Chennai Soru: Italian

Showing posts with label Italian. Show all posts

17/02/2019

Rooftop Lounge, Ramada Plaza, Guindy, Chennai

Shadir 10:36:00

I have always believed Chennai has had only Hot Summer, Hotter Summer and Hottest Summer climate but of late due to various factors we have weather south of 30 degrees even in the month of February. This calls for the opportunity to dine at open air restaurants. I was recently invited to The Rooftop Lounge at Ramada Plaza and what follows is my take about the experience.

Food:
We started with Charcoal Roasted Twin Pepper Soup served with super light toasted bread which was simply awesome. Light and at the same time full of flavor and also a delight to look at. Following which we were served with a nice Berry Mock-tail.

Next came the deconstructed Chicken / Paneer Carolina Salad which I would rate as a must have. The honey mustard sauce with sensationally marinated Chicken/Paneer and the Cheddar and Parmesan cheese was a delight. This is nothing like the salads from Subway and I would highly recommend it.

Next a dish from the veg part of the menu, Cottage Cheese & Green Peas Kebab. This dish was served on a park-bench kind of a plate with charcoal underneath it to create a smoke kind of theatrics. The taste definitely matched the antics with which it was served.

Banjara Kebab was served next. It was chefs take on Chicken Tikka which was mouthwatering. Next up were the Mini Falafel Wrap ( Arabian Platter ) and the Mango Cheese Fingers. Both brilliant. I would recommend having the fingers while they are hot unlike me, who went about wasting time to click the right picture.

In between all this I was given a different mock-tail based on Guava & Litchi to relish on! After munching such delicious starters we were served with Bento Box kind of Mains and Polenta.

The Bento box contained Mini Butter Naan, Steamed Rice, Mutton Roganjosh, Dal Makani and Vegetable Kohlapuri with assorted condiments. The kicker was the mutton and naan. Mutton was so soft without any of the smell which we associate with it. Polenta is a the Italian take on Indian Upma which was neat.

We finished off dinner with Country Fair Apple Rasamalai Pie and Rabri Angoor which was definitely the icing on the cake.

Also we got to have a friendly chat with Chef Pawan Kumar about his experiences and his connection with Chennai.

Ambiance:
The restaurant is located on the top floor of Ramada Plaza with 360 Degree view of the Guindy Skyline. With weather being pleasant in the month of February is the right time to visit.

Service:
NA

Price:
A meal for two should cost an upwards of Rs 3000/- depending on the number of courses and items beings ordered.

Roof Top Lounge is located on the top floor at Ramada Plaza in Guindy.

Disclaimer - I was invited for the meal

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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.

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18/07/2016

Taj

Prego, Taj Coromandel, Nungambakkam High Road, Chennai - New Menu

Shadir 22:34:00

Yes! I am Back! after a short hiatus. This time around I took a small break and I got married. Now once more I have this itch to get back to the blogging. Skipped many bloggers table. Also skipped posting many restaurants which I had visited. Now that I am here, it is back to bringing my blog up to speed and up to date.

My most recent restaurant visit was a blogger table at Prego at Taj Coromandel. The last time I was here I was totally floored, so when I heard that they had a new chef with a all new menu, I just could not refuse.

Chef Alessandro Bechini is at the helm of things at Prego this time around. The man behind the Maritime by San Lorenzo at Taj Lands End, Mumbai. So my expectations ran high. A brief chat with the Chef gave us an idea as to what we could expect. Back to basics - Fresh ingredients, fresh produce, keeping it simple and true to Italian taste.

I had a glance at the menu for the evening and it was quite a spread. For a second I thought we were being served the entire menu, and then when I had a look at the new menu I was awe struck as it was really very very extensive. Now coming to the meal which I had just enjoyed...

Food:
The meal started of with a Amuse Bouche - Feta Cheese wrapped in a slice of Carrot and a Salad - Insalata di Indivia, Pere al Vino Rosso e Gorgonzola which was a Endive and lollo rosso salad with red wine poached pears, walnuts, lemon gorgonzola dressing. I loved em both. The simplicity of the dish with amazing and the fresh flavors wowed me. Loved the way the Pear was pouched in wine and the texture of the other ingredients.

This was followed by the soup course. The veggies in our group were served the Minestrone Casalingo which I also got to sample, was full flavored and rich bodied. The non-veggies had their pick between Brodetto alla Marchigiana which was a Seafood Bisque and Stracciatella alla Romana - a roman style Egg drop soup. Both good in their own right. Simple yet flavorful, light yet refreshing.

Next course was flooded with Pastas and Risottos.
Fusilli al Profumo dell’Orto - Twisted pasta with fresh herbs and vegetables. A simple yet flavorful dish in which one could clearly differentiate the ingredients.

