Chola Sheraton used to be the ultimate luxury destination of the Madras of the 80s. It was here that one would catch sight of the movie stars of that generation. I remember the joy of sighting Amitabh Bacchan, Kamalhasan, Rajnikanth etc there. I remember driving past and looking up at the grandeur of the hotel. Just stepping in through its turnstile door would give one a sense of awe. Peshawari, their North-West frontier specialty restaurant used to be the preferred dining option for special occasions, known for its excellent food then.
 
Then over the years as Madras transformed into Chennai, the hotel industry underwent a shift, with the focus on large lobbies, grandeur and opulence. ITC meanwhile had newer properties to develop and market and somewhere down the line this historic property fell by the wayside. It went through couple of name changes and rebranding exercises.
 
At present the hotel has been christened the ‘Welcom’ hotel. The old ‘Peshawari’ has made way for ‘The Earthen Oven’. I was invited for a tasting session of their menu and the launch of their set menu.
 
It was a nostalgically overwhelming experience!  The food brought memories of Peshawari of days of yore, with every item from the menu blending in to lend that touch of satisfying the yearning of long time ago. Priced at 1499 with a beverage, in my opinion it was absolutely worth it, as a gratifying experience is priceless. I loved it so much that I was back there a couple of days later with my family and needless to say the food was splendid , the service topnotch.
 
I have documented the dishes that I had as part of the set menu.

​A slice of History….
 
In the compound that houses the Welcom hotel stood the beautiful house of Kasturiranga Iyengar, who later bought The Hindu, and became its editor. Rajaji had rented this house and while Gandhiji had visited Madras while gathering support for his anti-Rowlatt bill, he stayed at this property. He had the idea of hartal while staying here as Rajaji’s guest.
Subramania Bharathi had apparently come here to request Gandhiji to speak at his meeting at Marina. Gandhiji declined, citing another appointment. Bharathi blessed Gandhiji’s movement and left in a hurry. Gandhiji asked Rajaji who he was, and Rajaji said, “Desiya Kavi.” “Take good care of him,” said the Mahatma, smiling. The day was March 23, 1919.” The house where Gandhi spent time is now the ‘WelcomHotel’

The 'Earthern Oven is open for Dinner everyday and for lunch Fridays to Sunday.
The Non Vegetarian Unlimited platter is Rs 1499 nett along with a beverage.
My suggestion,Go for it...the best Tandoor restaurant in town right now.
​

Golden Dragon, is the signature Sichuan & Cantonese cuisine restaurant at the Taj Coromandel, Chennai. This restaurant has been an iconic landmark in the Chennai Food Scene and many of its dishes have ‘inspired’ dishes with similar names in various ‘Chinese restaurants in Chennai.

The Golden Dragon has redesigned its menu with the arrival of its New Chef Master Chef Lian Yun Lei, who brings with him over 20 years of experience from across the globe. The new menu has been infused a keen sense of freshness to offer one of the most extraordinary repertoires of Chinese cuisine. Chef Lian says that he hopes the patrons rediscover fresh Sichuan flavours with authentic and traditional recipes from the deep roots of China, which include special sauces like Jinglin and Lajiu sauces. Chef Lian brings with him finesse in presenting simple, traditional food, while reinventing some delicacies with his unique interpretations.

I have documented some of the dishes that caught my attention during a dinner along with 7 other friends a month ago.

Due of Asparagus Dumpling 
   
The evening started with these steamed Dumplings which had a filling od Blanched asparagus, along with pan sauted Chopped celery and ginger. The accompanying sauces elevated the taste of the dumplings.

North Atlantic Steamed Scallop with Pickled Chilli,
         Scallops are the common name for the saltwater clams or Mollusks, the best are obviously found in the waters of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. They are best served either Steamed or Pan Seared.

For this particular dish, the chef layered the Scallop with some seasoning and steamed over a bamboo steamer for 5 to 10 minutes till they were cooked to perfection. The sauce consists of Birds eye Chili pickled overnight.

