Madras Kitchen Company (MKC) - Touch of fusion yet artisanal!

MKC or Madras Kitchen Company is a newly opened restaurant as part of the sprawling Westin property in Velachery. The first impression gives you an instant thumbs up with the decor being striking and the ambiance aesthetic and appealing.

It gives a very laidback as well as an insouciant atmosphere with it's signature wood work and artisanal surroundings. The menu has been created in a very crafty manner coming in the form of a large newspaper with lots of snippets thrown in not only about the food but also the city of Chennai in general. The cuisine is largely regional with a twist as there is a lot of fusion element interspersed to it. A little bit of Asian too has been added to the fray.

We were here for lunch on a lazy weekday afternoon and looking forward to what the place has to offer. The first item itself blew us away which was an amalgamation of Amul cheese and a guntur chilli spread on a bed of bread. The fill over not only looked magnificent but also tasted superlative. Next up we tried the Asian Bao's. This was an open bao stuffed to the brim consisting of juicy pieces of tofu, capsules of edamame green gram and laced with drooly layers of mayo. This was messy, junky, dunky and damn tasty. After this we tried their innovative ghee tossed podi Idly which came with a delightful kurma and a chilli coconut relish. This was served in the school tiffin style and had an old world charm about it. From the starter section, we also tried the curd rice which came with interesting concoctions which we had towards the end of our meal.

The starter section was totally top notch and no two ways about it. In the main course, we had the bombay sampler of ragda, misal and bhaji with butter pao. Though bhaji is a popular dish down south, we very rarely get to taste ragda or misal and this was a well done up 3 in 1 combo. Apart from this we also had a crack at the aloo chole with kulche. This was decent but however the chole felt a little less boiled and the taste did not come out very apparently.

We polished our meal with two gorgeous desserts. The 54℅ chocolate textures with berries had a really rich and smooth taste to it. The Madras Kitchen Sundae with a cheese cake slitted in was really yummy and mellow.

The service was friendly and the staff were very welcoming in not only answering our queries but also suggesting us on how to go about with our choices. If you're looking for regional cuisine with a sleek fusion element interlaced to it, you should certainly check out Madras Kitchen Company.

Quattro - A melange of Mexican and an interim of Italian

'Quattro' was impressive in parts. They are one of the forerunner restaurants when it comes to whipping up a fest of a gastronomic food adventure mainly utilizing Italian and Mexican cuisine.

We were here on a hot weekend afternoon to look forward to a slurp feast of the best that Italian and Mexican can offer. We started our journey with a Jalapeno Queso. We asked for a small portion and it contained 3 batter fried balls submerged with cheese and spread with a Jalapeno cloud. It was cheesy and smacked flavour fully on to the taste buds. Next up was a crack at the Quesadillas. Went for a Chipotle cottage cheese filling with Mexican beans and a slice of sour cream and Mexican rice for company. This one was well stuffed and punchy with the hard hitting taste.

For main course we tried the Primavera pizza. This frankly was quite a disappointment and seemed more like a run off the mill stuff. It was just that the stuffing were well covered but did expect a more sumptuous offering. However things evened out with the spectacular Mexican cottage cheese sizzler. This one was a belted being heavily loaded with veggies and chunks of cottage cheese cubes with mashed potato and a molten dripping layer of cheese sauce to boot. It was indeed a relishing and wholesome dish.

On the dessert side we polished off a chocolate Saturn and hot chocolate soup. This had all the ammunition to win you over with effervescent essence of chocolate bowling you over. The touch up of orange, mango and jelly enhanced it further.

All in all it was a decent experience. The presentation was lovely and we also had our servings in quick time. One grouse however is on the quantity. Except the sizzler all the other items felt too minimal on serving. You do expect a little more portion and it was a tad disappointing to see such granular portions. Rate wise they are on the higher side.

Quattro on the whole can be termed as an exclusive fine dining restaurant and one of the real better one's when it comes to food experience.

Desi Di - Sounding the Dinchak!

Taking Desi Di at face value, it will surely pique your interest. The place comes with the caption 'Dhinchak' which roughly translates to attitude and that is quite clearly seen in their interiors which has a sparkle about it. It embosses and makes use of multitudes of colour giving itself a quirky and bohemian feel. It captures desiness in full vigour and it's the kitschy set up that brightens up the atmosphere and gives it a zany outlook. The seating arrangement is pretty large and converged into different enclosures and you see each of them portraying the shiz through its wall paintings, miniatures, antiques, colour co ordinations etc.

Talking about the food, it goes in tune with the name of the place and is all desi. They have deliberately avoided South Indian cuisine but brought forth a lot of different items from canteen style to road side to hardcore Punjabi flavour and much more. A lot of innovations also came to the forefront with regard to taste and presentation. One more thing is that they have tweaked some of the items mildly in order for it to suit the palette of the localites.

