Pan Asian - ITC Grand Chola

Being a very cosmopolitan city, one thing that the food circuit in Chennai had been missing for a long time was the presence of an authentic pan Asian restaurant. We have some amazing Chinese, Thai, Korean & Japanese restaurants but no restaurant that serves all these cuisines without compromising on the authenticity But Chennaite’s the scenario has now changed. With the opening of ITC Grand Chola, there was great expectations in the food circuit about the amazing restaurants that were to be part of this luxurious hotel. One amongst them filled in the gap that we missed for so long. Yes the a pan Asian restaurant known by the same name as the cuisines it serves, “Pan Asian” in our own ITC Grand Chola.

Upon entering the restaurant, the first thing that hits you is the collection of Wines the restaurant boasts of. After being lead through some amazing shelves of Wines, the restaurant throws itself upon oneself with its rustic interiors and a fantastic open kitchen. Yes, the entire kitchen forms an integral part of the restaurant that provides a great experience seeing your order made almost in front of you. 

The menu was crafted keeping in mind the essence of the restaurant and true to its name had cuisines from three different provinces in China, a section dedicated to Thai and finally another dedicated to Japanese. The interesting aspect of the entire menu was the matrix arrangement of core ingredient against each cuisine. This I felt was quite innovative as one need not get confused with complex names but can rather select the core ingredient such as poultry, lamb, duck, seafood or vegetarian and then cross it with the cuisine to order your appetizers and mains. 

(Banana Blossom Salad)

(Steamed Duck Carpaccio)

(Pan Asian’s Som Tam)

The first to be served was the ‘Banana Blossom Salad’. The salad was served very aesthetically on a bowl made of banana fibres and had the right amount of crunchiness that a salad needs. This was followed by the ‘Steamed Duck Carpaccio’. I must admit that this was the first time I’d ventured out into unfamiliar territory of having a dish with duck as the core ingredient. Boy was I surprised, the duck was tender and at the right temperature being a cold dish. It was served along with some ponzu jelly and orange crushed ice which complemented the flavour well. Can’t wait to try another hot duck dish soon. The next to be served was the ‘Pan Asian’s Som Tam’ which was the restaurants own interpretation of the classic Thai salad. 

(Wok Tossed Chicken)

(Sichuan style Crispy Prawns)

(Stir Fried Squid)

(Californian Apple and Fresh Fennel Soup)

The ‘Wok Tossed Chicken’ was one of my favourites of the evening. The chicken was cooked perfectly with a sumptuous amount of nuts that truly elevated its flavours. The ‘Sichuan style Crispy Prawns’ was served next. The prawns were cooked in a succulent nut sauce that complemented the spice of the Sichuan style cooking. This was followed by the ‘Stir Fried Squid’, wherein the squid was crispy and coated in a nice chilli basil crumble. To end the array of appetizers, we were served with a ‘Californian Apple and Fresh Fennel Soup’. The soup served in Pan Asian has a twist to it. You are presented with a big bowl with the core ingredient and then provided the soup separately that can be poured in. This helps understand all the different flavours of the soup. The soup is so filling that it is a meal by itself. 

(Chicken Gaobao with Pixian Chilli)

(Phad Cha Talay)

(Asian Greens)

(Teppanyaki Fried Rice)

The mains started with the ‘Chicken Gaobao with Pixian Chilli’. The combination of leeks, nuts and peppercorns made the flavours stand out. The next was the ‘Phad Cha Talay’, which was basically an assortment of seafood cooked in turmeric and basil. This was followed by some Asian Greens in white garlic sauce. We were served with ‘Teppanyaki Fried Rice’ to go with the mains. The rice had a nice flavour of hotness in it while at the same time the hotness wasn’t too overpowering. 

(Serenity on Pebbled Path)

(Vahlrona Chocolate)

To sum up the evening, we were served with a ‘Serenity on Pebbled Path’ and a ‘Vahlrona Chocolate’. The pebbled path was indeed serene. It comprised of a nice pineapple orange pond with rock chocolates to make up the path. The chocolate on the other hand was exotic which went perfect with the dark cherry compote and spearmint ice cream that accompanied it. 

On the whole, my dining experience at ‘Pan Asian’ was truly Asian without any compromise on quality or taste and in my knowledge is the only authentic Asian restaurant existent as of now in Chennai. If you are a major lover of Asian food, then it definitely needs to be on the top of your must visit restaurant list.

Pan Asian is located at the ITC Grand Chola.

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CHAO - T. Nagar *A CFG Showcase*

It was yet another Thursday but this Thursday was none like before. This Thursday was the perfect setting for a CFG Showcase at the newly opened fine dining restaurant in T.Nagar called CHAO. Thanks to the courtesy extended by Mrs. Shalini, Mr. Jagadish & Chef Murali, CFGians were invited to CHAO to sample and review their fare. CHAO is a fine dine South-East Asian restaurant serving up cuisines from Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. 

Upon entering the restaurant the first thing that struck me was their exquisite interiors. It was definitely a fine dine restaurant. The restaurant has 2 floors of seating with a private lounge for customers who want a sense of privacy probably for those with celebrity status may be. Great level of attention has been taken to ensure the interiors were hand in glove with the food being served. There was a complete feel of being somewhere in Thailand or Cambodia with all the Buddha statues and artworks. 

