Contemporary Progressive Cooking has been in vogue for a while now and most common with Mediterranian Cuisines. Chennai has its own set of restaurants which serve such food. During one such experiences, I along with other foodies, wondered when South Indian food would get such a makeover.

Vola! Two years down the line from such a discussion, ITC Grand Chola takes the bold decision of serving up such an experience at Avartana - Contemporary Progressive South Indian Dining in Chennai.

I had the opportunity to dine here for a preview dinner. The entire meal was a MasterChef level experience. I was blown way by how a normal South Indian dish with humble origins could be made into a contemporary dish with such zeal and flair.


Food:
The meal started off with a amuse bouche -  Air like Fennel & Pepper with Avocado Fluff.  Indeed,  just like air, it vanished.



Next Herb Infused Tomato Rasam - Yes the simple rasam becomes a drink - served in Margarita Glass!


I love Brain Pepper Fry. Have had them a couple of times at Chettinad joints. But here it gets a twist as Lamb Brain Dumplings Wowie!




Cocktails and Mocktails too, have been given a treatment to suit the south indian fare - Mount Road 63, Nannari Slush & Raw Mango Coriander with Chilli.


Then the vegetable which I rarely consume - The Bitter Gourd, gets a modern twist which made the taste so irresistible. Dehydrated Bitter Gourd with Potato & Sauce


Stir Fried Lobster with Chili & Garlic, looks and feels very much like a Podi Idli


The veggies had Kulipaniyarum with Madurai Chutney which was simply delectable


Then one of my all time favourites- Iddiyappam & Stew with Asparagus & French Beans. The Stew was so delicate and at the same time reminded me of traditional south indian flavours


The Pepper Chicken served with Malabar Parotta & Sweet Meringue was the show stopper. Soft Malabar Parotta with Spicy Pepper Chicken reminded me of my grandma's cooking, but the platting was totally reimagined.


Lamb Congee served with Aubergine Pachadi was simple yet tasty.



Finally the piece of resistance every south indian meal should have - Curd Rice / More Kulambu with rice, here in a different avatar - Butter Milk Noodles with Pickle.



Finishing off with Birds Nest - Finger Millet Vermicelli with Coconut Ice Cream & Caramelised Milk - Yumm!

Beeda Time - but here it takes a new route with Nitrogen - Winter Paan.

Ambiance:
Common South Indian interiors but reimagined. Carpets resembling banana leaves and wall motifs like Kerala Boats finally a open kitchen -a first for a south indian restaurant. The restaurant also has a private dining which can seat about 10 people at a time.

Price:
Avartana offers tasting menus ranging from Rs 2000/- and upwards for a seven course meal.

Calling this experience 'mind-blowing' would be an understatement. Having a Masterchef style experience from a south indian cuisine will have you raving. Avartana is here to redefine the food with simple and humble origin into Michelin experience.

Disclaimer : Invited Review

Avartana is located inside ITC Grand Chola, Chennai

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Food:
We had the Egg Bhuna Chicken Roll and the Reshmi Chicken Tikka Roll. Both the Rolls were delivered in a neat packing and were HOT!



My pick between the two would be the Egg Bhuna Chicken Roll. It was a tad spicier than the latter. But not spicy to the level were you would be reaching out for some water. The best part about the rolls were the Whole Wheat Base Roti which was soft and slightly crispy. Big thumbs up!

Ambiance:
NA

Service:
Swiggy again does a fantastic job the delivery. Pipping Hot food.

Price:
The price for this meal was Rs 270/-

Food - 8/10
Service - 10/10
Price - 9/10

Disclaimer: I paid for the meal

If you wish to do the same head over to your App Store / Play Store and download the Swiggy App and get goodies delivered in a Jiffy

If you like what you are reading, Please share it with others.

*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.

**Want instant reviews, follow me on Instagram!!

Dhaba By Claridges has been my on cards ever since they opened shop in Chennai. I decided to surprise my wife with a Valentines day dinner here. So I made my reservation for a table on Feb 14 and we walked into the restaurant only to be declined a seat. The manager informs me that the reservation made was a temporary reservation and it would take another 45 minutes to get a table. So we decided to walk off and celebrate our First Valentines Day elsewhere.

Putting this incident behind, I still wanted to dine here and see what the fuss was all about. So we walked in,  the following week and got our seat.


Food:
We started our innings here with the Virgin Paan Mojito. Yes! I am a sucker for Gulkand and Yes! it was refreshingly tasty. I had recently introduced my wife to Galouti Kebab at Bombay Brasserie, so she was keen on having it, as she had glanced through the pages. So Galouti Kebab it was! She absolutely loved it. I on the other hand found it just above average. It seemed to miss the mark of a kebab and landed more into the cutlet territory in terms of consistency.


I being a Chicken lover settled on Murgh Malai Tikka. Cheesy juicy delights they were. This was followed by Mutton Seekh. I must say I was blown away. The best I have had thus far. They were juicy, tender and absolutely mouth-watering.

For mains we settled on a Chitta Butter Chicken and a Amritsari Kulcha. A single large Kulcha was cut down into 4 pieces. The Kulcha was served piping hot and the combination with the Chitta Butter Chicken was simply divine. By the end of the mains we were too full, so we skipped the desserts

Ambiance:
Dhaba by Claridges interiors looked and felt like a Dhaba with modern twist. Zing Zang Bling lights and quirky colourful interiors

Service:
Full marks here. Our waiter for the day Mr. Vincent was exceptional. He knew the dishes like the back of his hand and was able give valuable inputs

Price:
This rich experience cost us Rs 2435/-

Food - 8/10
Ambiance - 8/10
Service - 10/10
Price - 8/10

Disclaimer: I paid for the meal

Dhaba By Claridges is located inside Ishpahani Center, Nungumbakkam

If you like what you are reading, Please share it with others.

*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.

**Want instant reviews, follow me on Instagram!!

Food:
I chose to have the What a Bomb Burger and Grilled Chicken & Feta in Pita Bread.

Chicken was tender, served with fried egg and a big serving of mayo made it a proper greasy burger. Only grouse was that the bun just did not hold together till the end.


I was hoping for a pita pocket filled with the Grilled Chicken & Feta, but this was more like a deconstructed wrap. Filled to the brim with Grilled Chicken, Black Olives & Lettuce. The soft pita bread made the dish a delight.

Ambiance:
NA

Service:
Swiggy did a fantastic job of delivering the lovely mid-night snack way past 12am in the night. The deliver tracker is a boon.

Price:
The price of the midnight snack was Rs 390/-

Food - 8/10
Service - 10/10
Price - 9/10

Disclaimer: I paid for the meal.

If you wish to do the same head over to your App Store / Play Store and download the Swiggy App and get goodies delivered in a Jiffy

If you like what you are reading, Please share it with others.

*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.

**Want instant reviews, follow me on Instagram!!