We started our foray with a few drinks and chai. The lemon barley shikanji was more of a refreshing tonic to beat the heat. The Punjabi Lassi with nuts was pretty frothy and flavourful. The kala khatta soda was a lovely iced drink. The red hibiscus ice tea which was presented in a large beaker looked very appealing but somehow I didn't find it to be too distinctive on taste to any other usual fruit infused tea.

There was a section in the menu titled "All Day Menu" comprising of snacks and starters. The paneer bhurji papad waa very nice with smudged pieces of cottage cheese gregariously spread across the roundish oval along with sprucing of masala and inter laden in the center with a delectable pumpkin dip. The samosas were served in a canteen style box with 2 kinds of chutneys and a bunch of chilli's. These contained the usual potato masala but the texture of it was very good. The Arbi Pakoda was super crispy and slathered with the rightful dosage of spices making it a great snacker. The vada bao was quite lovely with the aloo loaded vada made Bombay style dunked in steamed bao buns. This one defined the Dhinchak as it was made in true Bambayya style with generous garnishing of podi mixture in addition to gentle spraying of chutneys and to infuse the spice quotient lengthy pieces of green chilli's were provided as accompaniment. The sambar kichdi was another one dish which was absolutely yummy and this one was great eating with the crispy papads. The Pav Bhaji fondue however was quite a disappointment. It was the usual pav buns torn as pieces and kept like bread sticks to eat dipped with the bhaji. The masala lacked a bit of creaminess and surely could have been better.

In the main course part, we had a Gujarati special item called Panki. We tried the palak corn version and this was basically a stuffing inside a green leaf that needed to be scraped and eaten. Quite a different experience trying this one. We also got naan with Malai Kofta which was done with the right ammunition and went very well with the Indian bread. The best of the lot was the Paneer Kurchan which was an aromatic panneer gravy cooked with much love and going really well with Naan. It was also served interestingly in a cooker and the flavour was very vehement.

The desserts were a complete win. The Pudina chai brulee was toothsome and really rich in taste with a subtle hint of pudina flavour in a cream brulee base. The gulab jamun cheesecake was a conglomeration well done with the mellow effect of the cake and the juicy taste of the jamuns being simply melt in the mouth. And we rounded the proceedings in superlative style through the Gajar Ka Halwa samosa with candy floss. This was totally bindaas with the samosas containing a sweetened pasty essence and coming along with a bowl of Malai floating with nuts and a fruit infused cotton candy floss. The whole dessert was a sinister creation and a wonderful workout for the sweet craving aficionado.

The rates seem fairly reasonable for the quantity and quality of stuff served. The service was quick witted. It was a pleasure conversing with the host who had complete knowledge of the items in the menu and about the specialities of each dish. Parking is of least concern as it's located in a club with abundant space being available. The place radiates with a kaleidoscope of colours and showcases dhinchak (attitude) in resolute fashion. This is a nice little place to visit especially with large groups and spend some good noteworthy time by soaking in the colour co ordinated ambiance and eat sumptuous food to your hearts content.

Patina - When Desi meets Italian in Pataka style!

Patina is cushioned in a cozy space by the way side of the Woodpecker furniture store. The interiors are tastefully designed and a zingy appeal adorns the surroundings.

It has a very interesting menu comprising of street food, desi twist on Italian, a bit of North Indian and also added on are some delectable parsi dishes.

We were here on a weekday evening and tried a number of items on the attic and majority of it left us asking for more. First up the special carrot soup with coriander finely chopped was riveting. The taste was smattering containing a remarkable aroma.

On the snacks section, the okhra fries thatched with thecha aioli was crispy with a distinct taste. The anda pav which is the egg equivalent of the evergreen vada pav was a sure winner. The gun powder fries had a brittle feel to it subdued with an interesting tinge of masala which again was a tongue twister in a nice way. The aloo & peas samosa thought could have been a tad better with the mince of the flavour not appearing apparently. The best of all and rightfully the show stealer in the snacks side was the Papeta Pareeda a parsi dish comprising of sliced potatoes over a bed of tomato sauce bedecked with fried eggs on the up blossomed with a gooey center. This one was truly top notch.

For mains we tried the peas infused luchi. Now luchi is the upper North frontier version of the traditional puris. They tend to be a little more crispier and it went well with an aloo peas masala gravy. We also tried the Amritsari Panner Akhuri which were scrambled panneer pieces garnished with coriander and fried onions. This was like a high end version of panneer bhurji. We ended the show with a couple of pastas - the first one being the oil & herb version which had a lovely infusion of herbs, flakes and garlic. The second one and the better of the two was the Curry Macaroni pasta. Comprising of a tantalising creamy curry sauce topped up with corn & bell peppers these macaronis just danced away in full glory and it just tasted all the more exotic with a dripping layer of cheese dressed over the dish.

All in all, the food not only tingled out taste buds but also won over our hearts. It was a lovely experience with some fine churned up cuisine whipped up in a fashionable avatar which is not usually well associated within the city. Totally worth every bite.

