Crimson Chakra, KNK Road

I have loved the food at Crimson Chakra in its original joint at Adyar. The food always reminded me of food very close to home cooked South Indian Food. The food always had a special corner in my heart whether it is their South Indian Food or their Cornucopia Menu with the rich Mediterranean food. I have also admired the ambiance there. Crimson Chakra at Adyar had eluded my camera and my blog, since it is far away from where I live. Now that it has opened closer to my home, has brought me great joy. I was at the new Crimson Chakra at KNK road for a CFG meet. The new branch has come at the place which housed Casa Picalo in Khader Nawaz Khan Road.

Crimson Chakra on KNK road looks a little modern compared to the old colonial design at the Adyar branch. But new design or not, Nikhil Moturi was present to make us all feel at home. After a bit of chatting with all the guests, we were served with the food for the evening. We kick started the proceedings with nice soft, mild Sutta Kozhi Soup aka Fried Chicken Soup or in quite literal translation, Gun-shot Chicken Soup (LOL!). The soup definitely would clear up some sore throat.

For starters we were served with Chef's Special Mutton Fry.The mutton had deep flavors of the ginger marinade and also was tender and deep fried. On the vegetarian end of the meal we were served with Paneer Tikka which was a soft, marinated and grilled to perfection. Then I sampled a bit of Mushroom Urundai or Mushroom Balls, which had a mix of vegetables stuffed in it and Paneer Urundai ( Paneer Balls ) which too was stuffed with potatoes and onion. The taste of both were good. But me, being a true blooded non-vegetarian can't really comment on the flavors. There was some Vegetable Crostni served. I decided to dive in and sample them. The garlic bread was soft and was loaded with cheeseeee, tomato and onion. It was delicious. It is a not-to-be-missed dish for the veggies on the continental menu. 

While we were eating some vegetarian dishes, the focus was brought back to the non-veg dishes by the entry Grilled Fillets of Fish. The fish had thick layer of marinade around it. The fish was fresh, tender and juicy and I loved it. The focus was now centered completely on the non-veg kingdom with the arrival of 'The Prawns'. The Prawns were well marinated in  heavenly spices and also they were oh-so-very fresh. This made it a really rich dish.

Then we were served with their star dish which was highly recommended by everyone- the Chilly Cheese Chicken Tikka. It had loads of cheese topped  on it. My God! It was divine. Please do not miss this dish. After a heavy round of starters, we looked filled out.

  

After a short break the onslaught continued. The main courses began to reach the table one by one: first a Chicken Stew and Mutton Roganjosh. The stew was light, with the right combination of spices and milk. It was fabulous with the Plain Appams which were served with it. On eating one appam we realized the deadly combination, some even went to a extent of getting an extra appam for the stew.

  

The Mutton Roganjosh was full of flavors, made spicy hot by red chillies. I sampled the gravy with a small piece of Mutton Roti i.e Kari Kheema Roti. The combo was enticing.

For the veggie, there was Cottage Cheese (Paneer) stuffed with Spinach. The paneer was soft, just like the other paneer dishes served that day. The dish had a mouth watering sauce to it. By this time I was stuffed.

  

Since there was a round of Chicken Pasta, I decided to sample a small amount of it. The Chicken pasta was light on sauce. The penne was properly cooked. But I would have preferred it to be a bit richer.

I also had a small spoon of the much raved about Smoked Chicken Rice. The rice had nice smoky aroma to it. Loved the taste. I just wished I could have had some more of it. But I was too stuffed to try another spoon of it. After this there was Beer Battered Fish. I skipped sampling as I had reached the tipping point.

Just as we were done with the main course and trying to catch our breath, Nikhil suggest he would load us up with some desserts and the brought out some the famous dishes at Crimson Chakra. First to hit us was Ellaneer Soufflé. Good thing the portions were small. So I started pushing the deserts in. Diehard regulars at the Adyar branch said there was a little difference in it from what is being served at the Adyar branch. Nikhil made a quick note of it.  

Then there was a small portion of Panchamirdham Soufflé which was similar to Belose which is a local banana bajji kind of dish. Also present was a couple of slices of Mango Cheese Cake. The cake was super. Wished I had more space in my tummy to push in a few more spoons of it. Finally we finished off the proceedings with a Apple Pie and Ice Cream. I am not a big fan of Apple Pie, so I would skip to comment on this.

The food served here was quite fabulous. With a multitude of dishes on offer and now in a new location, in the heart of the up beat part of Chennai,  Crimson Chakra on KNK Road, has the potential to become a lip smacking hit. A meal for two would anywhere between Rs 1000 to 1200/-. Would I visit again, YES!! with a big smile.

Food - 8/10
Ambiance - 7/10
Price -7/10

Crimson Chakra is located in Khader Nawaz Khan Road above Bang and Olfsen Showroom.

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*A review about a place holds good only for 6 months as there can be a change in quality and quantity of the food, the service and the staff, due to reasons best known only to them. So kindly consider these factors while visiting the places.