Vegetarian Asian Cuisine @ Eastern Wedge - Poes Garden

The latest entrant in the Asian cuisine space in Chennai, is a restaurant from the stables of Mr. Mahadevan. However what makes this new restaurant unique is the fact that this is their first pure vegetarian restaurant. Although Chennai is not new to stand-alone vegetarian restaurants, a vegetarian restaurant focussing exclusively on Asian cuisine is a difficult find. I myself found it difficult to comprehend how could they pull it off as meat & egg is such an integral part of the cuisine they offer. However, I was amazed at the amount of research that was done by the Chefs engaged by them from Japan, China, Malaysia and of course our own Chef Ramkumar, the man behind Benjarong and Va Pho. Every dish spoke for itself and at the end of the meal, I never felt the lack of meat options as the flavours in the dishes served more than made up for it.

The evening begun with a selection of interesting beverages from their menu – Lemongrass Cooler, Mandarin and Basil Spritzer, Nutty Milo & Virgin Bailey. The first two were light on the palate providing a refreshing start to the evening while the latter two served as a runner throughout the evening. My favourite amongst them was the Nutty Milo, as it had the flavours of a peanut butter infused Milo milkshake. I can gladly gulp a few glasses down easily.

(Beverages)

The appetizers begun with a selection of ‘Kushi Yaki' and ‘Kushi Age’. ‘Kushi’ is Japanese means skewers while ‘Yaki’ means grilled and ‘Age’ means deep-fried. You can order the Kushi’s in a combination of 3/6/9 skewers with a selection of vegetables based on your preference. We had a combination of Button Mushrooms, Broccoli, Tofu, Cherry Tomato, Baby Corn, Potato and Bell Peppers. Seasoned with just salt, the Kushi Yaki were cooked to perfection and tasted excitingly fresh. The Kushi Age was equally lip-smacking with the batter being amazingly light on the palate. Both the platter were served with an assortment of dips including Miso Mayo, Wasabi Mayo & Kushi Yaki sauce for the Kushi Yaki while it was Ton katsu sauce, Yellow Mustard & Mayonnaise for the Kushi Age. On top of the assorted vegetables, we also ordered for two of their ‘House Special Kushi Yaki’. The first being a combination of bell pepper & corn kernels along with Tongarashi Mayo & Kushi Yaki sauce while the other was Iceberg lettuce and veg protein wrapped in Nori sheet.

(Kushi Yaki)

(House Special Kushi Yaki)

(House Special Kushi Yaki)

Next up was the ‘Crispy Corn Pie Tee’, which were cute little baskets filled with crispy corn kernels. This was followed by some ‘Spinach Dumpling’ with a lovely filling of spinach, veg protein, carrots and a spinach infused dumpling sheet. Next in line was the ‘BBQ Bun’, a bao filled with veg protein, shitake mushrooms, green pea in a BBQ sauce, a ‘Glutinous Rice Siew Mai’, simple dumpling filled with sticky rice, carrot, mushrooms and pea, and finally the ‘Glutinous Rice in Lotus Leaf’. With the steamed section done, we now moved on to the savour some of the other starters including the ‘Pandan Paneer’ which is a clone of the famous ‘Pandan Chicken’ from Benjarong. In addition to this, we also had ordered  a portion of ‘Eastern Wedge Water Chestnuts’, ‘Honey Chilly Lotus Stem’ and ‘Szechwan Shitake’ to indulge to our craving for the Indo-Chinese cuisines that strives within us.

(Spinach Dumpling)

(Glutinous Rice Siew Mai)

(BBQ Bun)

(Glutinous Rice in Lotus Leaf)

(Eastern Wedge Water Chestnuts)

(Pandan Paneer)

To beat down the starters, we went in for a ‘Ramen salad Hokkaido style with Roasted Sesame sauce’. The cold salad provided the perfect cleanse for the main course that was followed. We went for the Chef’s highly recommended ‘Chanko Nabe with a Miso Broth’. The dish was brought to our table and placed on a portable burner to ensure the broth was at the right temperature to be served. The Udon noodles and the vegetables in the broth made it a perfect one meal dish. Another main course that we ordered was on the other end of the spectrum in terms of complexity. The ‘Bamaa Curry Rice’ was a Northern style Thai red curry with coconut milk served along with a portion of steamed rice. It was a perfect finisher with good levels of spice. To bring closure to a sumptuous evening, we went ahead with just one portion of ‘Sesame Balls’ for dessert. Recovering from a cold, I resisted the urge to savour the dessert as the sesame balls were deep-fried and served with a portion of vanilla ice-cream. 

