Not been more than a week since I started my food blog and here I am at my first CFG showcase. Thanks to Marrybrown for inviting members of Chennai Food Guide to their Ispahani outlet in Nugambakkam. The moment I knew the showcase was at Marrybrown, I was delighted. Marrybrown has been in Chennai for a long long time and as they rightly said, Marrybrown was the first to introduce Fried Chicken (sans masala style) in Chennai. While in school, Marrybrown used to be a regular when we wanted to have chicken KFC style.
Coming to the showcase, members of CFG were all present at the said time and the marketing co-ordinators of Marrybrown gave a short introduction followed by a list that contained their complete menu. There was close to 17 items on the menu as was shocked that I haven't realized it so far being a regular at Marrybrown.
Alongside their regulars, the main objective of having a showcase by Marrybrown was for them to know feedback about their new additions, viz. Extreme Burger (Veg/Non Veg), Jigger Fries & Mango flavoured Smoothers Shakes. Initially it was thought to highlight what each of us wanted on the menu, but it soon turned like a we want all. So we left it to Marrybrown to stuff us with all the food goodies that were in their arsenal.
So while we were eagerly waiting for the starters to start arriving, we were discussing about how Marrybrown has fought through the big daddy of fried chicken KFC and still has a good customer base. Also laurels to the bold efforts taken by Marrybrown towards inviting us to showcase their food. I'm sure every restaurant would think twice before asking for a showcase.
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| Chicken Poppers |
The first to arrive amongst the starters was the Chicken Poppers. I had a glee on my mind when I saw it as it has always been my favourite at their competitors. But when the tasting begun, I was disappointed as the poppers lacked the popping a.k.a crispiness. It was just bland boneless chicken rolled in a batter and fried. The dip provided was some kind of chilli BBQ sauce which didn't suit it either. But with the Mayo, it was edible. The vegetable lovers got their equivalent called Chilli Poppers. The case was the same. No Chilli in their poppers barring some chilli flakes which were present more from an aesthetic point of view.
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| Chicken Lollypop |
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| Buffalo Wings |
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| Chicken Nuggets |
Following the poppers, arrived the Chicken Lollypop, Buffalo Wings (Really don't know why the world calls it Buffalo Wings) and Chicken Nuggets. We didn't have much difficulty tasting these as they were basically the same as the Chicken Poppers except not being boneless. The taste was the same, the texture a little crispier and seasoning was zero. It made in mandatory to sample it with a dip and once again mayo stood out. I really wonder if there is anything special in their mayo. The Chicken Nuggets was in no way comparable to a Nugget. It was more like a chicken kheema shaped in the form of nuggets, coated with batter and fried. The vegetable lovers had their own variant viz. Cheese Tease and Smileys. Based on food shopping experience in Chennai, I know exactly from where both of these were purchased. The cheese tease is nothing but Cheese and Jalapeno poppers from McCain and the Smileys are from the same brand as well. But eventually Marrybrown is specialized in Chicken and hence cannot put them down for this. Atleast they have an alternative to the vegetable lovers.
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| Jigger Fries |
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| Jigger Fries Box |
Then came the Star dish of the evening, the Jigger Fries. Aptly named, the Jigger Fries is their take on french fries seasoning. Packed in a neatly designed box filled with french fries and either Mexican Cheese or Sour Cream and Onion seasoning, the box needs to be Jiggered (slang for shake in Tamil) for a coating of seasoning on the fries. Unanimously it was a hit. Everyone just loved it and we even requested for more servings. A fellow blogger was so impressed by the seasoning that he suggested we season all the chicken with it.
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| Fried Chicken |
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| Hot Touch Burger |
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| Mango Smoothers Shakes |
The star was followed by the significant, the one and only Fried Chicken. The chicken tub was presented in all its glory. Nothing to compare as they seemed to have had a consistence approach towards this dish for a long time. It tasted the usual and was comparatively less oily even though I found some oil accumulated between the flesh and the bone which was not very desirable. This was followed by my favourite, the Hot Touch Burger. Again the same, they have really been consistence with their hot touch burger too. The positive today was that the burger bun didn't crumble on to the plate which used to be the case most of the times. The vegetarian substitute was the newly introduced Extreme Burger. Those whose had a taste of said that it had a touch of zing, thanks to the black pepper in the burger patty. We were also served their new Mango flavoured Smoothers Shakes. This was a surprise winner. Majority of us liked it and felt it to be really heavy with a subtle taste of vanilla and a dominant taste of mango. Although being made out of mango pulp, there was no stickiness or roughness in its texture. This is a must have if you visit them.
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| Strawberry Jello |
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| Brownie |
Being really stuffed with all their offerings so far, we had to politely refuse further dishes. We were then requested to sample their desserts. Strawberry Jello with Vanilla Ice Cream and Brownies with Vanilla Ice Cream. The first one had mixed reviews with myself personally liking it. The flavouring of Strawberry was not too heavy and gelled well with the ice cream. But the Brownie was the most disappointing dish of the day. A fellow blogger broke his spoon trying to have a taste. It was rock solid. I somehow managed to smoother it with the ice cream to make it soft and finally sampled it ignoring the warnings of fellow companions. I was wrong, the brownie was crunch like a biscuit and was like eating something that in no way would be comparable to a brownie.
Being a showcase, we really didn't expect that we would have both positives and negatives as the food is usually served at its best at such events. But hats off to Marrybrown for delivering to us the same that they deliver to their regular customers. And also their encouragement and boldness for having them reviewed by us should be appreciated. One more thing I would like to add here is that, just a day prior to the showcase, Marrybrown had conducted a food carnival for around 250 children who were infected with HIV. This is really a good initiative from them to show their solidarity with the under-privileged. Towards the end of the showcase, the entire team conveyed their individual feedback to the Marrybrown team which was delightfully acknowledged by them.
Marrybrown is located across Chennai with outlets in almost all areas. Please check on their website for their locations. The one where the showcase was held is located on the Ground Floor, Ispahani Centre, Nungambakkam.