Bharat Bistro - Agmark Premium Quality!

There are some restaurants where you don't mind paying a premium and Bharat Bistro right royally falls in that list. Whatever little stuff we had was exceptionally good and that made the experience very pleasing.

We just had 4 items and all of them bowled us over. First the paneer tikka with 2 versions of cheese was simply superlative. It lauded up both on the taste as well as on the presentation side.

On the main course, the Amritsari Dhaba meal comprising of roti herbed rice, hara bara kabab, bhoondi raita, paneer makhni and pindi chole was just out of the world. We relished every single bite of this glorious dhaba styled meal. The picture itself will definitely depict a beautiful tale.

The other one we tried happened to be the Dal Makhni trio. I simply butterly fall for lip smacking Dal Makhni. This lissom lass conjured up in a trio of flavours certainly possessed the lilt to lure me in. It was all sorts of love and we were simply floored.

On the dessert section, we went for the delectable gulab jamun cheesecake. As eclectic and exquisite as it gets, this cake was interspersed with layers of Jamun and coming along side finely cut pieces of jamuns, strawberry and a motley of rose gulkhand ice cream. This dessert was truly mouth inspiring.

On the whole, it totally lived up to its worth. The ambiance is kind of nice with lots of new age interiors and giving itself a bright stark greyish touch. It's more like a crossover Indian restaurant modelled as a cafe. The rates are a little pricy but found it agreeable to the magnanimous spread and taste. The service however could be spruced up a bit. There was waiting time with regard to providing menu cards and refilling of water. However the little nitty gritty accounts for nothing when viewed on the wholesome effect as we left Bharat Bistro having had a delightfully crafty meal that pleased us to punch.

Broken Bridge Cafe - When fusion trances with innovation for the win!

It was a delightful young early weekday evening and we decided to spend time at Broken Bridge Cafe which is a part of Somerset Hotel. The ambiance gives a breezy woody feel with hues of brown decor in addition to the plant like greenery surrounding. It gives a chiselled feel and ignites the laid back dictum in all it's vigour.

This is a recently opened restaurant specialising mainly on fusion cuisine. The menu is a simple slider but they've innovated tremendously within this space to bring out a lot of unique experiments. Amongst the items which we had, the majority hit the dart right at the center and it was just in a couple of stuff that felt the need for improvement. The menu comprises of small plates aka starters/appetisers and large plates meaning to convey the main course dishes. There are no gimmicks or over the top tomfoolery happening at all and the menu conveys the point as to what it intends to offer.

In the small plates, the show stealer was undoubtedly the Curd rice fritters. Innovation reached varying heights with fried golden balls made to mimic curd rice with hinges of lemon pickle. This was truly one 'one of a kind experience'. They resembled your usual fried cheese balls ala starter but on taste you get the riveting effect of mushy curd rice and to boot also was served a mayo dip with largely lime essence. Audacious work of fusion but I must admit it worked very well. The kalakki (scrambled eggs) with goat jam on bread was another delightful starter. The panneer Makhni papdi chaat was nothing much to write home about. Just a touch of makhni gravy over papdi puri's which were just decent. The spicy corn cakes were kind of nice and I thoroughly enjoyed the palak and Goat cheese flat bread. If you're able to withstand the smell and rawness of goat cheese, then you're bound to love it.

For the large plates, we tried achari 3 cheese kulcha melt as well as mushroom & olives goat cheese kulcha melt. These were really nice spread with melted cheese which was really hard hitting. I loved the flavours of these kulchas which gave a lovely crunch while consuming them and they good enough just to consume stand alone though they also came along with fries,dip and ketchup for company. Also got to try the blue cheese naan which if you are fond of the aroma of it, it'll dunk you in big time and to go along with it a juicily sumptuous panneer tikka masala gravy.

In the dessert draw, the filter coffee baileys tiramisu ruled the roost. Served in an ever silver tumbler, it was simply jaw dropping drool worthy. The skim of tiramisu infused with layers of coffee powder had everything in it to make you dig unabashedly. The nutella custard and maltova crumble was alao equally relishing.

The prices seem par for the course and not really in the vicinity to pinch your pockets. The service was amicable, friendly and on the button. Overall, a really pleasing experience dining at Broken Bridge. If you like a little bit of twists and fusion in your food without the core getting compromised, you should definitely head over to this place for a resolute fine dining encounter.

Spice Klub - When innovation makes a lapidary leap!

It was really hard to fault the food served at Spice Club. Innovation took a new leap and presentation reached a higher order. Molecular gastronomy was honoured in all it's splendour making it a breathtaking dine in experience. It was quite hard to fathom that so much of inventions were possible in good old well known vegetarian food.

On the drinks side, the mango on the rocks lorded the show with ice chilled mango served in a beaker and cooled to perfection. The kokum Margherita with chilli too was one of a kind and zipped up very well on presentation. The fruit lassi had so much of flavour and it was simply melt in the mouth leaving a lingering taste behind even after you'd gulped the spoonful. The guava mocktail gave the punch effect and most of the coolers had a divine taste to it with the gastronomy work being done to perfection.

