The chef Vijay Kumar Poennusamy started his culinary career in southern India 15 years ago. After immigrating to the United States in 2011, he established himself in Kansas City, working as a caterer for ten years, preparing delicious South Indian dishes for family events, private parties, and weddings under the name Chettinad’s. It’s same name he and his partners—his wife, Kalpana Vijay Kumar, and two friends, Anusudha Senthilkumar and Senthilkumar Jayapalan—gave their new restaurant that opened late last year in the Stanley Square shopping center, just off West 151st Street and U.S. Highway 69. Chettinad’s Indian Restaurant specializes in dishes from Tamil Nadu, India’s southernmost state. With a cuisine that is influenced by traditional Ayurvedic principles, regional variations, and a strong emphasis on locally sourced ingredients, the food from Tamil Nadu has a slightly spicier profile with both vegetarian and meat dishes on the menu, such as Gobi 65 (battered and fried cauliflower florets) Karaikudi Eral Masala (shrimp masala) Chettinadu chicken gravy (a chicken curry served over rice and specific to this region of India), several dishes feature goat, and there are several iterations of biryani. Lentils play an important role in the cuisine. Dosai, a savory lentil crepe is on the menu, along with Masala vada, a fried patty made from lentils and spices that’s a Southern Indian teatime snack.