Fettuccine with Lamb Ragout - Fettuccine in minced Lamb. Rich heavenly flavor packed lamb mixed in my current favorite pasta Fettuccine. How can I not love this?

Risotto Porcini e Tartufo - Creamed Carnaroli rice with wild mushrooms and truffle infused extra virgin olive oil. The risotto was simply out of the world. My kind of comfort food with different textures and of course truffle infused olive oil.

Branzino ai Ferri con Panelle e Salsa Puttanesca - Grilled Chilean Seabass on spicy red sauce with capers and olives, with chick pea fritters and sweet/sour fresh herbs relish was my star pick. Simple grilled fish and sensational anchovies sauce and crispy polenta to go with. Simple dish yet filled with complex flavours.

Crespelle Senza Uovo con Broccoli Croccanti - Eggless crepes, filled with zucchini, eggplant, ricotta and parmesan, broiled with Provolone cheese, on tomato sauce. This dish is one of kind. Kinda reminded me of Ravioli, cheesy and darn tasty.

Finally we entered the dessert course
Tiramisù Senza uovo - Eggless & Kaluvaless Tiramisu which was simply sensational. On quizzing the chef, about the reason for this, he was happy point out that he wanted vegetarian patrons plus the kids to enjoy the dish.

Delizia al Cioccolato - Dark chocolate fondant with strawberry sorbet. The strawberry sorbet was absolutely delicate and the dark chocolate fondant combination was just the rich knockout punch we needed.

By the end of the meal one thing was quite evident - the philosophy of keeping dishes simple and going back to the roots can produce some sensational flavors which your taste-buds will love.

Ambiance:
Typical Prego affair with style, class and lot of panache.

Price:
A meal for two should be possible for around Rs 4000/- and upwards depending the spread which is ordered.
If not you can tell your preferences and the budget - let chef weave the magic for the special occasion.

Disclaimer : Invited review.

Prego is located inside Taj Coromandel on Nungumbakkam high road.

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!!

06/10/2015

Mocktails

Big Bang Theory - Bar & Kitchen, Kodambakkam, Chennai

Shadir 19:19:00

The bar scene in Chennai is quite different to the other states in India. To have a bar in Chennai, you had only two options. One had to go down the route of TASMAC. If not, it had to be tied up with a hotel which had a minimum of 20 odd rooms. Finding a good 2nd option was really tuff. Thankfully the bar scene is improving along with it the bar-food scene as well. The recent entrant into the bar food scene was the Big Bang Theory - Bar & Kitchen.

Food:
I was here with a small group of friends for lunch. Since we were all TEETOTALLERS we had our fun with Mock-tails. They had a enticing package of 3 course meal combo for Rs 395/- nett including choice beverages which runs between 12pm and 3pm. We were all interested in the lunch combo which seemed pocket friendly and had quite a few nice dishes on the choice menu. We decided to get different dishes so we could sample each others dishes.

For starters we chose the Buffalo Soldier, which was essentially a crumb fried chicken, Tommy Yummy - crisp fried chicken in Tom Yum sauce and Gosht Rider - minced lamb kebab. Of the lot I liked the Gosht Rider, but the portions were really small, just two pieces, definitely not meant for sharing. The mocktails were decent. I had a cranberry based mocktail while the rest had Virgin Pina Colada and Pineapple based drink.

For mains we had Moscow Love - basically Chicken Stroganoff, Italian Job - Penne with beef Bolognese with garlic toast and Mughals - a Chicken Tikka Masala Biryani. Of the lot my pick would rest on the Chicken Tikka Masala Biryani which was quite nice. Tikka complemented the biryani and was yum. The Pasta was nice, but had a severe buttery taste to it, while the Stroganoff was bland. It was quite apparent, the kitchens strong point rests in Indian dishes.

For desserts they had a choice of ice cream or a BBT Sundae. We chose the latter - Vanilla ice cream with small pieces of Brownie and Jello which was decent. Overall the food was decent if you knew what should be chosen. The portion size is kind of minuscule but the price paid was decent. I vaguely remember having bigger portion sizes at similar outlets, but just not sure.

Ambiance:
The resto-bars decor seems to be straight lift out of the sitcom Big Bang Theory which I feel looks funky. For the people who follow the sitcom it would look really cool.

Service:
This seemed to be their biggest minus. Our starters were served a good 1hour after we had ordered. Seemed like they had forgotten our order, which definitely killed our appetite.

Price:
Lunch combo priced at Rs 395 /- nett which includes a choice beverage was well worth it.

Food - 6.5/10
Ambiance - 8.5/10
Service - 4/10
Price - 7/10

PS: Pictures shot using Samsung S6

Disclaimer : I paid for the meal.

