Chennai - War of the Dals

Its been over 1 year today since I bade farewell to the carnivorous side of my appetite. As a mark of the same, I thought I should list down the 5 best destinations for the one dish that has kept me good company as my staple restaurant pick for the past 1 year - Dal Makhni / Kali Dal / Black Dal, call it what you like! Enjoyed best with any form of roti or Jeera Pulav.

Following is the order of restaurants in Chennai which get my "pulse" racing:

1. Sigree
By far the best dal in the city - sometimes a little excess on the butter but always thick, rich and a never miss!

Address & Phone: #144/145, Hotel Quality Inn Aruna, 5th Floor, Sterling Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai - 600034. Ph:42664222

2. Copper Point (read full review)
A brand new entrant into the list and how! I was pleasantly surprised at how the medium thick, not-so-rich Dal Makhni stirred up such a rage on my last visit to this recently made over restaurant.

Address & Phone: GRT Grand, 120, Sir Thyagaraya Road, T. Nagar, Chennai - 600 017. Ph: 28150500 / 28155500

3. Peshawri
An all time Chennai favourite, was clearly the best destination for kali dal for over 10 years till the younger challengers came about. Still manages to retain its unique flavor and taste thanks to certain special cooking techniques.

Address & Phone: Hotel Chola Sheraton, Cathedral Road, Gopalapuram, Chennai - 600086. Ph: 28110101

4. Copper Chimney
The only multi grain dal to make it to this list, despite multi grains not winning much favor with me, the Copper Chimney kali dal has always been a mouth watering accompaniment to their excellent array of Indian breads.

Address & Phone: 74, Cathedral Road, Gopalapuram, Chennai - 600086. Ph: 28115770

5. Kabul
While the restaurant itself has gone through its highs and lows with the Chennai crowd, Kabul's 'Dal Kabul' has consistent, for over the 15 years that its been in business now.

Address & Phone: 35, TTK Road, Chennai 600018. Ph: 24996761

Chennai, Copper Point - Old wine in a new bottle

GRT Grand's Indian restaurant Copper Point sports a completely new look and is now open for business.

Now more than the crazy ads all over town (old nannies dressed in traditional indian wear sporting chef's hats, masquerading to remind your of your grandma's cooking, urgh..), it was the buzz that I was hearing amongst friends that led me to Copper Point.

I visited the restaurant with a friend for dinner on a Thursday and was surprised to see the restaurant quite full for a week night. I was glad to see that the 2 level seating format had been retained (it has a charm of its own) though we were seated on the only 2 seater on the mezzanine level and it was rather uncomfortable. The others seats we were told were "reserved". As expected, no one showed up on those tables till we were about to leave. Anyway.

We ordered for a glass of red wine each and were happy to see that the Sula Sartori variety was open and being served. It was as usual, smooth. A good start. We then went on to order some starters. Now its been a while since I visited and I don't remember the exact names as on the menu but will refer to them in their most common parlance. We asked for the ubiquitous Paneer Tikka which impressed while our Tandoori Gobi was a huge disappointment - to the extent that we had to get the kitchen to change it for us. Tandoori Aloo came instead and was quite decent.

We decided to keep the main course light - 1 tandoori (kadak) roti, 1 garlic naan with Dal Makhni was all we ventured into. I have always let the Dal Makhni at a restaurant decide whether I like the place or not. Seriously, if the kitchen can get that right and somewhat different from that served in other eateries, they've done a pretty decent job. To say the least, I was amazed at how good the Dal Makhni turned out to be. Don't forget to catch my Dal Makhni special coming up in a few days. The rotis were excellent and made exactly how we wanted it - for once, we didn't have to send back the tandoori roti for want of it being "kadak" enough.

Desserts were given a miss as we were quite stuffed with our quick meal.

Copper Point definitely did not disappoint. I hope to go back soon enough with my carnivorous friends to write more about the non vegetarian fare. The live Indian music still stays to add to the warm ambience and actually sets the tone for a nice, cozy evening.

Women and kids will love the presence of in-house palmists and a caricaturist.

Meal for 2: Rs. 1000/- (without alcohol)
Meal for 2: Rs. 1800/- (with alcohol)
Website: http://www.grtgrand.com/grand/restaurant.htm
Address & Phone: GRT Grand, 120, Sir Thyagaraya Road, T. Nagar, Chennai - 600 017, Ph: 28150500 / 28155500

Reviewed by: Harish Anand Thilakan
Date: 06th March 2008

Chennai, Barbeque Nation - Indulge your Indulgence

Hotel Sree Devi Park - little known 2 star hotel in congested T. Nagar, Chennai plays unlikely host to Chennai's version of Barbeque Nation (BBQN) - a unique format family dining restaurant serving speciality grilled recipes, right at your table!

More than the food, patrons are likely to be impressed by the concept at first. Pre-existing overseas, BBQN is definitely a first for India in Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and now Chennai!

Brightly lit, warm, balmy interiors are a welcome change from the usually dimly lit interiors thrown at us by most restaurants in the city today (Agreed - the trend is changing with Peppers, etc). A duo belting out hits from the 70s & 80s weren't really obtrusive though sitting in the section in front of where they perform could perhaps eventually get to you. Minimalist decor and Tables in configurations of 4 & 8 provide very comfortable seating for the rather extended dining session. Yes, meals at BBQN can take longer than your usual meal out. Certain wall decor were simply put, inexplicable.

The food was excellent - yet to ensure that I was not carried away by an occasional show of brilliance, I decided to visit BBQN a second time to get a true sense of their quality and service. The first visit was on a weekday which also saw the place fill up its tables quite easily. For the next, I chose Easter Sunday and the hoardes at the restaurant had to be seen to be believed. I would safely say that BBQN is satisfactorily equipped to handle both extremes. I was quite concerned that on a relatively less crowded day, we might get swamped by service and that's never a good thing either. BBQN did not disappoint (with a fair degree of tolerance exercised Easter Sunday). The staff were cordial and friendly and the Managers did do their fair bit to keep the dining crowd content as well as the long waiting list, calm.