​The dish was what I would call a perfect pairing where the slight Sweetness of the Scallop went well with the distinct taste of the pickled Chili 

It would be interesting to note for the regular patrons that some old favourites continue to dot the menu like Song of Dragon Chicken (Crispy fried chicken tossed with button chili); Har Gao (Prawn Dumpling); Peking Duck (Roasted duck with traditional accompaniments); Kung pao chicken (Tender chicken cooked with dry chili and cashew); Lotus Stem Honey Chili (Crispy fried lotus stem glazed with honey and chili); and the all-time favourite Nest of Dragon (Molten Chocolate filled Dumplings with Crisp Vermicelli and Honey).

In keeping with the trend of eating healthy, the restaurant continues to offer creatively crafted delicious sugar-free desserts like Chocolate Terrine; Fig and Cinnamon Pancake (Crisp pancake encased with dried figs and cinnamon); Vanilla Ice Cream; and sugar-free and gluten-free, Matcha Green Tea Panna cotta with yuzu lime Sorbet – a perfect way to end a hearty meal. 

The Golden Dragon is Located at Taj Coromandel, Chennai and a meal for two would cost Rs Three Thousand upwards. 

ITC Grand Chola is holding a food Festival showcasing the cuisine of the Kandyan Kingdom of Srilankan.
 
The Kingdom of Kandy was an independent kingdom in Srilanka which existed till the early 19th Century, when they were annexed by the British after a major act of treachery. (Incidently the last king od Kandy was exiled to India and lived out his life in a fort in Vellore)
 
The Festival was anchored by Chef Publis Silva who is all of 84 years old and is he most decorated Chef in Srilanka, He has been in the Mount Lavinia Hotel for the last 57 years. His Philosophy of cooking is very Simple. The ingredients have to be Fresh, locally sourced and organic. He detests artificial flavors and colours.
 
Chef Pubis mentioned that Srilanka has a very diverse Flora and Fauna in spite of its small size and there are over 300 vegetables he can chose for cooking which he can source locally.
 
The festival truly brought the taste of Srilanka with its large spread of Dishes.
 
There were many varieties of Sambols.
There were 5 different Non Vegetarian Mains which I have listed out and equal number of Vegetarian main dishes.
 
The Mains could be had with the ‘Hoppers’ or the Appams, or the Kothu Paratha.
 
There were also very distinct Sri Lankan Desserts like ‘Wattalappam’ and ‘Kiri Pani’
 
Kudos to ITC Grand Chola on bringing this culinary magician to Chennai. The festival is on till the 16th of September.
 

I have always been very fond of the Srilankan cuisine for a variety of reasons. Maybe it reminded of more carefree times when I used to visit the Island nation often, or because it reminds me of the lovely people and friendships I have developed or maybe just because it reminds me so much of the Kerala cuisine! Whatever be the reason, I was not going to pass up an opportunity to meet the visiting Chef from Hilton Residencies, Colombo, Chef Neranjana, taste his creations and have a chat with him.
 
Hilton Chennai has curated a dinner buffet under his guidance and in addition to its regular multicuisine buffet options, there are a few dedicated Srilankan food counters as well as  a ‘Live Aappam Counter’ manned by the Chef himself.
 
The evening started with a traditional Srilankar refresher ‘Kothamalli Saaru’ which consisted of coriander and ginger. Traditionally it has been thought to have medicinal properties.
 
This was followed by three starters – a chicken puff, a fried roll with jackfruit and coriander and a dish which had shredded chicken laced with coconut and spices, served with flat bread.
 

AAPAM ... 
The main course and the center of attraction was of course the Hoppers or Aappam which were executed to perfection by Chef Neranjana. Right from the way he cleaned the bowl, to the way he checked the right temperature, by holding the bowl close to his face to assess the ambient warmth was a revelation. The results were of course tasty aappams, which looked amazing with the floral pattern he was able to bring out of them
 
The Aappams were served with three traditional Srilankan gravies of Chicken black curry, Mutton red curry and a Black Pepper Stew with white fish. There were a couple of vegetarian accompaniments ‘Keera Malluma’ which had spinach, coconut, green chillies and Onions and a ‘Kaikari Dry curry’. The appams were also served with the ‘Seeni Sambal’ and the ‘Pol Sambal’
​ 
Rice being a staple of Srilanka was also available, which was the traditional boiled red rice served with the various dry fish sambals like Dry Fish Baduma, Maldive fish Sambal etc.​

This was followed by the traditional Srilankan ‘Kothu’ which is ‘Kothu paratha’ for you and me. It had a definite Srilankan taste to it with the spices.

