Kitchens of India - Royal Repast of Arcot Cuisine @ Madras Pavilion - ITC Grand Chola, Chennai

Each and every time one thinks of Royal Cuisines in India, it is more than often associated with the Mughal cuisine. Coming down to regional cuisine, the erstwhile Hyderabadi royal cuisine plays a dominant role. However other regional royal cuisines seems to have been lost with time in spite of the region being home to several famous kingdoms.

Thanks to one of the leading luxury brand of hotels, we may now have a glimpse into these long forgotten royal cuisines. The ITC group of hotels are conducting a pan India food promotion titled “Kitchens of India – Royal Repast” that showcases regional royal cuisines. Keeping in line with the theme, ITC Grand Chola in association with the Nawab of Arcot bring us to glimpses of the Nawabi cuisine from this region. In order to provide a truly royal experience, the family chefs from the Arcot Nawab’s house tirelessly worked along with the expert chefs from ITC Grand Chola’s Madras Pavilion restaurant to bring their cuisine in an ITC style. 

(Badami Shorba)

(Paya Shorba)

(Nawabi Shikampur)

(Mahi Talko)

The evening started with two Nawabi styled Shorba – ‘The Paya Shorba’ and ‘The Badami Shorba’. Both Shorba had royalty embodied on them as they were both rich and flavourful. This was followed up with four different varieties of Kebabs – two non veg and two veg. The non-veg kebabs of the evening were the ‘Mahi Talko’ and ‘Nawabi Shikampur’ while the veg options were ‘Subz Gulkhand’ and ‘Palak Anjeera’. The ‘Nawabi Shikampur’ is very similar to the Shammi kebab except that it’s made using chicken instead of mutton. Although it was flavourful, I would have loved it even better had it been a little juicier. I skipped the other kebab as it was a grilled fish and I’m not too keen on fish kebabs. On the veg, I only tried the ‘Subz Gulkhand’ as it seemed intriguing to find how the flavour of gulkhand would be used. It was nothing to be wowed about but was a bit different in comparison to the different varieties I’ve tasted over the years.

(Arcot Biryani)

(Non Vegetarian Curries)

(Paneer Amir Shah)

Coming to the mains, the highlight of the evening was the ‘Arcot Biryani’ and the regular accompaniments such as ‘Raita’ and ‘Bagarhe Baingan’. On the curries, it was a trio of lamb, poultry and seafood with ‘Goolare Gosht’, ‘Murgh Shahi Korma’ and ‘Laal Baingan Jhinga’ and for the veg it was the ‘Paneer Amir Shah’. Coming to the curries first, I liked the Murgh Korma better than the rest as it was packed with spices that emanated a rich taste along with the rotis. The Jhinga and Gosht were equally good but the Murgh was better. However the Paneer was a disappointment as the core ingredient itself was very chewy and hard. I assume it could be because of being on the counter for quite some time. Now coming to the highlight of the day, the ‘Arcot Biryani’ was truly outstanding and the chefs have probably got this spot on from the Nawab’s chef. With a tinge of saffron and well cooked meat the biryani had all characteristics of a true royal meal.

(Double ka Meetha)

(Badam Halwa)

(Meethi Dahi)

How can a royal meal be complete without some great desserts? The desserts on offer for the evening were ‘Double ka Meetha’, ‘Badam Halwa’ and ‘Meethi Dahi’. To start with, the ‘Double ka Meetha’ was just one word - YUM. The bread were soaked delectably in milky sugar syrup while still retaining some crunchiness. I loved it so much so that I helped myself with two servings of the same. While the dahi was not unique, the halwa was great in its own way. Not being very heavy on the palate, the halwa had a nice texture and a very comforting feel. Overall the Arcot cuisine on that evening had a few misses but the plusses made up for more than that. Simply the Arcot Biryani and the Double ka Meetha can keep one going on and on.

The food promotion is part of the regular buffet menu at the Madras Pavilion and is on till the 14^th of September. The buffet is priced at ₹ 1950 plus taxes on all day for dinner.