 The appetisers side were loaded with surprises. The vada pav was the show stealer and it was a complete camouflage as it looked anything like a vada pav but instead the buns came with a yellow pasty gravy which looked way different but only on tasting it did we realise that it was the condensed mixtured form of the evergreen aloo wala vada which was supposed to be spread molten across the softish bun pieces and had. The edible chilli packets were another win ideal to get the zesty effect. The pav bhaji with a makhni wala gravy served in the form of a fondue was quite good as well. The pani puri's were more of the usual sans the tube sized bottles holding up the green water. The Dahi puri was excellent and the aloo tikki was master class with the moist foam slurped over the cutlet pieces providing such a jaw dropping taste with the bite of aroma biting at every level. The Naanza was another experiment in the form of a pizza bread topped with cheese and scrambled panneer which was really filling by being loaded with stuffing.

The main course was not left far behind. I especially took fondness to the chilli cheese naan as well as the sundried tomato and olive naan's. The panneer tikka masala was delectable and the aromatic lentils worked it's magic in full vigour in the Dal Makhni. The corn & mushroom gravy as well as the veg makhanwala proved to be of great support.

The desserts were again an area where they unleashed a trick or two showcasing their prowess in full spirit. The flower pot was a chocolate lovers delight with the add on of even spoons being carved with chocolate. The rasgulla cheese cake was a lovely conglomeration of western and Indian with the cake on the exterior being like any other but as you keep churning it was hidden rasgulla in the interior. The volcano was another showpiece chocolate bomb of a delicacy ideal to close out our meal.

The ambiance is well developed and they have high end descriptive wall arts giving it a lovely appeal. The service was spot on and well attended to despite the heavy duty crowd. The rates are a wee bit on the higher side. Agreed, lots of techniques are used and efforts made to whip up a feast of a gastronomical show but still going purely by the items at hand, it does feel expensive on most counts.

I believe Spice Club has made a mark in Mumbai and this is it's foray in the shores of Chennai. If you don't mind pinching your pockets for a marvelous food gastronomical fiesta, this is an outlet that you'd love to visit and taste vintage cuisine in an alternative mode but guaranteed to be in spectacular fashion.

Summer House Eatery - 80% continental and 20% everything else!

The Summer House Eatery is a well crafted cafetaria which has blossomed on the by lanes of Alwarpet in a really peaceful locality. The outlet is constructed out of a residential home and shares a co working space with a couple of other ventures. There is sufficient parking space available and the place oozes fanciness in terms of it's decor and on the quirk factor.

The space is well bifurcated and there is also a lawn passage outside seating arrangement. It infuses the perfect ambiance and this looks like the kind of getaway spot to head to for cozy laidback lunch offering. It induces the rightful insouciance and appeals on every angle with the way it's done up.

The food, from the monicker can be easily made out to be continental but to widen the radar, they have added along some fusion with an Indian touch as add on. So primarily can be summarised as 80% continental and the other 20% has a mix of Indian, Mexican, Thai et al.

The outlet as such is opening very soon but we were here for an invite to savour some of their benefactors. They are still on an experimental mode and as the days pass along, you can expect a lot of interesting stuff in store.

First up on the appetiser section were the Arancini balls. These were big in size, juicy on the exterior containing dumplings of risotto rice and veggies on the inside. It was presented quite well too over a spreading of a delightful chilli mayo dip. Next up were the Avocado and corn crostini bruschetta. The bread was super soft and slashed along was an interesting slurpy dip called the mexican goddess which is made up predominantly with avacado and other dressings. Sauteed corn was garnished and this one was a winner. And then arrived the Truffle fries. This was a bit of a damp squib as the flavour of truffles didn't come across at all. Felt like eating normal crispy French fries with powdered cheese coated along. The cauliflower taco with thecha and sour cream was passable. They are still working on this one and it'll be served with a salad in the upcoming days.

On the main course section, we got a bite at their delightful savoury crepe options. Both the creamy mushroom as well as the caprese crepe with tomatoes, pesto and mozzarella were done up in sterling style with the taste of the ingredients coming out very well embedded on those loose egg beaten sheets. One area which totally ruled the roost were the pasta's. Virtually each one of them were so enjoyable to consume. If you're a pasta aficionado, the Summer House is like the ideal outlet to gorge sumptuous drool worthy pasta's to your utter delight. They have some really rare creations such as spaghetti with thai chilli jam and shitake mushrooms. This one was a bit of fusion but worked really well with the essence coming out wonderfully. The cacio e pepe spaghetti was another starlet with the garnishing of pepper and parmesan doing the magic. Their aglio e olio was easily one of the best I've ever had. The roasted garlic flavour was beautifully well played. Other than the set of pasta's, we also had a coastal based vegetable in goan coconut curry with steamed rice. This was strictly decent and nothing of the kind to get excited about.