 

Once all the folks for the showcase had arrived, we were then introduced to Chef Murali who gave us an insight about his career and the spread that we were to sample today. A short while later we were also met by Mr. Jagadish and his co-partner who welcomed us to CHAO.

(Corn Tartlets)

(Devil's Potato)

(CHAO Thai Grilled Fish)

Shortly after the formal introductions were over, the traditional Lemongrass Tea was served before the food started to come in one by one. We were first served with the Corn Tartlets. Rather than calling them as starters, it may be rightly called as a pre appetizer. They were very crispy and the flavoring on the corn mixture was just right to be not too heavy. Following this, we were dished with Devil's Potato and CHAO Thai Grilled Fish. The devil's potato was just as apt as the title, a spicy dish with potato and topped with sesame seeds. Although not being a great fan of sea food, I decided to try the CHAO Thai Grilled Fish. I was told that the fish used was a Royal Basa. The fish tasted perfect. It was just rightly cooked with the right flavorings infused and made for a good and heavy starter.

(Veg Dimsums)

(Devil's Chicken)

(Chicken Dimsums)

(Wasabi Prawns)

Following the grilled fish, the next starters to be presented were the Veg Dimsums, Wasabi Prawns, Chicken Dimsums and Devil's Chicken. To be honest I was not able to make out anything extraordinary in the Dimsums. I guess this could be because, Dimsums are very simple in nature and nothing can go wrong except for the wrapper which can at times be sticky. But both the veg and the non veg Dimsums at CHAO were excellent. Devil's Chicken was more on the lines with its vegetarian counter-part except for being a little too rubbery. This was the feeling amongst a few fellow CFGians too. Maybe the chicken was a tad over cooked or must have got a bit soggy in all the devil sauces. Coming to the star dish of the evening, the WASABI PRAWNS was truly an unique dish in its own ways. The prawns were coated evenly with the in-house special Wasabi sauce which is indeed a scaled down version of the original Wasabi sauce mixed with Mayonnaise. The plates kept getting emptied that more servings were being continuously ordered. This is in fact the Signature Dish at CHAO. True to its status, it is a must have. This was followed by a further 2 more starters, the Mushroom Pepper Salt and Satay Prawns. The Mushroom Pepper Salt was a bit high on the pepper quotient while the Satay Prawns were more of the grilled prawns kind. We couldn't really savor the taste of any more starters as the Wasabi prawns kept hitting us hard again and again.

(Satay Prawns)

(Mushroom Pepper Salt)

Post the starters, we were presented with an awesome serving of Green Mango Salad. The mango was sour enough to taste perfect with the dressing. Coming to the mains, the entourage was provided with 2 types of rice, viz. Jasmine Rice and Sambal Rice accompanied by a Thai Green Fish Curry, Singapore Bee Hoon, Basil Chicken and Cashew Garlic Garden Greens. 

(Non Veg Mains)

For those wondering about Jasmine rice, it is a special preparation of white rice with an aroma of Jasmine infused in it. The Sambal rice was really nice with a great variation of spices with both high's and low's. The Thai Green Fish curry was outstanding. Take it from the words of someone who is probably having a Fish curry after a couple of years. Together with the Jasmine rice and the Sambal rice, the green curry was the perfect accompaniment. Though the taste was slightly modified to suit the Indian needs, it still tasted authentic to me. The Basil Chicken had a strong Basil flavor in it which dominated over the other flavorings in it. But the chicken was cooked better this time around in comparison to the Devil's Chicken. The Singapore Bee Hoon and Cashew Garlic Garden Greens were left to my fellow vegetable lovers to savour. I'm sure they tasted great too as I did not hear any negatives on them.

(Tub Tim Grob)

(Pumpkin Custard with Coconut Ice Cream)

Now coming to my favorite aspect of dining at a restaurant serving Thai cuisine, which is of course their desserts. CHAO had the usual desserts such as Tub Tim Grob, Fried Ice Cream, Dates Pancake with Ice Cream and so on. We were provided with Tub Tim Grob and an amazingly beautiful Pumpkin Custard with Coconut Ice Cream. The Tub Tim Grob tasted just like the usual one. It was kind of difficult for me to make out any impressive changes comparatively to those served at other Thai restaurants in Chennai. But what really stood out was their Pumpkin Custard with Coconut Ice Cream. In fact, orders for more servings kept flooding the kitchen as it was just amazing and out of the world. A few fellow CFGians were literally at arms when the last serving came out. Arms in hands with their cameras post which with the best weapon to one's gastronomy, the mighty spoon. 

The showcase overall presented us with an overview of the different cuisines served at CHAO and a look at some of their exceptional dishes like the WASABI PRAWNS and Pumpkin Custard with Coconut Ice-Cream. The place has wonderful decors and is an apt place for a proper fine dine experience. In relation to the price point, be prepared to pay for the amazing food plus the fascinating experience you are bound to encounter at CHAO. 

Final verdict, very tasty but a bit pricey but well worth for its experience and variety of cuisine.

CHAO is located on North Boag Road, T. Nagar opposite the Singapore Consulate.

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