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Festa della Pasta @ Prego - Taj Coromandel, Nungambakkam

Chennai has truly never had an issue with Italian cuisine be it pastas or wood-fired pizzas. However most of the restaurants were the typical ones that dished out a variety of regular pasta’s in different sauces or replicating the traditional pizzas from Italy. So if one was looking for a more intricate avatar of the Italian cuisine, it was almost a challenge. Considering how much Chennaities love Italian food and also the business connection between Italy & Chennai thanks to the large leather industry has provided an opportunity for a couple of Italian fine dine restaurant to start shop.

One such restaurant that recently went a grandeur makeover is ‘Prego’ at one of the prestigious hotels in Chennai, the Taj Coromandel. With a new young and talented Chef Luca at the helm of the kitchen, Prego has truly created an impression. When a restaurant of such calibre decides to throw in a colourful pasta festival highlighting what distinct flavours make up coloured pastas, it was something not to be missed. 

(Chef Luca at his Workshop)

(Different Shapes of Green Basil Pasta)

Prego is currently running a ‘Festa Della Pasta’ which literally means ‘Feast of Pasta’, introduces us to the different types of coloured pastas. And by colour it isn’t the sauce we are talking about instead the pasta itself. The evening started off with a small master class by the chef himself where he provided us with a live demonstration of how pastas are rolled and shaped. Once we were awestruck at the pace at which he was dolling out pastas, we just couldn’t wait to get our hands on them.

(Potato beignets with goat cheese cream, tomato coulis, leek puree and some caramelized cherry tomato)

(Truffle scented provolone and Leek soup)

(Ortolana and Feta Cheese)

The five course meal began with an Amuse Bouche. We were served with ‘Potato beignets with goat cheese cream, tomato coulis, leek puree and some caramelized cherry tomato’ to top it off. The beignets were crispy on the crust while delicately soft inside. The combinations of dips gelled well with the dish and the presentation was top notch accurately reflecting the passion of the creator. This was followed by a fantastic ‘Truffle scented provolone and leek soup’ along with an ‘Ortolana and feta cheese’ pizza. The soup was delectably light and creamy providing a very comforting environment for the rest of the course that was to follow. On the same tone, the pizza that was served was thin enough to hold the weight of the toppings yet was very light. The fresh ingredients had a tremendous impact on the flavour which made it outstanding.

(Tomato flavoured Tagliolini Pasta tossed with fresh Basil Sauce)

(Flavoured Lasagna layered with Beef Bolognaise)

This was followed by a sort of mini main courses. My choices for the evening were one each from the vegetarian and non-vegetarian menu. I chose ‘Tomato flavoured Tagliolini pasta tossed with fresh Basil sauce’ for the vegetarian variant and a ‘Flavoured Lasagna layered with Beef Bolognaise’ for the non-vegetarian dish. To start with the tomato flavoured pasta was extremely flavourful with short burst of tomato hitting you ever subtly as you dwell in the basil sauce and the crunchy vegetables that accompanied the course. The topping of pine nuts helped provide a good textural balance between the pasta and the veggies. Just writing about the next dish makes my palate go gaga. I just have one thing to say about the ‘Beef Bolognaise Lasagna’ here at Prego, mind blazingly amazing. The best lasagne I’ve ever had by a huge distance. This particular lasagne has redefined my standard for Lasagna and I’m sure to be heading here more than often as lasagnas are my favourite Italian food. The pasta sheets were of perfect thickness and it was delight to watch the Lasagna which was demoulded hold it shape till the very last spoon. There were bits of crunch in the sauce which was surprising and assume was because of the way the beef was cooked. It was just WOW!!!

(Stuffed Chicken with Cheese Sauce)

(Goat Cheese and Spinach Ravioli in a Saffron Sauce)

After having such a gastrorgasm, I was least interested on what was to follow as my mind was all set on when to come again to savour the amazing lasagne again. However as part of the evening, we had to continue our meal course and I was provided with a choice of catch of the day or a stuffed chicken. Being someone who is very choosy on seafood, I went in for the stuffed chicken. Not too sure if it was the Lasagna effect or what, I felt the chicken wasn’t as great as I would have expected it to be. To me it was a bit on the dry side but the disappointments were only with the meat as the accompanying cheese sauce and the potato sides were flavourful. I don’t know how the potatoes are called but it was in the form of thin slices apparently marinated or soaked in some sauce that gave it a truly unique taste. I would have loved to gorge on it all evening. With all this happening, Chef Luca decided to throw us a surprise and dished out one of Prego’s most sought after dish from their regular menu, the ‘Goat Cheese and Spinach Ravioli in a Saffron sauce’. No wonder it is the sought after dish as the ravioli’s were packed with some amazing flavours with the saffron sauce being the gloss on the flavours contained with the ravioli.

