Savya Rasa - Curated cuisine captured from the southern regional belt!

In a nutshell, Savya Rasa proved to be a wonderful experience. The ambiance with touches of yellow indicating an old world flavour was surely on point. The cuisine is largely South Indian and more of heirloom with authentic curated food from the down south belt of India comprising of 7 different regions. Lots of research had been performed and it was pretty evident during our recent visit.

This is sure to be a connoisseurs delight especially for those who've lived and tasted the sensory pleasures of the special food that the regions such as Nellai, Chettinadu are known to whip up. I began the evening with a vetrilai soup. It was a classic rasam soup with the betel leaves and spices combining to give the tongue an exquisite flavour. It surely sounded the bells in the right direction for more brilliance to be hurled at.

Then up in the starters, Urulai Podi Varuval was delightfully done up. The whiff of fresh podi coated over these burly sized potatoes had such a smoky lingering taste. The traditional green leaf gave it that extra punch. The other appetiser namely the pallipalayam kalaan was as superlative as it got. The mild hint of coconut over drool worthy mushrooms spiced up with ground masala and turmeric was indeed quite something. The panniyaram stuffed with chutney inside was also really good and so were the flavour filled vazhapoo vada.

For the main course, we tried the vetrilai poondu saadham. Being a quintessential lover of garlic, I lapped this one up instantly. In the mould of a biryani, the flavour was vehemently strong and possessed a rich taste. To go along tried the Avicha Muttai kuzhambu. This was quite nice too but would have ideally liked it to be a bit more spicier. More in the kurma texture, this contained three big fat pieces of boiled egg. Also happened to try the tamatar pappu which was a lovely Dal creation. Lastly I also wanted to try their egg hopper which wad so fluffy and an absolute tongue twirler. One word I need to mention about their gravies which were super succulent and amazingly rich in taste. You could feel the inherent presence of coconut cream tail gating on to the mouth.

And towards the end of the meal, we tried a number of refreshers ranging from Sharbath, rose milk, vasantha neer, neer moru and kokum mojito. There were all lovely in their own way carrying the necessary essence of flavours. And for desserts, we had a lovely slurp at the elaneer payasam along with the kavuni arisi halwa. It was a super sweet way to end a wholeseome delicious meal. The service was onstead and it's always a good thing when the servers know the menu in and out as their suggestions came in really handy. The rates as expected are a little pricey but since it is guaranteed to give a good fine dining experience, it ain't something really slouching over.

On the whole, a tremendous restaurant serving authentic flavour filled cuisine from down south of India.

Soy Soi - Asian and Amazing!

Soy Soi is another newbie which has hit tinseville. This one is perched in the Koturpuram main road. Koturpuram happens to be one residential locality which does not possess too many restaurants offering different cuisines and this happens to be a good addition.

This is not your usual chinese restaurant and the penetration is more towards Asian street food bordering into the cuisines of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Burma. The interiors are done up well and the spacing is far larger than what you envisage it to be. Dim lightings infuse the Mandarin feel and an open kitchen atmosphere epitomises the street food culture.

Options are a little less for vegetarian but from whatever I had, I kind of enjoyed the fare. First up, the Tom Kha soup with a hint of coconut cream floating with veggies was quite nice. Not the best I've had but certainly decent enough. In the starters the Mushroom Dim sums were dished out well. They were soft and had grainy juicy mushroom pieces inset. I also tried the Pie Thai which were crispy corn tartlets having a mix of veggies inside. The thinly cut asparagus spread with a sambol sauce was quite good.

My main meal for the night was a veg Khow suey which came in a big plate with noodles at the center and condiments spread across such as peanuts, tofu, chilli flakes etc and coming along with an aromatic thai red gravy. This was the stunner and elevated the dish as it had a really delicious taste with strong dosage of coconut cream and just the right amount of veggies.

For desserts, had a Soy Soi brownie which was average at best. The brownies were quite chunky but a little hard at the exterior. The ice cream helped to balance out things.

Overall, it was a fairly pleasing meal. The service was quick and the food came in even intervals. One major grouse I have however is on the quantity. The portion sizes just did not justify much and even if the pricing can be said to be reasonable, the quantity feels a detriment.

