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' Thai Virundu' ..at 'Madras' Raintree, Anna Salai 

1/14/2016

2 Comments

 
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 The ' Madras' restaurant at Raintree Anna Salai has been a favourite for south indian food for me for quite a few years. You get five star hospitality and food at a relatively more affordable pricing.  

A couple of weeks back a Friend and I were listing out options for 'Meals' in Chennai and 'Madras' was up there on my list. A coupleof days back i saw an advert for 'Thai Virundu' meals at this restaurant in the supplement of the paper and  I decided to check it out.

​Ambience

Pleasant with relatively dim lighting. There is a three piece Indian Carnatic classical ensemble that plays pleasant live Carnatic instrumental music in the evenings.

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Cutlery

I have to make a special mention about the 'south Indian' caricatures on the plates at the restaurant. Have documented a few below. 
Welcome Drink and Starters

We were welcomed with 'Vasantha Neer' which is a favourite of mine. I have been tasting this for years at the Taj and ITC hotels. This restaurant has also perfected it and is a 'must have'. It is a concoction of Tender Coconut Water, Jaggery, Honey, Lemon and Ginger.

An Assortment of papads along with a set of Chutneys were also kept on the table. 
  • coconut 
  • pineapple
  • beetroot
We were served a 'Pongal Platter' which had the following Pongals
  • Amirtha Pongal (The sweet Pongal with dry and fresh fruits)
  • Kara Pongal
  • Ven Pongal (the tradtional Pongal)
All of them were absolutely yummy  !!
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Vasantha Neer
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Pongal platter
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Pongal Platter
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The Thali

We were then served the thali in a Thattu with a plantain leaf with the following accompaniments
  • Muttakos Poriyal
  • Thakkali Masiyal
  • Kathirikkai Kosumalli
  • Chakkaravalli Podimas (Sweet Potato)
  • KaiKari Podimas
  • Curd
This was served with unlimited parottas, Puris and steamed rice.
(I had incidentally also requested a Kal Dosa off the menu because I had always liked their Kal Dosa.)

Every dish was perfect and not a single one had a bad day !!

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The 'Thali' with Parotta
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Poori
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Vadai
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Kall Dosa
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Steamed Rice
Desserts

We were served the follwoing three desserts
  • Elaneer Payasam
  • Badam Halva
  • Pepper Ice cream

I loved the pepper ice cream and the Elaneer Payasam. The Badam Halva was very authentic but personally speaking, I am not a great fan of that sweet.
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Elaneer Payasam
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Pepper Payasam
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Badam Halva
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Chef Prabhakaran of Raintree Anna Salai
Verdict

I loved the meal. Chef Prabhakaran of the Rain Tree was very kind to explain the dishes as i am usually an extremely inquisitive diner.

Don't miss this traditional 'Pongal' meal at the Rain tree Anna Salai, available till the 17th of January.

​
2 Comments

Punjab Grill : Phoenix market City, Chennai

1/5/2016

2 Comments

 
I remember walking past this restaurant in Phoenix Mall a couple of weeks ago while I was on the way to HRC. I had made a mental note at that time to visit this place. I had the opportunity to dine here along with half a dozen other food bloggers a few days ago.

I loved the Bright ambiance and the choice of Music. The seating was comfortable. Though I did think the seats were a little too close to each other (though with the kind of rentals in Malls I don't blame them :-D)

Since i waltzed in late after my evening clinic I missed trhe soup and the welcome drinks. Though I did make it a point to ask them to bring the 'Paan Mojito' drink which the fellow bloggers were raving about ! It had a lot of 'Gulkhand and Paan' ..It was different and is definitely worth a try.
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Starters
After the Mohito, I dived straight into the array of starters. 

Salmon tikka :  This was the first starter i tasted and it literally blew me away. Absolutely delightful salmon imported from Norway which was slow cooked in a tandoor. The spices were just about perfect. Perfect melt in your mouth stuff.The best dish of the night by a mile.

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Salmon tikka
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Salmon tikka
Chicken kurkuri : These consisted of Wanton Skin Rolls Wrapped chicken wantons which were filled with cheese, mushroom, celery, sundried tomatoes. and deep fried. This was served with a hot and sweet sauce in the glass cup.
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Chicken kurkuri
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Paneer tikka multani :- Paneer infused with herbs and spices cooked in tandoor. It was standard Paneer Tikka fare, Pretty good , but not exactly earth shattering  
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​Bhatti da murgh : Legs of Chicken marinated in curd , pomegranate powder, onion powder and other spices. It was a tad too spicy for me. Though some of my other blogger friends felt it was just right for their palate.
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​Chaamp taajdar : Pot roasted lamb chops which was braised slowly in a liquor infusion with spices and cooked it a Tandoor. Definitely one of  the best lamb Chops I have tasted. The meat was extremely soft and tender (since they are marinated overnight) 
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​Dahi ke Kabab: A kebab made of Hung curd cheese, blended with Cardomom and corianded and Kadai fried. I loved this dish !! It is definitely a ' Must Try' at this restaurant. 
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Main Course

We were served two versions of Dum Biryani : Tarkari Kesari biryani and the Chicken Dum Biryani. It was a very Mildly spiced biryani which reminded me of the 'Lahore' Biryani , with a lot of Saffron. I liked the biryani. (though patron who like their Biryani really spicy may be a little disappointed )

We were also served a variety of breads, I liked the Lehsuni Nan and the Khasta Roti.

We were served the following four dishes as the main courses.

Paneer lababdar  : Which was definitely a "Zabardar" dish !! Was very thick in consistency and a right blend of spices with paneer. A 'Must try' for the vegetarians. 

Dal punjab grill  : This was their version of the  D'al makhani'. This was definitely their weak link of the evening. (I personally think it was one of those rare days, becasuse it takes a lot of effort to mess up this dish :)  ) 

Meat punjab grill :Lamb shanks cooked over low heat. I liked the dish !  

Dhaniya mirchi da kukkad : C
hicken drumstick pieces cooked in a stock rich in cinnamon, coriander, mace and green chillies. 


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DESSERTS
​We were served three desserts 
Litchi ki tehri :  Milk reduced in a 'Lohi kadai'  topped with litchi, sultanas,almonds and pistachios. It was delicious with the right amount of sweetness.  

Gulab jamun: This stuffed the gulab jamun with  was no ordinary Gulab Jamun. The Chef had stuffed the jamun with nutella, white chocolate, almonds and pistachios. This was also excellent. 

Phirni :  Phirni (Sweetened Rice soufle) stuck to being a traditional Phirni without any 'twist' from the Chef. Did not disappoint.  
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Phirni :
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Litchi ki tehri
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Gulab jamun
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Gulab jamun: with the yummy filling exposed
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'Pan Shots' : The grand finale
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The men behind the Lovely evening !
VERDICT

The Punjab Grill is a fantastic place. It is here to stay and goint by the response we saw on a tuesday evening (there were people waiting for tables) ..They have a winner. 
Do reserve in advance. A meal for two would put you back by Rs. 2000.
​Bon Apetit !
2 Comments

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    Dr. Madhu Thotappillil

    A sports medicine specialist based out of Chennai, India. Avid Foodie and a Wine Enthusiast

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