(Bitter Chocolate Flavoured Lasagna)

(Chef Luca’s Deconstructed Tiramisu)

To bring closure to the evening, we were served with two desserts, one which is a stronghold of any Italian restaurant, the ‘Tiramisu’ while the other dessert for the evening was from the Festa Della Pasta menu, namely the ‘Bitter Chocolate flavoured Lasagna’. Every time I see chocolate lasagne or pasta on TV or online forums, I always wondered when someone would dish one up in Chennai. So being uber excited dwelled into it first. I found the lasagne didn’t have as much bitter as I was expecting as the dish had bitter on it but nevertheless was a fantastic dessert and made my first experience of chocolate pasta a memorable one. Now coming back to the Tiramisu, the version we were presented with was a modern interpretation of the classic. Aptly named ‘Chef Luca’s deconstructed Tiramisu’, the dish had all elements that made it a winner just with a glance. Apart from structural differences, the other major difference from the traditional variant was that the ladyfinger biscuit was swapped with an equally soft and chewy sponge. The espresso drizzle provided the kick that was required along with the other elements to authentically replicate the same flavours as the original. This tiramisu is now officially on my ‘Must have Desserts list of Chennai’. To realize that we were taken on such a gastronomical tour by a Chef who was all of 27 is sure to make us introspect on how talented people can become at very young ages.

The ‘Festa della Pasta’ is on till the 19^th of July, 2015 at Prego – Hotel Taj Coromandel located in Nungambakkam. An A La Carte meal for two should cost about ₹ 3000 - ₹ 5000 depending on the number of courses. You can also select one of their pre-set course meals that start from about ₹ 1500 per person for a 3 course meal.

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Haleem and Iftar Pack - Daawat a Biryani

After beginning the Ramadan Iftar series with the review of Pista House Haleem, this time around wanted to check out on the Iftar fare from a non conventional place that serves one of the best home delivered Biryani in Chennai. Among the non conventional outlets, Daawat Biryani's Iftar menu seemed to have caught my attention well before others. Knowing that food from Daawat Kitchen can rarely be disappointing, decided that their Iftar pack would be my first pack of the season.

As always went through their offerings and placed my ordered on the previous evening for a Haleem Combo and an Iftar pack. Although you just need to order one out of their three combos for them to deliver, I wanted to get a broader overview of their fare and hence ordered for the above two combos. As highlighted in my first post of the Ramadan Iftar series, the review style will be crisp and on the following parameters.

Quantity:

First up the Haleem combo consisted of 500ml of Haleem and 5 pcs of medium shaped triangle Mutton Kheema samosa. The Iftar pack comprised of about 175ml Haleem, 2 nos of Kheema samosas, 3 nos of Chicken kebabs, a Chicken roll, Phirni and 150ml of Ice Lemon tea. 

Quality:

First things first, the Haleem looked considerably different to what I've so far known to as Haleem. I've been having Haleem for quite a few years now with some of them being hand brought by family when they fly down from Hyderabad just to let you know that I'm no stranger to it. The Haleem was very thin and watery as compared to the rich and gluggy authentic ones. To be honest the consistency was more of a hardened curry rather than the one that is synonymous with Haleem. It was also much lighter in colour as I was able to make a comparison with another Haleem that I carried over from the previous evening. Having a total of about 675ml of Haleem, I resorted to some kitchen experiments to get the consistency right. After reducing it for about 10 minutes with a vented pot, I was able to get a texture comparable to the traditional ones. However this Haleem was devoid of any bones and was to an extent flavourful minus the extra work I needed to do in order to overcome the runny consistency and get the true feel of having Haleem.