On the whole, a nice little Asian eatery down this alley. Just a wee bit sprucing up on the portions can do this place a world of good.

Masaledaar - Pleasing North Indian Cuisine!

Make no mistake, Masaledaar whips up really pleasant North Indian food. This is one of their recent outlets and is located in GN Chetty Road in T Nagar. The place is small but they have done a good job with the spacing arrangement.

There is not much to talk about the ambiance and it's all about the food. The menu is a simple green colour slider with limited options and not overflowing just to have stuff for the heck of it.

We started with a tomato soup which was fairly nice. The corn starter was quite good too. But what lorded the show was the absolutely amazing Chandani panneer tikka. Being a Paneer afficionado, I wanted to check this place after hearing how jaw dropping well they make this sinful delicacy. The first thing which caught my eyesight on the menu was this and it did really live up to expectation. The panneer pieces were buttery smooth with dollops of cheese being coated across generously. It was truly melt in the mouth stuff.

For main course, we had Indian bread and peas pulao with yellow Dal fry and a curry called Goldasta panneer. The Dal was really nicely made and the panneer curry was sumptuous as well. We ended our meal with a delicious scoop of paan ice cream and we also had lovely glass of chaas which kept us company during our meal.

The service was quick witted and we got the items at a fast clip. The rates are a huge plus point. For the taste and quantity served, this is a real big win.

In conclusion, if you're looking out for some good authentic North Indian cuisine without really burning your pockets, Masaledaar should definitely strike a bell.

The Farm - Fresh & Cream

The Farm is like the ideal getaway spot away from the hush and bush of the city side to just soak in the sun and cozy along a laid back easy peasy meal. We were here unfortunately not at the right time in the sense we arrived just after their breakfast window got closed and there was a still good one hour to get sorted before the lunch touchdown were to start. However we weren't in the mood for too much food and hence settled down with a few desserts and beverages for company.

The place as such is in the interior of a divide and you would find plenty of greenery in the adjoining areas. The dining space is under a huge thatched roof and infuses comfort and lazy dining in every way. They make all their products farm fresh and in house. There is a lovely green house passage also which you can witness and the ambiance as such is minimal with not too many stuff stacked up. Miniature vehicles are found at the entrance just as an added attraction.

So we ordered for 3 of their cakes viz a banofee pie, lemon tart and a ricotta cheese cake. The banofee as well as the lemon based one was wonderful with the flavours flowing in resolutely. The added spread of fresh cream to touch up for the soft lemon cake was a total win. The cheese cake though disappointed a fair bit. It was raw with the taste not coming along and also the base crust was a little too hard for the liking. For drinks, we tried the cold chocolate and the hot chocolate both of which were well delivered. And as a breakfast option, we had a shot at the strawberries & cream which was a smacker of every sort. I absolutely loved the dulcy cream which accompanied the freshly made strawberries and this was kinda addictive that we had extra orders of the same.

It's a little hard to rate a place not having consumed their signature food offerings. As we were leaving, they were just about to start on the making the breads and I have a strong feeling the pizza's are going to be very good. Would definitely like to come back here to have a crack at them as well as other continental offerings.

The service wasn't the greatest. I wouldn't want to judge too much as the time which we entered, the place was technically closed. The rates seem quite reasonable. Most of our desserts were priced in the 200 range and seemed worth the money.

The Farm seems to be a wonderful getaway spot for a lazed out weekend afternoon with sumptuous food for company over which you can spend a good worthwhile time of a couple of hours.

Kipling - The evergreen perennial favorite from ECR

I have been residing in Chennai for over 2 decades but somehow never got a chance to go to this popular eatery close to the seaside at ECR called Kipling Cafe. A Sunday plan was made and finally I got heading there. First up, the ambiance is lovely and though it isn't the most ideal during lunch hours, they have lovely cottage kind of set ups for families to come and have a laid back meal. The presence of a fan underneath definitely helps.

Their menu is largely continental and there are also options on Thai. This is one place which also shouts of a good liquor spread and if you want to have something to gulp down along with your food, you do have options aplenty.