DESSERTS..
This was followed by the dessert platter which had the Srilankan desserts. I liked the Coconut Barfi and the ‘Vathalappam’. There was a halwa which was very similar to the ‘Muscoth halwa’ of Tamilnadu.​
​

​Overall the food was excellent and it is a cuisine which will agree with a lot of our palates if you don’t mind the coconut, jaggery and the spice overload. The festival is on till the 24th of July at Vasco’s at Hilton for dinner and priced at approximately 1800, exclusive of taxes.
 
Don’t miss it !!

The Flying Elephant had an Italian Food Festival curated by a visiting Chef from Naples, Chef Nicola Costa.

Nicola Costa is a young Italian globe-trotter chef, born and raised in Naples. Nicola Costa has worked for one of the most famous Neapolitan restaurants ‘Tavernetta Colauri’. He has also worked with award winning restaurants, like “Casa Mia” or “Le Patiò Operà” with Italian and international Chef Serje Dansereau, one of the gourmet pioneer in Australia with three hats or Yomo Masa, one star Michelin in Tokyo.

​This food festival will have a wide spread of authentic Italian dishes like Gattò di patate vegetariano con broccoli (Vegetarian potatos pie with broccoli), Baccalà* mantecato alla Vicentina con polenta e mandorle (Creamed Cod Vicenza style with polenta and almonds), Pollo alla Marengo (con o senza gamberi) con salsa verde torinese (Chicken Marengo style with mushroom and prawns served with Turin green sauce) and other dishes.

I have documented the menu we tried.

Appetizer and salad

Pappa al Pomodoro, mozzarelline fritte e maionese al basilco
 Which was a Toatoas tuscany campte, fried Mozarella and basil Maionese

Carpaccio d'anatra affumicata, rape, misticanza, arance e polvere piccante
Spoked duck carpaccioa, crispy salad, oranges and spicy podwer

Pizza
Zuccotta
which had a pumpkin cream, goat cheese, mozarella , toasted hazelnuts, parsley and onion topping.

Lasagna and Pasta

Lasagna verde ai funghi e tartufo
Green Lasagna with mushroom and truffle

Tortelli allo zafferano ripieni di Genovese con salsa al burro noccialo
Saffron Tortelli stuffed with Napoli style tenderloin and onion ragout, burnt butter sauce

Main Course
Peperoni ripieni con Caponata
which was a dish of stuffed bell pepper and vegetables in " Caponata" style
Branzino al guazzetto zucchine all scapece
Seabass with tomatoes, olives capers sauce and fried zucchini scapece style

Dessert
Caprese can crema al limoncella
Almond and chocolate sponge cake with Limoncello cream.

The menu stood out with its authentic Itialian taste without the usual 'Indianization' twist.
The food was excellent as we have come to expect from the Flying elephant.
The Festival is on till the 4th of February dinner at the 'Flying Elephant' Park Hyatt, Chennai.
​Don't Miss it.

Hyderabadi Cuisine is famous for its rich Heritage and had developed over the years under the Nawabs of Hyderabad. The cuisine has borrowed a lot of influences from Mughal, Turkish, Arab and Telugu and Marathwada cuisines.

The Madras Pavillion at the ITC Grand Chola has an ongoing showcase of the 'Hyderabadi Ghizaayat' for a week ending the 1st of September as a part of the lunch and Dinner Buffet.

I have listed out the dishes I had a dekko at during my visit to the Madras Pavillion.

Desserts
Kaddu ka kista (Bottle gourd cooked with clarified butter)
Anjeer ki kheer
Sabut khubani ( Stewed dried Apricots)
​Rabdi

Chef Sandeep was kind enough to explain the dishes and the history behind most of them. One of the interesting take aways from the festival was that there were plenty of options for the Vegetarians too as I was always under the misconception that Hyderabadi Cuisine is an exclusively Non vegetarian affair.