On the dessert section, we tried a number of their sweetened crepes. Going along in line with the savoury based one's, these also passed the test with flying colours. It was just about rightly presented with the spreading of the assortments underneath the layering coming out top on taste. The nutella as well as the caramel one was much sought after. We also had a shot at a few shakes viz peanut butter, salted caramel etc. These were quite normal and lacked a bit of thickness. This is just a selective stock house of desserts and many more will be coming up really soon.

On the whole, it was a lovely lazy sunday lunch with delicious victuals for company to go along with a classy environmental sunlight surrounding. The prices have not yet been finalised and hence will refrain from commenting on that front. On a holistic picture, The Summer House Eatery is a fantastic add-on to Chennai's bustling food circle. And from initial feelers and the way things are already set up, this eatery should surely be enjoying a rosy ride from it's customer base. Wishing the team of 'The Summer House Eatery' all the very best.

Deconstructed Cafe - Experimenting to the hilt!

 In a time where restaurant's blatantly copy ideas from existing well known chains/outlets and camouflage as their own, Deconstructed Cafe has completely beaten off from the trodden path and created a unique niche for themselves. It looks a simple concept from the outside with tried and tested items being presented in a different and almost topsy turvy manner by changing the form but to pull it off without compromising on the core taste requires tremendous efforts. I'm not sure where they are in their endeavour currently but just the attempt to go their own way recreating and giving a varied touch to well loved food by presenting it in a distinctive fashion deserves the plaudits.

We were here on a weekday evening and the first thing which impressed me was when i took a cursory glance at the menu. It was detailed with pin point information as to what goes into the making of the item. It was really well described and gave a fair idea of what to expect. The place as such is located in a small 2 storey complex and the surrounding atmosphere is classy without being too over the top. They had lot of exciting stuff and it was interesting to have a crack at some of their signature fare.

In the drinks section, I did have a sip at most of em but what really impressed me was the cupcake milkshake. It was beautifully presented with a big piece of the cake rotated and perched at the top. The particles of the cupcake were distilled in the drink and the taste was vehement. I have enjoyed having red velvet flavoured cup cake in stand alone form but having in a milkshake avatar was quite something else. Apart from this, the popcorn milkshake also was very well rolled up with the essence of the buttered corn perfectly captured in the milky drink. The brownie shake as well as the peanut butter were also pretty good but they were more on expected lines and nothing vastly different from the rest of the crop.

The starters had bulky samosas stuffed inside with a juicy layer of chilli cheese mix. This was a cheesy delight with it being interspersed in large quantity​ inside the triangular piece. It was a little chewy but being the quintessential cheese grown lover, I slurped this one up big time. The cocktail burger was a complete surprise. It was sans the bread bun itself and instead cute crusted fried idlies acted as the ersatz holding a patty done out of beetroot and touched up with a dollop of chilli dip and placed on top with an olive. The cajun panneer was well presented but had large contents of salt which diluted the taste somewhat. The bread items viz mushroom toast as well as the spaghetti sandwich were strictly okay. There wasn't anything really worth raving about them either in form, taste or presentation. The sushi though was a stunner. I must admit being a vegetarian having never liked any sushi offerings but this one with rice softened and flavoured gave it a lovely taste. The spring rolls however failed to appease. Served in wafer thin paper cups, they were just not firm enough to hold the stuffings and nothing to write home about on the veggie inside portion as well.

The starters were more of hit and miss but the main course punched the target on most counts. The puffed spinach and ricotta pie slightly torn up from the middle layer was slathered with a powering portion of pesto and I absolutely enjoyed it. The spiced Aloo pickle Paratha was more of the routine stuff but the taste was good especially the dry Dal Makhni gravy which went really well with the paratha. The deconstructed burger was completely off the customary form and this one was more of a big sized stuffed oval bun containing fillings inside. The potato masala as well as the ricotta mushroom were both decent in taste but nothing of the kind to bowl you over. The deconstructed pizza came in a twisted rolled outlook with the ingredients spread across which was pretty interesting. My favourite among the lot was the Deconstructed Dhokla. They made a delectable paste out of the khaman dhokla and garnished it with crispy mini bread pieces making it feel like a fondue and it was served artistically in a cycled carrier. I immensely enjoyed dipping and eating the buns soaked in dhokla sauce. This was truly a work of fusion done right.

In the desserts, we had 2 sets of ice creams viz the chocoffeine which basically comes with a mix of chocolate and coffee and the citric burst with a twang of tang and jujups with citric fruits by the side. The former was pretty average but the latter won the brownie points big time. It had a remarkably nice taste to it with the tangy essence and sticky jujups intermingling really well with the ice cream. We ended our dinner sojourn with the very berry cheese cake. This was transformed with the blue berry sauce placed at one corner, the cake in a creamy moth taking the center position and crumbed pieces of bread at the other end. It worked wonders as when combined it tasted really well and ended our dinner sojourn on a favourable note.