The mutton samosas were quite flavourful but would have liked it to be packed with more filling for the price being paid for it. The wrappers used for also great as inspite of being cold during the delivery, it didn't turn very soggy. The Chicken kebabs were a complete miss for me as the kebab was completely dried out and provided a sort of fine dusty texture on the palate. It was just too dry. On the contrary the Chicken roll was spot on. I loved the filling and the succulent parotta that was used to make the roll all added to the flavour. The roll was big enough for a person to consume and felt it to be the best item in the Iftar pack. 

As for the drink, the lemon ice tea there is nothing much to elaborate excepting that it was just about 150ml which in no way could be a sufficient quantity for a fasting person. Coming to the dessert in the pack, the Phirni unfortunately was again a major let down. Don't know if it was the packaging or what but when I transferred it to a bowl, it fell into it as a big ball. It had become way to thick and lost the complete feel of the semi liquid phirni that one craves for. As I had to scoop it out rather than spoon it, felt that it was a tad too high on sweetness level. However because of how it had turned too by the time it reached my place, I decided to do away after a few mouthfuls.

Price:

The Haleem combo is priced at ₹ 375 while the Iftar pack is priced at ₹ 295. Delivery charges are extra and for Kilpauk it was ₹ 55. 

Felt the pricing to be higher in comparison to the average price in the market. 500 ml of Haleem is priced at about ₹ 200-₹ 250 elsewhere. While the pricing of the Iftar pack is at the same as most other outlets, the number of items in the pack is comparatively much less here. The basic ingredient of breaking the fast which is the dates and water are not part of the Iftar pack. This coupled with a few other things leave the Iftar pack incomplete and wanting for more. Adding to this, the delivery charge, I felt just inflated the overall pricing because if the food was top notch it wouldn't have pinched so much.

Packaging:

The overall packaging was good except for the juice and dessert. The Haleem came in a sturdy container while the samosa and kebabs were boxed in an aluminium box. The roll was wrapped in the usual wrapper. However the Ice tea came in the form of a pouch knotted with rubber bands which was a big big disappointment.The same was the case with the phirni too. I seriously believe the packaging of the phirni had a major role in how it was perceived by me.

Rating:

• Quantity - 3/5
• Quality - 2.5/5
• Price - 2.5/5
• Packaging - 3/5

Overall I felt a bit disappointed as the high expectation I had keeping in mind how awesome their awesome is was definitely not matched by their Iftar offering.

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Ramadhan Iftar Special - Haleem @ Pista House

With another year gone by and the Holy Month of Ramadan setting in, I’m back with the Iftar specials. Being much focussed reviews, I’ll be following a different evaluation system that will focus on Quality, Price and Packaging. For the first time I’ll also be following a rating system as I consider these to be individual products rather than an experience.

Gone are the days when Iftar meant Conjee and samosas. Of late the most trended product is the ‘Haleem’. To begin the series, which better savoury to start with than ‘Haleem’ from the famous ‘Pista House’ of Hyderabad.

Until last year, Haleem from Pista house used to be flown in everyday from Hyderabad. But this year, they have set up a kitchen in Chennai and are preparing it fresh every day. They have also setup selling points across the city for easy access to folks across the city.

Quality:

First impressions, the texture looked perfectly as how it should be. The Haleem had a great consistency with all the ingredients perfectly blended resulting in a gluggy feel to it which provided the right balance along with the caramelized onions and the accompanying lemon. The taste was impeccable however the Haleem as a whole had a major put off due to the presence of bones in it. Haleem is always known for its boneless texture and the bones of varying sizes made the whole experience of eating it very cumbersome. I so wished they strained the bones out as it could have easily been the best Haleem.

Price:

They serve in two sizes.

• 400ml Haleem costs ₹ 160 at the kitchen and about ₹ 180 if bought in one of their delivery centres across the city. It can serve for about 1 - 2 people.
• 2 litre Family pack costs about ₹ 750 which can cater to about 5 – 6 people.

(400 ml Pack)

Packaging:

Exceptional packaging quality. The Haleem is poured hot into a tub that insulates the warmth for quite some time. The tub is latched strongly and is in comparison to the ice cream tubs of international brands.

Rating:

• Quality – 3.5/5
• Price – 4/5
• Packaging – 5/5

The Pista House is available at their kitchen located at Al – Malick Function hall, Opp. to Wallajah Big Masjid on Triplicane High Road. They also have delivery points at Adyar, Anna Nagar, Taramani, OMR, ECR, Ramapuram, Periamet and Siruseri.