BBQN does many things first and right - each table is fitted with a provision for a charcoal grill to be placed within the table.

The format is simple - choose from a Non Veg or Veg spread (both priced at a uniform Rs. 400/- per head). 5 veg and 5 non veg specialities from a range of cuisines including Lebanese, Mediterranean, Continental, Oriental and Indian are served on your table grill with the Chinese fare being the only non skewered starter. Cook them yourself to suit your palate. Have it lightly cooked or well done, smear it with a dressing of Lemon and Mustard, Oriental or Crust pepper with Olive oil or choose to accompany your grill with a variety of dips, the Garlic mayonnaise deserving a special mention. Skewers are served repeatedly as long as your "flag" remains raised - yes another innovative concept which places a brass flag on your table with a smartly designed hinge to lower it (with dignity) once done with your stomach-full of starters. It's then time for the elaborate buffet with an impressive array on offer. I personally recommend that on your first visit, give the spread a miss and feast on the starters.

The choice of location (within a hotel) is with obvious benefits - the alcohol range is quite elaborate with an interesting outlay of cocktails - we tried the Sweet Lime and Tamarind Martini and were quite disappointed. I was reminded of the Kingfisher beer ad with the crazy man dressed in a Chinese outfit singing out his menu to the guests on the table and trust me, I can really vouch that there is nothing quite like a pint of Kingfisher (Rs. 120) to go with good food. Corona was also listed on the menu but was unavailable on both days.

Chef Anwar and team do manage to stir out an interesting assortment of eatery. Non Vegetarians felt they really got their money's worth while vegetarians, while not too enthused, were definitely not disappointed. I should mention the Lychee souffle from dessert spread which I thought was lip-smacking good!

BBQN is definitely a breath of fresh air in what was becoming a rather morose set of options for the dining out public of Chennai. One thing's for sure - forget about a table without a reservation - the wait can be painful. Reservations are only for 2 sessions - 7.30pm and 9.30pm.

As a last word, the BBQN experience is well worth the money spent - go on, call together a bunch of friends or huddle your family together and hit this joint at 1, Hanumantha Street, T. Nagar.

Sample Spread on Day 2 -

Starters - Paneer Poshida, Thai Mushroom, Cajun Spicy Potato, Veg Hariyali Seekh, Assorted Oriental Grill (peppers), Ajwaini Fish Tikka, Mutton Gilafi Seekh, Dhaniya Prawns, Murgh Sahzani Boti, Lebanese Chicken with Onion Mushroom.

Buffet Spread - Tanka Beans Soup, Chicken Clear Soup, Pasta in Pazok Sauce, Vegetable Fricasse, Aloo Gobi Mutter masala, Paneer Manchowrian, Veg Biriyani, Plain rice, Dal Makhni, Curd Rice, Kasuree Mutton, Kolahpoori Chicken, Fish Finger in Hot Garlic Sauce, Crab in Black B Sauce, Mutton Dum Biriyani.

Dessert Outlay - Baked Pineapple Strudel, Coconut Souffle, White Forest Pastry, Yakudi, Butterscotch Ice Cream, Fresh cut fruits and Angoori Gulab Jamoon.

Price per head- Rs. 400/-
Website - www.barbeque-nation.com (disfunctional at the time of posting)
Reviewed by: Harish Anand Thilakan
Date: 13th & 23rd March, 2008

Address & Phone - Barbeque Nation, 1, Hanumantha Street, T. Nagar, Chennai - 600017. Ph: 42694481, 42694482
Driving Directions - Travel down on Bazullah road till just before you reach North Usman road. Take the left just before North Usman Road and head straight about 200m till you reach Hotel Sree Devi Park. Another useful landmark is that this place is behind Prashanth Real Gold Tower.

Chennai, La Boulangerie - Typically French Dessert..

A touch of calm and tranquil midst the madness of everyday life. That for you is La Boulangerie, the new bakery at Anna nagar. Located at 15th main road, this bakery run by a curry crazy French lady, offers an idyllic setting and serves up a fairly wide fare of french breads, quick eats (anything but!), beverages and desserts.

Barely a month old, La Boulangerie (which translates to 'the bakery' from french) is good for business meetings or quiet, laid back catch ups. This is definitely not for the quick cuppa nor a barista/coffee day replacement.

We ordered a sample of all the desserts on display and came away quite disappointed though. The choclate based desserts were just too stale and gooey while the custard filled desserts (a french favourite) smelt probably a bit too much of egg to work with the herbivorous populace. We didn't get a chance to sample the breads but they looked attractive enough as did the range of speciality baguette sandwiches. The Hot Chocolate definitely was a stand out and is highly recommended.

The seating deck is tastefully lined with cactii plant on one side and wood and stone furniture providing the seating. We visited around 4pm but are confident the place will paint a pretty picture dusk onwards.

The service is typically french - laid back and 'leisurely'. One of my friends (coincidentally just back from France himself) commented on the interiors as being very very french - pretty to look at yet brilliantly disfunctional! (Flimsy stone table tops and uncomfortable chairs leading to this)

All in all, worth one visit to soak in the atmosphere. There after its upto what you order which'll decide whether you go back there again or not.

Typical Prices:
Dessert - Rs. 35 per piece.
Beverage - Rs. 40 per serving
Breads - Rs. 65 per 350 gm

Website: www.laboulangerieindia.com

Reviewed by: Harish Anand Thilakan
Date: 9th March 2008