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.

Dialogue in the Dark - A Doorway to a different World!

Words will fail when describing about the experience at 'Dialogue in the Dark' because it is so unique and one of a kind. I can stress and harp further on this but trust me you may not be able to configure it unless you witness it first hand yourself.

I came with a bunch of pre-conceived notions about the place but it turned out being much beyond that and to put it simply it was an engaging, enthralling and exhilarating experience. It is based on the concept of darkness and I've not been subject to this kind of pitch blackness ever before. They ask you to deposit your gadgets, glasses and stuff before entering so as to prevent even the minutest ray of light being emitted.

The staffs and waiters are all visually impaired and it will give you a sense of enlightenment as to how much capability and potential is hidden inside these wonderful differently abled souls. Once you enter the aerodrome, you are lost and it's these folks who lighten up your life by taking you through the entire walk through and taking care of you when you're completely in a hopeless state not knowing what hit you. It makes you feel insignificant as a person and realise the livelihood of these individuals who are perennially in the dark day in and day out.

The whole purpose is about empowering the visually challenged through jobs which are ideally suited to them. And when you visit Dialogue in the Dark, trust me you will be bowled over by the ability which they possess. It felt like they were the boss and you really wouldn't be able to do anything without depending on them and following their assistance and guidance. It was quite baffling to see these individuals move about swiftly in an atmosphere where we are totally lights out and completely in the dark not knowing what to do.

I wouldn't want to disseminate details on what happens inside during the 45 odd minutes you spend as divulging will take the sheen off and I suggest you witness (or rather not witness :D) it for yourself. But I can however guarantee that you will have a fascinating experience.

This was meant to be a food review and I cannot but not speak about it. We were served Indian food in a tiffin container and I got to eat Roti, rice, starter and main course. Eating without clicking pictures and looking at the food was again a radical shift but for a change it was enjoyable. The rice was flavourful, the panneer starter had the right amount of punch and the gravy went well with both rice and roti. The meal was sans dessert but I believe it's just a matter of time before that will be subject to the set course menu. The service was admirable, our man was completely in charge and handled the situation with aplomb giving us step by step instructions and making our dining memorable. Also a point to note is that the menu changes everyday.

Visiting any restaurant, it's the food which always takes center stage but in Dialogue in the Dark, the food is just one element as part of a holistic experience which will leave you completely mesmerised. Operations in India began in Hyderabad in 2011 and since then branched out to Bangalore, Raipur, Chatisgarh and now in Chennai. It has been prevalent here since the last 2 years but tasting the darkness ie fine dining has started only very recently. It's a lovely concept and hoping there are more takers lapping it up.

It'll create an awareness, throw some enlightenment, showcase empowerment and display an experience which you will never get anywhere else. Do check out Dialogue in the Dark and enable your senses to make your world look beautiful. For me personally, this was a spellbinding roller coaster ride which I can certify as mind blowing.