The fetival is on till the 1st of September and is available as a dinner buffet and is priced at Rs.2200 plus taxes.

Fabelle the exclusive Chocolate boutique at the ITC Grand Chola turns ONE this week and I was there as a part of the celebrations. 
They have created a few exclusive desserts for the anniversary which I tasted.

We were first served with a Fabelle Platter which consisted of ...
​•Madagascar  chocolate sour cherry mousse
•Parmesan short bread
•Mendiants ( dark chocolate squares with pecan nuts
apricots, pistachios and charoli nuts

We were served a couple of Entremets

Dulcey Almond Crunch
Caramelised white chocolate crème balanced with an exotic caramel coulis and an 84% ganache

Madagascar Espresso Sphere
Single origin 67% Madagascar chocolate paired with espresso gelee on a cocoa crisp

We were then served a beverage Mint cooler which consisted of Mint infused  dark chocolate beverage paired with chocolate chip cookies

Finally we were served with the Plated Dessert 'Show Stopper' 64% Dark Ghana Terrarium which was made up of 64% Dark Ghana cremeux paired with lychee confit and cocoa almond crunch

Fabelle has never disappointed with its Offerings. They have an excellent range of entremets, Plated Desserts and 'Take Away' offerings. 

Deepthi Joji the Pastry Chef was kind enough to run us through the offerings. 

The special Anniversary menu is on for a couple of days.

Desserts

Gulabi Kesar
Nitro Icecream
Badam Peach Halwa
Shahi Tukda - Nawabi Style

Bottomline.
 
The food and the presentation were very good. Especially if it is your first time at the restaurant, there will be many ‘Awww’ inspiring moments of drama and presentation.

The chefs have managed to recreate the taste of the Arcot palace to a large extent. But realistically it is near impossible to expect certain recipes which are steeped in traditional cooking methods to be replicated perfectly. 
​
The Nawabi Food festival though is a definite must-visit because GRT has managed to execute a very interesting Jugalbandi between the Nawabi heritage and modern cooking techniques.
 
The festival is on till the 31st of July at J Hind, GRT Grand Hotel, T Nagar.

Next part of our set Menu consisted of a Sashimi and A Sushi Platter served along with pickled ginger, pickled Radish and Wasabi.
The  Salmon and Tuna Sashimi were fresh and were delicious. I particularly enjoyed the Rolled japanese Omlette, Tamagoyaki, which was served with the platter, which was garnished with some Mayo and Tuna Roe.

These Set Menus are available at the Spectra for Lunch and Dinner till the 2nd of July, though I understand that many of them will be available as part of their Ala Carte menu at the Spectra going forward.

The festival was definitely a revelation to me personally because Chef makwana and his team pulled of a perfect meal and I would rate it as one of the best places for Japanese Cuisine in the City Now. 

​DONT MISS IT !!

Tulunadu food festival at the Madras Pavilliion at ITC Grand Chola brings together culinary jewels from the vast repertoire of Mangalore, Udupi and Kasargod districts of karnataka.
This cuisine generously uses native ingredients like Peppercorns, palm jaggery, cloves, kachimpuli and kokum in their dishes. The menu was served to us in a traditional fashion on a Plantain Leaf (available to Buffet patrons on request I am told)
I have detailed the menu that we partook as part of the festival below :
WELCOME DRINK

• Bana baraida juice : A blend of tender coconut water and ripe banana

• Alai : Fresh buttermilk flavoured with  ginger, chilli and mint

 
SAARU (Soup)
Bele saaru : Light soup made with lentils and spiced with cumin and pepper
 
APPETIZERS

• Sajji ke taarai da roti: Coconut and semolina pancakes
• Natia kori : Morsels of chicken cooked with clarified butter and chilli paste

• Errai da meen : Seer fish marinated and grilled

 

 

​DESSERTS
 

• Bele payasam : Lentils and milk cooked together and flavoured with cardamom

• Ragi manni : Ragi  and jaggery fudge

​Madras Pavilion recreates these complex flavours with indigenous ingredients and cooking techniques from the various unexplored cultures of Tulunadu on till the 25th of June
Priced at Rs 2200/- + taxes for a person.