Overall, it was a very interesting experience. They got some things right with the work of fusion being done up in a really innovative way and also ensuring the taste doesn't get botched up. But on some areas, they played it a little too cheeky which didn't go down well and it also begged the question of what was actually intended.

The service was sharp with hardly much waiting time. The rates seem a little steep with some items touching the higher end of the spectrum. The decor is pleasing and it infuses a comfortable fine dining style. Adumbrating on the big picture, Deconstructed Cafe was overall a win for me. They are into experimental fusion where they do not have too much precedence and it's fair enough not to expect everything to come out perfect in every way to the 'T'. I strongly feel they have some interesting head turners on the menu already sorted out and with a little amelioration, they should only be improving further going forward. Deconstructed is different not just to grab eye balls but is in essence different for a reason. Kudos for venturing out on to this diverse field of fusion food and bringing out varied experimental cuisine to the shores of Chennai.

Desi Klub - As desi as it gets!

There is a lovely buzz feed about Desi Klub. The place screams loud of the full on larger than life culture of Bollywood and there is a lot of colour and spice associated with it. The food is predominantly good ol Indian food mostly from the Northern side including the most loved street goodies infused with a native flavour and local touch.

The ambiance is bright and replete with colours, wall arts and sign boards depicting the glory of Bombay. It isn't a very big place but there is enough seating arrangement made available for large gatherings. The kitschy scooter placed at the entrance is a give away of what to expect with the decor and set up which is bindaas in every way.

The menu runs into a number of sub sections and it's their starter and short eats fare which is not only catchy to the eye on presentation but also great for the taste buds. First up, gulped the Bubble Gum shake which entices child hood memories. This one gets the flavour spot on and this pinky drink which is placed with a piece of gum on the top was a flashy way to begin proceedings.

The starters virtually all that we tried hit the bulls eye but however there was one clear man of the match which outshone everyone else. That was the roller coaster panneer. Presented in immaculate fashion in a rotating ferris wheel with a dip placed in between, the layered rectangular panneer rolls consisting of a non spicy pasty mix with essential ingredients was just arresting to taste. The cheese corn masala balls had a jaw dropping spread inside those soft pressy breaded balls and was lovely to consume with the tartar based dip. The Chennai se China Tak wasn't bad either. This was idli in a redefined avatar. Fried and tossed with capsicum and green chillies this was more in the line of a manchurian.

In the main course section titled Bhara belly, we had the Pasta Desi Ishtyle. These macaroni conch shells were bathed in a lip smacking delectable makhni gravy making this Italian wonder undergo a brief makeshift change to an Indian style curry delight. Dressed up with oodles of cheese and accompanied by a maska slathered bun, this one was melted to make you drool. And the finale was grand with the Chole Te Bhature. You would just love the way this one is presented in a cycle carrier with the seating space containing the bhatoore's and the holder in the form of a local large sized tea glass consisting the brown chole gravy. The Bhatoore's were soft and it was great to munch them with a generous spread of the chole which was so flavourful. This Chole Bhatoora was easily one of the better one's I've had anywhere in the city.

The service was speedy with hardly any waiting time in between the dishes. The prices turn out to be slightly expensive more so with all the taxes added around. I enjoy local Indian street food and Desi Klub is a nice little place to feast yourself to the best of delicacies that the city of Mumbai has to offer with a drum beat abashed atmosphere with feel good Hindi music playing in the background.

Shape of You - Veena fusion!

I tried experimenting with the immensely popular 'Shape of You' from Ed Sheeran's album "Divide" on a string instrument. A major portion of the notes are clustered around particular singular notes. In fact the opening vocal line uses the same note for a record duration repeatedly tempered across various phrases. It might seemingly tend to denote a dissonance but in essence is such a catchy composition. From a classical parlance, it's based on the minor scale of 'Natabhairavi' with more specific usage of Sa Ga2 Ma1 Pa Ni2 Sa making you look it up as 'Suddha Dhanyasi' which effectively can be considered as the derivative of the former (debatable?) by dropping the Rishabam and Dhaivatam. The excitement of playing this track made me attempt a bit of gimmicks here and there. I'm very much a greenhorn in this oceanic field of music and I hope the rendition wasn't all that bad. Bouquets and brickbats both welcome :).

VB Signature - Fusion Redefined!

Vasantha Bhavan is a well known chain known largely for their south indian cuisine and have plenty of outlets scattered over the south of Vindhyas. VB signature is also part of the same tutelage but with a redefined twist. With VB's, they look to completely change the definition of dining by syncing fusion with food and the result is quite spectacular. It paints a completely different picture from what you would usually associate of Vasantha Bhavan. The place is all chic and uber cool and gives an upmarket broadway kind of feel. Except for the surveit leaflets and smidgeons of appearances of the Vasantha Bhavan brand, you would feel like there has been a revolutionary makeover.

