Sitting on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border in Tenkasi, Hotel Rahmath aka Border Rahmath Parotta Stall is a favourite food joint for many — even attracting dignified personalities, stars and celebrities.

Opened by Mohammad Hassan in 1974, the hotel is now run by his son Sheik Abdullah and his brother Ismail Kothari Bava.

In business for more than five decades, the eatery has a very small and selective menu. “We sell only a limited number of items here. But each of them is prepared in traditionally made coconut oil, and hand-pounded, homemade masalas,” says Sheik Abdullah. “These recipes have been in our family for a long time, probably since my grandfather was alive,” he adds.

Apart from their highlight coin porotta and country chicken curry, the stall serves nattukozhi pepper, chicken 65, mutton biryani, and chicken salna.

Among the big names that have visited the eatery, are former president A P J Abdul Kalam, actress Nayanthara, and cricketer Dinesh Karthik.

“I don’t remember the year, but he [APJ Abdul Kalam] was in the vicinity on official purposes when someone recommended our restaurant. Our father was running it back then and he was super happy to host the [then] president of India!” says Sheik.

The iconic eatery serves 100 food lovers making about 30 to 40 porottas a minute by a dozen skilled chefs in the kitchen. R Dhanavel, a shop owner and a regular customer, says, “I’ve been devouring the food here for a very long time. My father used to bring me here as a kid and now my kids visit too. Their pepper nattukozhi is my personal favourite. I have it with porotta or dosa.”

So if you pass through Tenkasi and spot a trilingual board reading ‘Hotel Rahmath’, don’t leave without checking what this iconic eatery has to offer!