We started off with appetisers in the form of cheese garlic bread and ricotta cheese fritters. The former was a good way to start proceedings. Nothing exceptional but the bread was buttery soft and possessed a dollop of cheese on top. The ricotta cheese fritters were very good. They were breaded rolls comprising inset a mixture of ricotta, mashed potato, cheddar and chives with a wonderful mustard parsley sauce for company.

On to the main course, we tried the Mediterranean Pizza which was loaded with different veggies such as olives, broccoli, sun dried tomatoes, zucchini and spinach over a pesto base. The flavouring was very good and it was nice to have a bite of this pizza. We also had a penne pasta made up of pink sauce which was fairly nice and creamy possessing of the rightful ingredients. I just also had a shot at the Thai basil fried rice which was packed with abundant of flavours.

For desserts, we just had a Tiramisu. This was the usual kinds and mushy on the mouth. A good ender to the meal after all the savoury stuffs taking predominance all the way till the end.

The service was fairly quick and our food arrived at regular intervals. The re filling of water and clearing plates however could have been a little prompter.

The prices are definitely a bit on the higher side. This happens to be one of the elite outlets down this alley and it's really not a surprise.

If you want a lovely little place to chill and relax over a getaway weekend with good food and refreshing drinks for company, Kipling should certainly be within your plan radar.

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.

The best soundtrack from the Mani Ratnam - Ilayaraja duo!

Ah! This is an extremely hard proposition to nail down. It's almost like asking a mom to select the best of her kids. However zeroing on the options at hand, it's really hard to pick as each of the soundtracks had something or other going for them.

But narrowing down deeper, if I would have to select one album that truly defines the Mani-IR combo or even Tamizh cinema as a whole, I would have to go with Agni Natchathiram. The compositions were light years ahead of it's times and packed a punch by being way too uber cool.

The usage of drum kits came to the forefront with this album. The hep hipster version of Ninukori took the country by storm. It almost felt absurd to completely makeover an out and out carnatic composition in an all together new avatar but the result obtained was stupendous. The intro number Rajathi Raja was a trailblazer and Oru Poongavanam is a song which will make you float in air. Rojapoo Adivandhadhu was a monstrous composition with the bass bazooking from all sides and of course the seductive Thoongatha Vizhugal in Amrutha Varshini ragam is another scorching number.

The close competitors for this album include Mouna Ragam, Nayagan, Thalapathi, Anjali and even the rather supposedly tame Pagal Nilavu and Idhaya Kovil which had very nice melodies as well as some foot tapping songs.

But for sheer versatility and dexterity, my unanimous vote goes to Agni Natchathiram, a revolutionary soundtrack for the ages. It still retains the impact and kick and that is likely to stay on forever.

Longest standing record in Test Cricket (1877 to till date) - Highest % of runs in a completed test innings

Records have been usurped time and again over generations and it is almost inevitable that most records tend to get broken as the game of test cricket keeps evolving. However I am not sure if this  particular record will ever be broken as it has stood the test of time and has stayed on as a record for a mind boggling 140 years now.

It took place in the very first official cricket test match played at Melbourne, Australia in March 1877 and despite over 2000 test matches played since then and almost one and a half centuries being passed, the owner still stakes coveted claim to this elusive title of owning the highest % of runs in a completed test innings.

Coming to the statistics now, Charles Bannerman who incidentally was also the first person to face a delivery in test cricket on Mar 15th 1877 ended up scoring 165* out of Australia's total of 245. No other person passed even 20 and his individual score made up a staggering 67.34 % of the total. He is the only one who has crossed the coveted figure of 2/3rds of the total runs made by the team individually.

There have been batsman carrying their bat through the innings, making individual scores of 400, one player alone standing ground resolutely with others caving in but nobody has gotten past the distinction of 2/3rd of the total score. The second in line who came very close to beating Bannerman’s record was Michael Slater who put up 123 out of Australia's score of 184 vs England at Sydney in 1999 which makes up being 66.84% of the total.