P.S: - As I didn't have my camera at hand, the pictures are courtesy my foodie buddy Chennai Soru.

To be updated on my latest reviews, do subscribe to the feed by leaving your email address in the subscribe section on the top right hand side of this post. If this article interested you, please share it so others may be interested and benefited too!!! Request you to also visit our Facebook page Food In Chennai - Facebook and share the page with a Like amongst your friends and also follow us on our twitter handle at @FoodInChennai. You can also follow us on Google Plus at Food in Chennai-GooglePlus. Please also feel free to g+1 this post so others may be benefited too.

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Kashmiri Wazwan Experience @ Spice Haat, Hyatt Regency - Anna Salai

The food scene in Chennai is slowly transforming into one that will always provide a choice for everyone irrespective of their preference, thanks to the numerous food festivals that keep happening round the year keeping in line with the season and festivities. But one establishment takes their food festivals a notch above the others. Rather than having the usual type of festival celebrating the broader cuisine of a place, Hyatt Regency curate festivals specializing on a specific food family within the broader cuisine of the place.

And the latest in their festivals is the ‘Traditional Kashmiri Wazwan’ experience that brings to Chennai the authentic wazwan cuisine. For those wondering what does ‘Wazwan’ stand for, ‘Waz’ means Chef who has rare culinary skills that are passed on for generations within the family while ‘Wan’ stands for shops with a large selection of meats and delicacies. The Wazwan Chef is usually someone of high regards in the society and used to exclusively cook only for momentous events and special occasions such as Marriages.

(Wazwan Traem)

To rope in the authenticity, Hyatt Regency has flown down Waza Bashir Ahmed from Kashmir who will help provide the same experience along with the chefs here in Chennai. The traditional Wazwan usually consists of 36 courses with each having its own traditions. However, the meal that we experienced was a shortened version having about 16 different dishes. 

(Traem - Sharing Plate)

(Seekh Khabab)

For the starters, we had some ‘Tabak Maaz’ and ‘Seekh Kababs’. The ‘Tabak Maaz’ is sort of a signature dish of the Wazwan cuisine and is prepared by infusing Lamb Ribs with spices and milk and finally being fried in oil or butter. The Seekh kababs need no introduction and here they have an option of meat or veggie. 

(Shirmal)

The main course comprised of several curry dishes that were accompanied with a ‘Kashmiri Pulao’ and ‘Shirmal’, the traditional Kashmiri sweet bread. The two stand out dishes were the ‘Lamb Rista’ & ‘Chicken Daniwal’. The rista is spicy paprika based red curry while there was also another subtle version of the same lamb preparation called Gushtaba which uses a yoghurt base. The Chicken daniwal as the name suggests was a preparation using loads of coriander that infused the flavour well balanced to the curry. Being an avid meat lover and having sunk in the ocean of culinary richness from the curries, I decided to forgo the veg mains and indulge in some Qahwa, the traditional Kashmiri tea.

(Desserts)

The desserts that were served helped tie all the dishes together in a celebratory style. The ‘Kesari Mango Phirni’ was truly outstanding with the flavours of mango, saffron and dairy complementing each other perfectly. The other dessert of the afternoon was the ‘Zarda Pulao’ also known as sweet rice. Had this been the only dish of the afternoon, then I would have raved but the Phirni just brought about the perfect closure to this wonderful journey of the Kashmiri Wazwan festival. 

(The Man behind the food - Waza Bashir Ahamed)

The Wazwan experience is being held at Spice Haat in Hyatt Regency and is part of their buffet spread. One can also savour the Wazwan experience in the authentic way by ordering for a ‘Traem’ which comprises of a large plate with rice heaped in the middle and surrounded by all the other elements of the cuisine. This is ideal for groups to indulge and share the love of eating from a single plate.

The festival is on till the 21st of June and is priced at ₹ 1550 plus taxes for the buffet while the Traem will cost about ₹ 1440 plus taxes for the non veg option and ₹ 1100 plus taxes for the veg option.