(Ramen salad  - Hokkaido style with Roasted Sesame sauce)

(Chanko Nabe with a Miso Broth)

(Bamaa Curry Rice)

With a great price point, Eastern Wedge is a must visit for vegetarians looking to get a taste of authentic Asian cuisine. Located at Poes Garden on 2nd Street, Kasturi Rangan Road, a meal for two would cost about ₹1200.

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The Colony @ Hotel Raintree, St Mary's Road - Alwarpet

Gone are the days when there were only a handful of amazing restaurants located within five star hotels. With the mushrooming of several new properties every year, the existing hotels are continually looking at increasing their revenue by revamping the restaurant offerings situated within. One such chain of hotels that has been consistently great with their restaurants is Hotel Raintree. Among my multiple visits to both their properties in Chennai, I’ve never left back with a single iota of worry. So when I was told that the Coffee Shop at their St. Mary’s road hotel had been renovated, I just couldn’t wait to check the new place.

First things first, the restaurant has been rechristened as ‘The Colony’ and flows seamlessly all the way to the lobby with a different ambiance set up near the lobby and a very colonial set up with art pieces depicting the Colonial era of Chennai inside the main dining area. As I settled down into my place, I was greeted by the Executive Chef Mr. Hushmoin Patell, whose looks immediately made me feel that I’m in for a delight tonight. After brief pleasantries, Chef informed that their concept of buffet is slightly different as in addition to the spread, a few dishes are made on order and served hot and fresh right at the table.

(Chicken and Mushroom Cappuccino)

(Salad Counter)

(Cold Meat spread)

(Cold Platter)

(Grilled Prawns on a bed of Couscous)

While I waited for the soup to be served, I made a visit to the spread and was quite surprised at the same. The cold counters had an assortment of salads with a cold mezze platter too. Some of the salads that were intriguing were a ‘Salad of Broccoli, Orange & Bocconcini’, ‘Surati Fafda’, ‘Vietnamese rice paper rolls with raw Mango & Vermicelli noodles’, ‘Salad of Wine poached Pear, Asparagus and Arugula’, a delicious ‘Grilled Prawns on a bed of Couscous’ and a whole lot of dips including ‘Mustard Mayo’, ‘Hummus’, ‘Babaganoush’ and ‘Labneh’. By the time I could pick up my choice from the cold counter, the ‘Chicken & Mushroom Cappuccino’ made its way to the table. The soup had the perfect balance of both flavours and along with the biscotti made me feel as if it was a meal all by itself. The beginning was just fabulous.

(Mutton Chapli Kebab)

(Spicy Bean Fattayar & Kudamulagai Bonda)

(Prawn Pollichathu)

With the entrée’s complete, there was an order placed to the kitchen for some of the made to order items from the buffet. First up was the ‘Mutton Chapli Kebab’. Although looks similar to the Galouti, this is quite different as the texture is coarser. On enquiring, Chef informed me that the Chapli is from the Indus region and is considered to be the forefather of the Lucknowi Galouti. With the plate completely swept, I made way for some ‘Spicy Bean Fattayar’ and ‘Kudamulagai Bonda’. While the fattayar was a mix of flavour, the bonda did not fancy me much. Not wanting to stuff myself, I wanted to try out something that was unique to the restaurant. So ask the Chef and he says I’ll get you some ‘Prawn Pollichathu’. I was excited to try it out as it has always been Meen Polichathu and being a prawn lover, was expecting a burst of flavours. The presentation was cute with the prawn beautifully wrapped in the leaf served along with some crunch. However, the first bite and I was slightly confused as I couldn’t feel the taste that you get from a claypot. Upon enquiring, Chef revealed that they don’t use a claypot due to the complexities involved as this is the only dish on the menu that may require one. Nevertheless, the prawn was still amazing and great selection.

(Buffet Spread)

With different flavours playing inside my mouth, I just had a quick sneak peak of the other main courses on the spread which included a yummy ‘Badami Murgh’, a crispy ‘Kozhi Erakai Varuval’ and ‘Roasted lamb with waterchestnuts’. In addition, I also tried the ‘Shahi Paneer’ which had a very succulent paneer. With about 60+ items on the buffet menu, it was one large spread yet by the way the spread was placed didn’t look that massive.

(Dessert Counter)

(Dessert Counter)

To bring closure to the evening, I headed to the dessert counter and realized that vast variety of selection that was displayed. Being very confident that not more than a couple can be accommodated by myself, I picked up the ‘Apple Strudel’, ‘Carrot Pudding’, ‘Rasberry Mousse’, ‘Chenna Malai Sandwich’ and a ‘Mango Velvet cake’. With this done as I was just about to call it an evening, the Chef asked me if I wanted to try a speciality dessert of theirs. Me being someone who will go to any extent for desserts, was game for it.