One could always argue the fact that why you want to try something drastically different when things ars already smooth. In VB's it's about innovation in food and they've made quite a daring attempt at that. It's just not about trying to be different but they have dug down deep rooted and explored various possibilities and combinations. The menu also is being revamped again to add new items to the fray and from our visit to try a sample of the latest varieties, it must be said the food was resoundingly good.

Listed below is a brief take on the stuff we tried on the night.
Soup : Here we got to try 2 types viz the Broccoli&cheddar as well as the Sutta Makka cholam soup. The former had a lovely frothy aroma to it and condensed with rich flavours and garam masala. The latter was a corn based soup and a surprise with pop corn added along with corn kernels and curry leafs. Both of the soups were immensely enjoyable and set the tone for things to follow.

Appetizer and Salad : We were served 6 different varieties of papad's with 5 unique kinds of chutneys. There forte was very much visible here and it was great to have bites of the papad's dipped with the chutneys. In salad we got a watermelon and feta cheese based one. This was a pretty standard fare and not really the kind where one would be raving about.

Starters : On this front VB's showed their acumen and how. This is an area open for experimentation and they lorded this area big time. My single biggest prize winner was the pesto bharwan panneer tikka. Designed in the form of a portmanteau with pesto drizzled in the interval, these chunks of cottage cheese when dipped and eaten with green chutney & white cream sauce makes you feel the nirvana biting in the tongue. The sweet vada pav was another win. Panko crusted with perfect crispiness, this street food favourite in a redefined avatar was great to bite into. Then adding a radical twist were the Hyderabadi potato and water chestnut 65. This was quite a spicy and crunchy combination in the Indo-chinese genre. The szcheuan momo's were also well played with a light tanginess with the momo's being rather different than usual in look and feel.

Main course : We got to have soft fluffy idiappams with the soaky yellow sodhi made of coconut milk and a traditional favorite of Ceylon. I loved making my idiappam all soggy by pouring adequate portions of sodhi and customised the style according to my taste by garnishing with varied toppings to give the zip. The chur chur paratha again was different from the usual being crispy and flaky in texture being flavoured with ghee and ajwain. Naan also got a face-lift and came dressed up in the form of sun dried tomato and a cheddar mix. The essence stuck on in fine fashion with the aroma lingering heavily. And for the side dishes, we had the ever favourite dal makhni. This is VB's signature black dal and they lived upto expectations by being very good. The lentils simmering in a bowl with the right mix of butter, cream and spices. And the other one we had was the spice oriented Panneer Taka tak. These were stir fried juicy elongated pieces of panneer cooked in tawa style inspired from the streets of Old Delhi. With onions and capsicums added along and garnished with the requisite spices, this is a kick ass side dish perfect to have along with rice or roti.

Desserts & Drinks : Another section which hit the jackpot. The Boost ice cream was one of a kind and the kind you would like to dig into. The chocolate job version 2.0 was another scorcher with loads and loads of chocolate in alliance with oreo and the result was magnificent on the mouth. And last but not the least, the oreo peanut butter cheesecake. Oreo biscuits crushed and crumbed in collaboration with peanut brittle in a creamy layered base of peanut butter cheesecake. A totally delectable and droolicious dessert. For drinks tried the Bovonto Mojito which was a wonderful chilled out drink and the oreo cream shake which was to devour.

The service was very hospitable. They were always willing to help us with the orders and more than ready to divulge minute details about the dishes served which was very engaging and interesting. As the visit was over an 'on the house', I'm refraining from commenting about the pricing. Would just add a one liner saying they are competitively priced. The ambiance and decor paint a rosy picture and gives a trendy feel in consonance with the kind of vittle provided.

On a holistic picture, VB pressed the buttons right at every hook. The level of detailing was remarkable and the taste of the food is ample testimony to show the efforts involved in experimentation and innovation. This was not some random job to bring newness to the table. The sincerity and homework definitely shows and I have to commend them on the work undertaken. They have stood out from the crowd and created a niche for themselves. This is perhaps one of the best restaurant's indulging in fusion based cuisine in the city.

Monte Nero - The World on a Plate!

Gone are the days when Chennai was looked at as a hub cardinally serving traditional south indian rice & curry and a piecemeal of tiffin variety. It has expanded it's wings not only across the country but also the globe in bringing together diverse cuisines from different parts of the world. Though there are a number of restaurants serving a good spread of global vittle, 'Montenero' is perhaps the first one to bring a variegated portfolio of exotic dishes all under one roof in it's newly opened outlet located in the vicinity of Nungambakkam.

Montenero comes with the caption "the world on a plate" and has an oeuvre of food items traversing across the length and breath of the atlas and brings to the table much sought after delightful delicacies. There are items hitherto you would have heard and it was indeed a pleasure consuming stuff which I've never really tried before. As an ever craving food lover always on the exploration prowl, I must confess Montenero ended up being extremely pleasing.