Test cricket is a strange game and you see records being broken time and again with new benchmarks being set often. But this record by Charles Bannerman has still not been obliterated and he is still a proud man atop the perch.

If at all this record is peaked, it will come to end the longest standing record ever witnessed in test cricket history as it dates back to the very first official test match ever being played.

A Century is not a Half Century - Googly Fact on recording a cricket metric!

This is an interesting fact which many don't know or realise. Whenever a batsman records a century, it no more gets accounted as a fifty in the statistics metrics of a player. This is because when accounting the stats for a batsman, there are two different metrics - 50′s and 100′s and scoring a hundred doesn't mean it'll get recorded as both a half century and a century. Thus, it means when a hundredth run is touched during an innings, the stat of it also being a 50 gets obliterated.

The only catch you need to know is if a person scores the fastest 50 and in the process goes on to get a century, he will hold the record for the fastest fifty but it won't be considered as a half century in the individual statistics of the player concerned. Classic case is AB DeVillers who scored a mind boggling 149 off 44 balls against the Windies where he blitzed away to both the fastest 50 off just 16 balls and also the fastest 100 off just 31 deliveries. Now, he does hold the record for both fastest 50 and fastest 100 in ODI's but what if i tell you that it never got recorded as a fifty in his stats. Quite perplexing, right?

The same thing does not hold good when you score a double hundred or triple hundred. These will still be accounted as a hundred. The reason is, if you see the border line stats of any player, only 2 metrics will be mentioned viz 50′s and 100′s. There is no column for number of 150's/200's/300's etc. So in case you need to know the total number of times a batsman has crossed 50, you need to add both the number listed under number of 50′s as well as those under number of 100′s.

Just to make the whole thing clear and lucid, let's see Virat Kohli’s test stats as of current status (End of home Sri Lanka test series 2017)
 No. of 50's scored - 15
 No. of 100's scored - 20
 No. of 200's scored - 6
If you want to know the number of times Virat has scored over 50 in an innings, it's 35 times (15+20) but the total number of times he has crossed 100 is 20 only. The six times he has gone beyond 200 happens to be within this tally of 20 only.

Thus, in a nutshell what you need to remember is 'A century is not a half century but a double century or triple century is counted as a century along with being a double or triple hundred as the case may be in the individual record books of a cricketer.

Mindblogging Charanam of Mannil Indha Kadhal!

The charanam of this song has always blown me away. Much before the album 'Breathless' came into existence, it was this composition which was known to stir a chord when it came to continuous singing before leaving a breath. It is so beautifully structured that it goes about the full monty in jaw dropping mode with subtle swara bits constantly going back and forth. The other eye liner is the way it reaches a crescendo and then in nonchalant fashion does a 'U' turn connecting the bridge handing over the baton to the Pallavi portion. SPB does an awe inspiring job crooning this really hard nosed passage and IR is a pioneer in his own right always inventive and creating marvels in the midst of a blink of an eyelid. 'Mannil Indha Kadhal' is an evergreen favourite and this is a humble attempt at trying this pyro-technic of a musical labyrinth which has always fascinated beyond imagination.

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The charanam of this song has always blown me away. Much before the album 'Breathless' came into existence, it was this composition which was known to stir a chord when it came to continuous singing before leaving a breath. It is so beautifully structured that it goes about the full monty in jaw dropping mode with subtle swara bits constantly going back and forth. The other eye liner is the way it reaches a crescendo and then in nonchalant fashion does a 'U' turn connecting the bridge handing over the baton to the Pallavi portion. SPB does an awe inspiring job crooning this really hard nosed passage and IR is a pioneer in his own right always inventive and creating marvels in the midst of a blink of an eyelid. 'Mannil Indha Kadhal' is an evergreen favourite and this is a humble attempt at trying this pyro-technic of a musical labyrinth which has always fascinated beyond imagination. #music #composition #mannilindha #keladikanmani #IR #SPB #song #pallavi #charanam #godmode #crescendo #pioneer #evergreen #1990 #movie #vintage

A post shared by Rajiv Shankar (@rajiv_revel) on Jan 20, 2018 at 7:57pm PST