(Madras Filter Coffee Panna Cotta)

What came next took me by a big surprise. The speciality dessert was a ‘Madras Filter Coffee Panna Cotta’. Mighty heavens it was just mind boggling. The aroma was just like our original filter coffee while the panna cotta was perfectly set and to balance the textures it was accompanied by a lime curd and peanut Florentine. This was by far one of the best panna cotta that I’d savoured during my food journey and is on the must have dish list that I’m compiling for Chennai. Truly outstanding. If you are looking for a different buffet experience with a wide variety of cuisine, then I may say that “The Colony” awaits you.

The Colony is located at Hotel Raintree, St Mary’s Road in Alwarpet with the buffet priced at ₹1,300 plus taxes.

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Celebrations of Sushi @ Teppan - TTK Road, Alwarpet

The first thing that hits you at the thought of dining in a Japanese restaurant is the thought of Sushi and raw a.k.a cured meat. But on the contrary there also exists a different avatar of the Japanese cuisine namely the “Teppanyaki” which will suit the Indian palate more. This style involves using a girdle to cook the food. Wiki says that “The word teppanyaki is derived from teppan (鉄板), which means iron plate, and yaki (焼き), which means grilled, broiled, or pan-fried”. Folks in Chennai are lucky in a way as India’s first stand-alone Teppanyaki grill restaurant opened here. Named “Teppan”, they have been catering to Chennaities teppanyaki needs over the last couple of years.

Having had my first teppanyaki experience in the middle east many years ago, was truly excited on hearing about Teppan opening and visited them on their first week itself for a truly fabulous experience. Was surprised when I learned that they were having a “Makizushi” festival. One thought that ran through my mind was that how can restaurant that is already well renowned for Japanese cuisine have a dedicated festival for a staple dish. This intriguing thought was set aside the moment we saw the menu as the amount of research that has gone in to designing this festival was clearly evident from the offerings that were as part of this “Makizushi” festival.

The menu was clearly divided into three sections, namely ‘Gunkan Maki’, ‘Te Maki’ & ‘Maki’.If you are wondering what these are then to put them in perspective the ‘Gunkan Maki’ is a variant of sushi that comes in big portions such that two pieces can satisfy even the biggest appetite while the ‘Te Maki’ is a cone shaped sushi equally big in portions. The ‘Maki’ is your regular sushi roll. 

(Tempura Wasabi Mayo salad)

(Palate Cleanser drink)

(Gunkan Maki)

For the evening we ordered the ‘Tori Soboro’ and ‘Kanishake’ from the Gunkan Maki section. The ‘Tori Soboro’ was a Chicken version of sushi that was seasoned with tongarashi and wrapped with sushi vinegar rice and nori. Being my first chicken sushi, I somehow felt that it did not do justice as there were confusing flavours that did not pair with each other. This re-instated my belief that sushi should never be made with anything other than seafood. The ‘Kanishake’ on the other hand was one of the best sushi’s of the evening. It was made of tempura fried crab stick tossed with spices and wrapped with sushi vinegar rice and sliced salmon. This was just mind boggling.

(Te Maki)

(Te Maki)

(Maki)

The next up was ‘Shake Sarada’ and ‘Karai ebi’ from the Te Maki section. These were humongous cone shaped sushi. ‘Shake Sarada’ was a marinated salmon wrapped in nori with avocado, lettuce, cucumber and vinegar rice while ‘Karai ebi’ was a prawn sushi seasoned with mild spicy mayo and tongarashi, spring onion, tobiko and again hand rolled with sushi vinegar rice and nori. Both of them were equally good with a subtle flavour of the meat owing to the enormous proportions of the accompaniments. From the Maki section, we ordered for some ‘Furai maguro Maki’ and ‘Takayama Maki’. The former was a seasoned tuna sushi with cream cheese, avocado then rolled with sushi vinegar rice and nori and finally deep fried with breadcrumb. This was truly outstanding as one can feel the heat of the deep fry yet savour the freshness of the sushi all at one go. The ‘Takayama Maki’ was a tempura fried sea bass with carrot, avocado, spicy mayo, rolled with sushi vinegar rice and nori then topped with tuna, sea bass and spinach. This too was equally good but my bet is on the ‘Furai Maguro Maki’.

(Tempura Fried Prawns)

(Fried Rice)

With the heroes of the festival dealt with, we decided to order for another dish which was a hard recommendation from another foodie, the ‘Tempura fried prawns’. My oh my!!! Hands down, this is the best tempura fried prawns I’ve ever tasted. It was as light as it can get while being the crispiest it can get too. It is already in my must taste dishes in Chennai list. Just to bring closure to the evening’s meal, we had some sautéed vegetables, chicken and a fried rice that was prepared right in front of us in the teppanyaki style.

