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.

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.