Chennai, Copper Point - A shocker!

I had reviewed Copper Point at the GRT Grand earlier this year in March after it had gone through a face lift and had come back quite satisfied, as expressed in my Blog. Needless to mention, the satisfaction was fresh enough in my memory for me to go back there about a month later.

I was shocked. The place had again changed its menu and this time with it, its prices. Atleast to my recknoning, it was priced rather steep. In order to see if anything else had changed (dramatically enough), we decided to order the same that we did the last time, the only additions being one non veg chicken preparation.

I will not say much. I will let the following speak for itself:

1. Butter Naan / Masala Kulcha - Rs. 135/- each
2. Plain naan / Tandoori Roti - Rs. 105/- each
3. Vegetarian platter (sufficient for 2) - Rs. 910/-

The food had not changed. The saving grace was the Dal Makhni which if you remember had managed to make it to position 2 in my War of the Dals from earlier this year. Else, there really was nothing to talk about.

I doubt I'll be heading that way anytime soon.

Foot notes remain the same as before

Chennai, The Great Kabab Factory - Waning Royalty

Sunday afternoon family meal and the destination of choice was to be The Great Kabab Factory at the GRT Radisson. For the uninitiated, the Kabab Factory is the undisputed standard when it comes to 5 star dining Frontier cuisine. Many years to now, it has been first choice of both locals as well as foreign tourists for the ultimate "Kebab" experience.

I am sorry to say, this love story is over.

Sunday, 06th April, 2008 - Lunch

Chennai's GRT Radisson Great Kabab Factory is one of the best examples of destinations resting on past glory. For starters, the interiors beg a facelift and seem so dated that it turns your (now critical) focus straight towards the food - straightaway raising the bar. Add to this the jacked up prices (Rs. 750/- per head for Non veg and Rs. 650/- for a vegetarian meal) and you really are looking forward to a culinary delight, as always.

The Non Veg fare started convincingly with the consistent Mutton Galouti Kabab drawing praise from all the meat eaters on the table. Remarks on the softness of the meat and how it "melts in the mouth" were to be heard. The parade that followed thereafter led to probably one of the greatest disappointments of recent times. Barring a Seekh kabab which was succulent and tasty, on offer was a Murgh Kooty Mirch and a Murgh Tikka Malai, both of which were tagged as "nothing special", a salt-less Ajwaini Murgh Tikka and Macchi Patiyala which while being innovative, was a let down since it was rather bland and lacked flavor. Further, the people serving the food and throwing their recommendations urged us to try the fish with a yoghurt dip. The bengali dominated table conveyed their sense of disapproval of this combination and suggested mustard to have been the perfect accompaniment for this style of fish preparation.

The Vegetarian fare (usually considered a right royal waste of money at the Kabab Factory) was again, a let down. The Veg Galouti kabab was as usual - excellent. Failing to live up to expectations created by the Galouti were Bhuna Paneer (ordinary - almost tasteless), Aloo Tikka Hara Dhaniya (was a shocker! Felt microwaved), an off beat Mutter Palak ki Shammi (promising in preparation but not appealing over all to the palate) and a very forgettable Subz ki Seekh. This seekh and the Aloo Tikka seemed positively microwaved for the occasion. Unbelievable. Last on this menu was Achari Baby corn which does not even deserve a mention. It was just had too strong a yoghurt base and nothing else.

The support crew:

* The paratha served as an accompaniment to the kababs was really interesting and nice. I failed to catch its name but it was sweet, flavoured with saffron and thick. However, the other variety of bread served was fennel flavoured and stuffed with nuts - however, one bite and one felt stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey! Hmm, I wonder how and why..

* Beverages - The Badam Milk was not thick and not at all chilled. The Lassi however was very nice and flavoured with jeera. We ordered for Fresh Lime Soda which was served to us warm!

* Among the dips and accompaniments, the Tamarind Chutney deserved special praise. It really left a lasting impression on the taste buds.