Big Bang Theory is located inside the Brown Star Hotel on Dr. Ambedkar Road, Kodambakkam.

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!!

10/07/2015

Taj

Festa Della Pasta @ Prego, Taj Coromandel, Nungumbakkam

Shadir 20:27:00

One of my all time favourite cuisine is the Italian cuisine. My love for Italian cuisine started with the humble pizza back when I was in 4th standard. This love blossomed and grew every time I had an Italian meal and this meal at Prego, Taj Coromandel strengthen that love.

Things have been different ever since the relaunch of Prego with Chef Luca at the helm. A whiff of freshness, boldness and definitely courage to strive and better something which was already great. So the invitation to sample Chef's latest creations at the Festa Della Pasta was a one not to be missed.

The magical gastronomical journey began post Iftar, with Master Chef Luca giving us a master class demo on how the best in-house pastas are made. The proportions used definitely gave us an insight as to what goes into making the perfect hand made pasta.

Food:
The treat for the taste buds started off with the Watermelon and Green Chilli juice, which was sharp and tasty. This was followed by some amazing varieties of breads which were simply brilliant. A drizzle of olive oil and vola! new realms of taste.

Moving along we were served a mouth amuser in the form of Potato beignets, goat cream cheese, tomato coulis and caramelized cherry tomato. A bit of all the ingredients in a small spoon was enough to push the taste buds into an over-drive.

Next up we were served an one of a kind soup - Truffle scented provolone and leek soup with Ortolana and Feta Cheese. My experiences with Truffle were close to zero. But this soup was just enough for me understand the importance of Truffle and the reason behind it to be an essential part of Italian cooking. I have had experiences with Leek soup before which have been great, but this soup heads straight to the top of the list. The richness and the creaminess and the layer of flavour built by the different cheese was just sensational.

Following the soup we were served a thin crust pizza with heavenly flavours of cherry tomato, zucchini and mushrooms which was a delight. A drizzle of olive oil and a dash of parmesan cheese pushed the flavours even further.

Next came the Tomato and Chilli flavoured Papperdelle with seafood and mushroom sauce also the Tomato flavoured Tagliolini pasta tossed with fresh Basil sauce. Papperdelle served with Seafood might be the only miss of the night. It had a strong seafood aroma due to the shrimp, which was not evenly compensated by tomato. On the other hand the Tagliolini had the fresh basil aroma which worked splendidly with the roasted pine-nuts.

Moving along we were served with one of the best Beef Bolognaise Lasagna I have ever had. Taste just divine! This dish was filled with numerous pluses such as the thin lasagna sheets, brilliant beef bolognaise and the amazing cheese which gave the crunchiness to the dish. Highly recommended. For the vegetarian friends there was the Cencioni with sweet Pepper sauce, which was again a stunner!

For the final main course we had an option between the Fish and the Chicken. Me being a solid seafood lover chose the Fish in Pistachio Crust with lemon caper sauce while the land lovers had the stuffed chicken. Appearances can be deceiving.

The chicken looked enticing while the fish looked dead on the plate. A sample of both changed my perception. Fish was a mouth watering while the chicken was pale in contrast. Nevertheless it still was a great dish. The Stuffed chicken was served with layers of potato which for an unassuming person can look like a puff pastry, but a more detailed look will help one decipher its terrific taste.

The veggie companions had a Zuchini and tomato timbale with balsamic reduction which was delightful as well. In between all this we had a sample of a Ravioli of sorts filled with different varieties of Cheese. Drop it in your mouth and wait the flavours to explode - Symphony to the Taste Buds!

Finishing of this fantastic meal we had the Chocolate Lasagna with Ice Cream and Luca's Tiramisu. Chocolate Lasagna, Yes!!! you read it right. It was genuinely something different. I was expecting a bitter dark chocolate lasagna to be compensated with sweet vanilla, but that was not the case. It was a different approach which was nice. While the Luca Tiramisu is the best tiramisu I have ever had. Period! A deconstructed version in which the ladyfingers have been replaced with a soft cake and the coffee flavour added by means of a rich espresso drizzle on top.

The entire meal showcased the advantages of fresh ingredients and Chef Luca's preparation techniques. On a side note Chef had pulled out a meal fit for the Kings!! and he is just 27 years of age. What have I accomplished in the last 27 years... Yikkeees!

Ambiance:
Typical Prego affair with style, class and lot of panache.

Price:
A meal for two should be possible for around Rs 2500/- and upwards depending the spread which is ordered.

Festa Della Pasta is on from the 10th of July to 19th of July.

Disclaimer : Invited review.

Prego is located inside Taj Coromandel on Nungumbakkam high road.

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.