(Dessert Platter)

(Wasabi Ice Cream)

One we were done with the savouries it was time for the desserts. Having savoured fresh produce all through the evening, I really wasn’t in the mood for desserts even though I’m a dessert freak. But one stop at the dessert counter and it all changed. In a short while I found myself in the company of an amazingly silky coffee chocolate mousse, a soft and crunchy nutty brownie, a delectable pie and a well-balanced Wasabi ice cream. Glad I didn’t miss the desserts as they brought about a perfect curtain closure to the amazing evening of sushi.

Teppan is located on TTK Road above Benjarong and a meal for two should cost about ₹ 2500.

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Tangerine - Alwarpet

For time immemorial, whenever anyone asked me where in Chennai are the best sizzlers available, the answer was always the same, head to "Tangerine". My tryst with Sizzlers begun at this very restaurant roughly about a decade ago.It was here that I savoured my first Sizzler and subsequently been the place where a lot of family & friends became Sizzler lovers. Thus my love for Tangerine has been for years together. However, couple of years ago, I was shocked to notice their food standards dip and it went to an extent that I had accept the fact that Chennai had lost a gem when it came to Sizzlers. My visits from several times a month dropped dramatically to more than a year prior to this visit. Fortunately enough, I've been hearing recently that they have regained their initial standards and that I should give them a try again. With this in the mind, the planning started for a visit soon. It was then that I received an invitation from a fellow foodie to join  him for the new menu introduction at Tangerine and with no second thoughts immediately confirmed my presence.

The evening we visited was their monthly Candle Light dinner theme. I'm mentioning this firsthand as this post has very minimal picture because it was quite embarrassing to light our flashes every now & then completely ruining the ambiance for the others. Upon arrival we were welcomed by Mr. Arun Rao, the owner of Tangerine. We were cordially invited to our table and given a short introduction of the well know restaurant. 

The first meal to arrive was the 'Chicken and Peas' soup. The soup had a great depth of flavouring and a perfect texture to keep the taste buds working overtime. This was followed by the two starters that made its way. The first starter of the evening was the 'Lamb Cornetto'. Just like the name, this is indeed a cornetto but with a big twist. A sumptuous amount of rightly flavoured shredded lamb was filled in a crispy cone and topped with mayonnaise. This dish was just outstanding and had set high expectations for the dishes that were to come. Personally, this is a dish I'm sure to order over and over again. The next up was Tangerine's take on the Satay. The dish was called 'Chicken Skewers' and was loaded with a variety of flavours that packed a punch with every bite. A peanut sauce was provided as an accompaniment but I definitely felt that the chicken chunks were better of without the peanut sauce. 

(Lamb Cornetto)

(Chicken Skewers)

Once we were done with the starters, the true spirits of Tangerine begun their journey. The sizzlers that accompanied the four of us that evening were the 'Roast Chicken', 'Prawn Candolim', 'Steak Peruvian' & 'Chicken Bruno'. To start with the Roast Chicken was exactly what it says it is, a well roasted chicken served with some smoky sauce that elevated the senses. This was followed by the Prawn Candolim, that had prawns of the ideal size in a splendid Goan flavoured sauce. The Steak Peruvian that we had ordered was a well done beef and by the reviews of my fellow bloggers, it was a great dish. The last of the sizzlers was the Chicken Bruno which was chicken stuffed with spinach and served with a flavoured cheese sauce. In between all these delicious sizzlers, we were also served with some mashed potato. The secret to this silky mash was that it was all made in-house by them. No wonder it tasted so great unlike the ones you get else where which have a kind of edgy texture.

(Prawn Candolim)

With all the savouries coming to an end, it was now time for the desserts. When it came to desserts, my favourite at Tangerine has always been the 'Death by Chocolate'. Having savoured this everytime I was here, decided to venture out and explore the other desserts on their menu. Based on Mr. Arun's advise, we ordered for a 'Lemon Cheesecake' and 'Strawberry Crumble'. The lemon cheesecake had a good infusion of lemon with a texture that was consistent with those from high end dessert shops. The dessert that really wowed us that evening was the Strawberry Crumble. The crumble was served on a bed of exceptionally tasty strawberry compote with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. It provided the perfect finish to a great evening of food. 

(Lemon Cheese Cake)

(Strawberry Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream)

With this experience, my trust on Tangerine has been completely restored to the good 'ol days and can't wait to visit them again. 

Tangerine is located at Murrays Gate Road in Alwarpet and a meal for two will cost you about ₹ 1500.

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