The stromboli which could be categorised as one of the avatar's of a pizza was the star of the day. This is basically a shaped piece of dough stuffed inside and topped with pizza ingredients. It was beautifully presented in a wooden pan flannel with french fries by the side and it was absolutely lovely to munch this softish piece of dough oozing with cheese and veggies. In the soup section we had a shot at the Broccoli and cheese as well as the almond asparagus. Both of them were sumptuously creamy and rich on flavours and it was quite a joy slurping them up spoon by spoon. The salad in the form of a flame roasted one contained a bunch of ingredients viz garlic, onion, carrot, zucchini, capsicum, cucumber, tomato ketchup, oregano, crushed pepper. This was spruced up and curried along wonderfully and the warm tinge proved to be the ideal confluence and the delivery pointed right on all counts. Another major surprise was on the tried and tested usual jalapeno poppers. I didn't expect much from this but they were breaded to brevity with just the right texture and it was all mouthwatering with cheese and jalapenos oozing out sinfully from those cute little cutlet balls. It also had a great companion in the mode of a fry sauce which is made 'in house'. And on the continental side we had a shot at the spinach ravioli with cream sauce. This was another show stealer. It had the right zip and this yellowish cheesy molten layer drooling on top of the greenish spinach was quite regal to say the least and just melted jocularly in the mouth. On Indian, we went for the panneer tikka satay. It was pretty decent but the cottage cheese lacked the punch and felt a little short on taste especially considering in relation to all the wondrous delights we encountered over the course of our dinner. We finished with the lava cake which was immaculate. The crumb pieces of chocolate went so well with the cake which was super soft and to boot a lovely scoop of vanilla ice cream.

On the whole it was a marvelous dinner living up way beyond expectations. The rates are par for the course and will definitely not make you slouch over especially considering what you get in return. The service was amicable and they were very much willing to assist and help us go about with our order which was very welcoming. The ambiance needs to be pepped up a bit. It looked a touch too gloomy and some shades of colour and brightness will certainly help the place boom. It's a small set up and would be good if they pack it up and get the best benefit from the seating arrangement.

They are still in the nascent stage and just taking my initial experience into count, I would without blinking an eyelid say that this was one of the best meals I've had in recent times. Right now they are in soft launch phase and about to be open full fledged very soon. Going by what I've encountered can confidently say that they have already sounded the alarm bells ringing and things only look set to get better with time. It's highly appreciative that they are trying something unique and I wish the team all the very success in making a mark in the Chennai food scene. Nungambakkam is studded with restaurant's in all corners and with the addition of 'Montenero' it's image as the food paradise of Chennai just got usurped a notch further.

South Indian Fusion @ Madras Kafe

Madras Cafe has it's moments . It's a decent place to stop over for a quick bite of south Indian tiffin tossed up in a fusion avatar. It is predominantly the usual south cuisine customised to give it a twist. You have snacks in the form of cheese fingers, potato wedges, assorted platters etc in the ayal naattu (outside land) section and in the namma ooru (home land) part you have your vadais and bhajjis.

The place specialises on dosa's with a truckload of varieties and you also have your usual idli, chappathi, poori and also idiappam, appam, Chole batoora et al. They also have something called Barotizza, an indianised version of pizza with toppings on a chappathi base and also kothu barottas and barotta rolls. Also there is an area called Hall of sandwiches with many stuffed cheese based ones. Also there are variety rices and beverages and smoothies and shakes for finishers.

We had a mix of tiffin items such as podi dosai, onion uthappam, paneer tikka masala dosai, fried podi idli ,kaara cheesy varuval and a filter kaapi and masala chaaya to round off. The fries were oozing with cheese on the top, however the bottom part was left orphaned. The tanginess was missing a bit. The podi dosai was also ok but however it was just podi smeared without oil in it which was a bit of a let down. The paneer tikka masala was perhaps the best we ate here with the triangular dosa having abundant pieces of paneer masala and also it went well with the chutneys and sambar. The onion uthappam was strictly ok and nothing to regale about. The podi idly which took oh so long to be brought to the table was worth the wait and was well deep fried and had a lovely punch to it with podi in magnanimous quantity enveloped all over the idli's.

The place is neat but isn't something that will work big on the ambiance front. The big poster drawing of Madras with the Mylapore backdrop and the Marena beach tries giving it an authentic flavor. The Hindi music playing in the background however sticks out sorely taking the charm away.

The prices are pretty reasonable and par for the course. All the items we had set us back by 500 bucks and a bit which wouldn't really make you slouch. The service at times had it's issues with water not being refilled promptly and also time taken to bring the stuff which was much longer than expected. Also the lack of tissue papers in the tables were irritating. And the disappointment of not having many things from the menu adds to the woes.

The Madaras Kafe has its shares of hits and misses. It surely isn't a bad place to head out for some tasty south indian food being a tad different than the usual.