Mahamudra, Isha way of eating

The orange sign  board was hidden amidst the branches of the tree.. As i entered the gate, the stone and glass building caught my attention... I was wondering where the restaurant was, but understood that everything was within that majestic building.

This was Isha Life, promoted by Jaggi Vasudev..

The complex had within its walls-

 The building from the gate

• Isha Fitness center- resembled a modern well equipped Gym
• Shambavi- Spa and Massage
• Mahamudra- The Restaurant
• Shambavi- The Boutique above the restaurant

An art work on the wall

As you walk in through the glass doors, you notice the tall pillar like structure with many serpents entwined around it located near the Reception desk. I turned right in the direction of the Restaurant and spotted yet another similar structure.

There were also a few Stone urulis with flowers in the lobby...  One needs to cross another room to get to the restaurant. This room had a shelf displaying the various products retailed there and a section dedicated to Jaggi Vasudev's Cd's and DVDs. There was a sofa that looked very comfortable.

I crossed the threshold to step into Mahamudra, the restaurant. The ambience is beautiful.. There is an entire wall of glass that opens to the outside garden, with a walkway and plenty of trees and plants. 

The restaurant is huge, in 2 levels. I sat in a table near the window, facing the kitchen. Apart from the usual cutlery and napkin, there were 2 jugs of water on each table. A waiter brought me the extensive menu card -

There were 

Soups

Salads

Sandwiches- Chilli cheese to Chocolate-Cheese Sandwiches

Thali-Lentil soup, dosa,ragi vada, akki roti, raagi porridge, wheat bisi bele bath, broken wheat curd rice, 2 kinds of salads, wild rice pudding n few side dishes[veg] as well... - this was the menu the day I visited!

A la carte dishes

Desserts

Coffee, Tea, and juices as well 

The menu had me chuckling more than once, to a point where i actually had a chat with the waiter about the elaborate explanation for each of the dishes.. I realized it was designed that way for the Foreigners..

The window behind my table

It was quite a spread..I gave into temptation and decided to try the Bisi Bele bath made using Broken wheat and it was divine! The spinach soup was alright, nothing exciting.. it had some pieces of paneer floating around in it and tasted more like spinach puree.. And was served with multigrain toast, which was fresh.  After the meal, i went to explore the store upstairs before returning to the restaurant for hot Filter coffee.

The Path outside... seen from within the restaurant...

The menu talks about how they use the finest in oils, and their dosas are made using olive oil spray, while their vegetables and wheat are all in the menu as they are good for health. The entire concept revolves around Ayuveda it says.. But, one need not worry at the mention of the word "Ayurveda". The restaurant is anything but strange weird food.. The dishes served here are good, and most of them are what we are familiar with.. 

The food is primarily South indian with a few dishes from other parts of the country added in for variety!

Rating-

Ambience - 5/5

Service- 4.5/5

Food- 4/5

Portions- could be better - 3/5

Menu- 5/5

Restaurant seating space- 4.5/5 -Quite spacious but does get crowded over the weekend i guess[ I had gone on Sunday and the place was near full] 

Cost- 4/5- The Thali is about 290Rs, and is limited servings only.

                 A la carte dishes are priced around 120-140Rs each.

Car park- plenty of space

 

Restaurant Mahamudra inside Isha LifeNo.117, Luz Church Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004.

Opp Devaki Hospital & Right next to Rangachari Clothe Store
Phone :+91 44 4353 5555 / 2499 1757
Mobile : +91 95000 31160,
e-mail : info@ishalife.com
Website: Isha Life / Mahamudra

Bon Appetit!