.To be updated on my latest reviews, do subscribe to the feed by leaving your email address in the subscribe section on the top right hand side of this post. If this article interested you, please share it so others may be interested and benefited too!!! Request you to also visit our Facebook page Food In Chennai - Facebook and share the page with a Like amongst your friends and also follow us on our twitter handle at @FoodInChennai. You can also follow us on Google Plus at Food in Chennai-GooglePlus. Please also feel free to g+1 this post so others may be benefited too.

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The Manhattan Fish Market - RK Salai, Mylapore

With more and more people travelling abroad now, international food chains have felt the need to start their outlets in India more so than before. I don’t know why the case is so, the irony is that Chennai never gets to witness the bloom of any international brand. More so these brands come to Chennai only after establishing at least a couple of outlets in places like Mumbai, Bangalore, etc, which can take anywhere between 6 month to a year. I’m sure there are several reasons to this equation but being an ardent foodie nothing gives me immense joy than knowing that an international chain has finally chosen Chennai as their launch city. 

After establishing a niche for themselves with over 50 outlets across half the world from Oman to Japan, the famous speciality sea food restaurant ‘The Manhattan Fish Market’ has opened up their first outlet in India in namma Chennai. Bringing us the American style of sea food cuisine, this place created quite a pre-opening anticipation thanks to the early announcement of their arrival along with some great social media buzz.

Coming to the experience of the evening, first things first. The restaurant is situated across two floors with the first floor has a live kitchen space in addition to the tables while the second floor consisted of a few tables and around 3 private dining areas. The ambiance was on the lines of the food they dish out. Once we were seated, the person waiting on us explained their elaborate menu to us. To put it in a nut shell, the seafood on their menu can be cooked essentially in five different techniques, viz. Deep Fried, Poached, Baked, Grilled and their signature Flame style. As we were in a group, we decided to order a couple of platters to experience their different cooking styles and also savour most of their offerings. As we had a vegetable loving friend, we needed to cater to her requirement too which wasn’t much difficult considering there was only about four vegetarian dishes on the menu. 

(Creamy Mushroom Soup) 

(Garlic Herbed Mussels)

(Fried County Mushrooms)

The first up was the ‘Creamy Mushroom Soup’, which turned out to be a different interpretation of the classic Mushroom Cappuccino. Nevertheless, it tasted quite good but personally felt the cream to be a bit heavy along with the saltiness of the mushroom being a dominant flavour. For starters we had ordered, ‘Fried Country Mushrooms’ and ‘Garlic Herb Mussels’. Being a very choosy seafood eater I only eat sea food that are placed on the opposite ends of the spectrum, either Sushis or Crustaceans, along with the occasional Salmon. So I gave the Mussels a miss while I thoroughly enjoyed the fried mushrooms. It had a very light batter that elevated the flavours of the mushroom right enough to strike a chord in making you forget you were consuming a vegetarian dish.

(Fish N Chips) 

(Flaming Manhattan Star Platter)

(Flaming Manhattan Star Platter)

(Grilled Flaming Lobster Platter)

With the starters done, it was time for the mains. I couldn’t go past the page that had ‘Fish N Chips’ as this was my only source of seafood protein during my stint in UK. On rare occasions that I wanted to have something different, I would head to the corner place and pick up a take away of some Fish N Chips. Just love the way, we get it in UK with the fish wrapped in a parchment paper that would drip with oil. Having made up my mind on ordering this, I left the other mains to the choice of my buddies. After some deliberations, it was decided to also order a ‘Grilled Flaming Lobster’ & ‘Manhattan Star’ platters. The Fish N Chips arrived first and on initial looks didn’t resemble my corner shop one. But it aint’ fair to expect that as I’m sure people will run screaming oil, oil if the same is served here. However the flavour of the fish and batter made it up. Probably my preferred choice now in Chennai for Fish N Chips. With regards to the ‘Grilled Flaming Lobster’, it was a visual treat to experience the way it was being served. The platter comes with a serving of Grilled lobster, some garlic mussels, Fried calamari and fish fingers. The waiting staff that brings an industrial size blow torch and turns the heat up in the room flamboyantly by flaming the lobster. I leave it to the photos to do the talking. I loved the Calamari and the lobster over the fish fingers while I chose to forgo the mussels. On the other hand, the ‘Manhattan Star’ platter consisted of a Grilled Calamari, Fried Oysters, Poached Mussels, Flaming Prawns and Baked Fish. My palate preferred the fried calamari over the grilled version while the flaming prawns was just too good that I had to fight for more portions with my friends because I had to skip the mussels. Overall the star platter provides an opportunity to savour all five cooking techniques in a single platter.