Now if you felt that I was reaching the end of my review, you'd be mistaken because among every other dish offer, the one I was most eagerly awaiting was the Kali Dal. Now one of my most popular posts till date has been the War of the Dals where a lot of readers actually wanted Kabab factory's Kali dal to be accommodated in the list of Top 5 for Chennai. On first taste, the dal was surprisingly watery with a less than appealing sprinkling of lentils. Overall, there really was not anything in the dal to warrant a place in the Top 5 of Chennai. Sorry readers - its the only reason the Dal continued to stay out of the list.

Desserts - all of them impressed. Be it the Kesari Gulab Jamun, the Kulfi, Steamed Apricot, Papaya Halwa or the Coconut flavoured Payesh (Kheer), they were off beat as well as very tasty. Full marks here.

At the end of it all, none of us on the table felt that we had got value for our money. However, the experience was most soured right at the end when the over zealous waiters virtually shoved us out of the restaurant since it was 15 minutes past their kitchen's closing time. Definitely not what one expects at a 5 star restaurant, especially one with such a cult brand status.

It'll be exciting to see what the Radisson Group does to revive the past glory of their premium frontier cuisine brand. I know for a fact that it carries too much equity for the chain to ignore it. I hope to visit the place again in the month of July and will write back then.

Non Vegetarian Meal - Rs. 750/- per head
Vegetarian Meal - Rs. 650/- per head
Website: http://www.grthotels.com/radisson/restaurant.htm
Address & Phone: GRT Radisson, 531, GST Road, St. Thomas Mount, Chennai - 600 016, Ph: 22310101

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

Chennai, Zaras Tapas Bar - Re-fuel!

I've heard so much about the lunch at Zaras but have never really got a chance to sample it. I had also heard that 10 Downing had a pretty decent set lunch menu and I did sample it about 5 months back - pity I wasn't blogging then.

So anyway, this 1st of April, we decided to do lunch at Zaras. Again, I was in the company of a vegetarian friend and actually, credit goes to her for insisting on Zaras. I had also heard that Zaras now had a new menu.

With both of us having to go back to work after our lunch, we were quite wary of over eating. As a result, I decided to get the Lunch Combo while my friend got herself an appetizer. We both stayed away from the included free glass of beer though she substituted it with a Lemon Iced tea.

I asked for a Cottage Cheese tossed in Hot Chilly from the starter menu while she ordered herself a Salt & Pepper Baby corn (not a part of the set menu options). The set lunch menu has quite a few interesting options and is definitely worth sampling.

Both the baby corn and the cottage cheese were absolutely smashing. The baby corn was an all time special from the kitchen and nothing seemed to have changed - if we were to start getting very critical, it was probably a little more spicy than normal. However, the corn was really crisp and well done. The new cottage cheese preparation amazed me with how smooth it was in taste and texture. It was one of those servings that you wished would just never end.

I then got myself "Grilled Cottage Cheese slices layered with creamed spinach and melted cheese". A very very interesting innovation, it comes with cole slaw and lovely in house baked garlic bread. The whole cheese + paneer + cream combination did look quite imposing on the menu but I was very impressed with how they had managed a symphony of all the 3 without making me feel like I'd just consumed a slab of lead. It was not spicy, yet had a zing to it which I guess should be attributed to the hint of spicing in the paneer marinade.

I didn't really get a chance to sample too many items between us, but I do promise to go back there soon enough to get some more insights into their newly drafted menu. As of now, I'd still rate it as a "Must Try".

Special Lunch Deal - Pick any one Starter, Filler, Dessert and a mocktail or a glass of beer.
Veg - Rs. 225/-
Non Veg - Rs. 245/-

A La carte prices - as per attached menu

Website: NA
Address & Phone: 74, Hotel Oriental Inn, Cathedral Road, Gopalapuram, Chennai - 600 086. Ph: 28111462

Reviewed by: Harish Anand Thilakan
Date: 01st April 08