dining experience to Madras' foodies."
The first look of Buhari on Mount Road, now Anna salai
Buhari Hotel today (source: https://buhari.in/history.html)
Former Sherif of Madras Mr. A.M. Buhari relocated to Colombo, Sri Lanka at a young age for his schooling. Shortly after completing his education, he found his vocation, and through his love of cooking, he established a respectable career in the culinary world. He was the first in Madras to merge Indian cuisine with the exquisite dining the British had perfected to create an entirely new dining experience.Today Buhari has as many as twenty outlets in Tamil Nādu Itself, though people of Chennai still relate themselves to the first ever outlet in Anna Salai.
Mr. A. M. Buhari concentrated not just on producing culinary miracles but also on providing diners with an enjoyable dining experience that encouraged repeat business.
Buhari was the first hotel to, among other things, incorporate a juke box to make the ambiance inside vibrant and loud. Hit songs from the time were played over and again, and the memories are still vivid today. "Dum Maro Dum" was one of the more well-known songs played on the juke box in 1960.
The Jukebox (source: https://buhari.in/history.html)
Mr. Buhari brought the subtle taste of the Biryani from Colombo which makes the Biryani served at Buhari Restaurant stand apart from the other local variants. There are many signature dishes like Mulligatawny Soup, Ceylon Egg Parotta, Madras Egg Parotta, Jamali Chicken, Campbell Chicken which shows perfect blend of Indian and Sri Lankan Cuisine. The Best part of it is the dishes are still available with very reasonable price.