(Manhattan Mud Pie)

(Tuscan Tiramisu)

(Oreo Kaboom Shake)

To bring closure to the evening, we decided to order their signature ‘Manhattan Mud Pie’, ‘Oreo Kaboom’ shake and a ‘Tuscan Tiramisu’. The mud pie lived up to the expectation by being the best dessert of the evening. The shake unfortunately lacked the characteristics of a shake and felt more like an Orea Coffee flavoured drink while the Tiramisu definitely did not par to the original Tiramisu as it again seemed to be their own interpretation and had a different twist. But we fell in love tremendously with the mud pie that we decided to order another portion to offset the mild disappointment with the other desserts.

Overall, The Manhattan Fish Market would be a paradise for ardent sea food lovers looking to savour and experience the best of catches using different cooking techniques. Joining the ranks of just a handful of stand-alone speciality of seafood restaurants, I’m sure this fish market is bound to last long in namma Chennai and provide us with this differential experience.

The Manhattan Fish Market is located on RK Salai opp to Marvel Wedding cards. A meal for two should cost you around ₹ 1500 if it’s the regular fare. If lobster is a preferred choice then be prepared to splurge as the Grilled Lobster platter is priced at ₹ 2490 but is worth every penny.

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Menchies Frozen Yogurt @ Khader Nawaz Khan Road - Nungambakkam

The food scenario in Chennai has recently seen a plethora of International brands setting up outlets presenting us with their signature specialities. The latest non-contemporary brand to join this list of International brands is ‘Menchies Frozen Yogurt’ from USA with the Chennai outlet being their second location in India. FROYO (FROzen YOgurt) as it is commonly referred to is an absolutely perfect healthy substitute to those staying away from ice creams.

(Froyo Dispenser)

There are a couple of things that makes Menchies unique in comparison to other dessert places. First and foremost, you can completely opt for a hands on experience on creating your own version of FROYO. All you need to do is pick up a waffle/cone/cup and head to the froyo dispenser and dispense your choice of flavour from about 10 flavours that are changed on a daily basis. What is more surprising is that the flavours are paired as couples such that in case you need a mix of 2 paired flavours, you do not have to make the effort to dispense each flavour as you can use the middle portion of the dispenser to provide a mix of both flavours amongst the pair. There is no restriction on how much you would like to fill your serving size as the froyo is not priced based on flavour or size rather on the total weight. So feel free to have as little or as much as your palate desires.

(Toppings Counter)

Once you have picked the flavours, next is to add toppings and sauces to enhance the flavours. They have a choice of about 16 toppings to choose from and another 6 sauces to choose from ranging from fudge to Nutella to honey. Once you have created your dream combination, you just need to take it to the staff nearby who will weigh in the froyo. I honestly believe that this methodology of serving desserts gives the customer the flexibility to have a guilt free experience as they are not bound to over consume under the disguise of not wanting to waste the same.

During my visit, I got to taste a combi of Mint & Chocolate and also another combi of Mango & Vanilla. The Mint-Chocolate froyo resembled the famous chocolate “After Eight”. The lightness of the froyo made it very easy on the palate and made us wanting for more as there was absolutely zero guilt. Having sampled the other flavours (Yes!!! You can sample as many flavours as you want before you make up your mind), I wanted to try the classic combo of Mango-Vanilla which is my opinion was the most divine combo on offer that evening. The flavour of Mango was perfect to elate it in comparison to the vanilla yet wasn’t strong such that it was over-powering. Overall, Menchies frozen yogurt is truly a great replacement for those who want to avoid ice creams without compromising much on taste or texture. 

(Mint-Chocolate Froyo)

(Strawberry Waffle Cone)

(Mango-Vanilla Froyo)

‘Menchies Frozen Yogurt’ is located on Khader Nawaz Khan Road and should cost you about ₹ 150-200 per serving depending on the quantity and toppings you choose. The charge per gram is ₹ 1.30 + taxes plus any additional for waffles or cones. 

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