Basil with a Twist

The gang had decided to visit this restaurant together and then one by one did a visit on their own, and then there were 2 of us left. One evening last evening, a friend suggested I join her & family for dinner. I did not have any plans, knew her husband and daughter, so agreed. I kept waiting for her to pop a name [one of the places I knew she loved] which is when she surprised me by asking if I wanna check out "Basil with a twist".... [silent yay went off in my head and I wondered about the lone friend who was yet to visit the place... but what the heck!!.. lol] 

After giving friend's husband directions to the place, we hopped out and made our way inside. We found a table near the open kitchen, and within minutes a tall guy walked up to our table and introduced himself as 'Hello, my name is Bogdan Maksimovic, I'm from Serbia and I welcome you to my restaurant. We believe in cooking food from the heart, with simple spices and hope you enjoy the food and have a good evening'. I then noticed there were two other White men in the kitchen. The place has three Serb men manning it- Bogdan (who coowned it with Ms.Bhagheerathi) and then there were the two chefs, Chef Jovan and Chef Goran. 

During the brief chat with Bogdan, I learnt that he has been around in India for a while and has travelled quite extensively. He has also worked as a consultant to a large food company up in the North and knew quite a bit of Hindi and some Tamil as well. And his English was impeccable! 

Getting down to business, we skimmed through the menu to see what the place offered. Steering away from the traditional ‘European’ food  [Italian and French], this kitchen was all set to introduce us to the world of food from the Balkans region and the Adriatic Sea. I had no idea about these regions and so was quite curious. But what sets them apart is what their name is about, adding a quirky twist to the dishes. 

We went ahead and ordered the roasted pumpkin soup which was thick, creamy and divine, packed with flavours. I have always been a fan of pumpkin and my friend was someone who dint like the veggie much [ unless it was hidden among other veggies] but both of us loved it. Following this, we went straight for the main course and ordered a Pasta in Mushroom sauce, while friend's husband chose a Beef dish that sat on a bed of tartare sauce and side of  a big portion of mash potatoes. The pasta was divine, there was a small drizzle of balsamic vinegar on the side and friend's daughter just dug straight into it [ she loves sour tangy flavours and so enjoyed the balsamic, to a point where she dunked the pasta and mashed potato in the sauce and happily went at it] :)

We were enjoying the food, the gentle lights and could not get over how smooth the kitchen seem to be functioning. There was no yelling, no shouting, infact we barely saw any exchange of words in the kitchen... The dishes were made seamlessly, sent to the pass where the fresh cherry tomatoes and generous grate of cheese was added to our pasta [ we could see the process]

Just as we cleaned the plates clean, we unanimously decided to order the Blueberry cheesecake [ friend requested for the blueberry coulie to be served on the side], it was a no bake cheesecake and texture and flavour was quite different [smoother and subtle], but yumm nevertheless. 

The bill was around Rs1400 if I remember right... The portions are good and flavours just rock your senses. I know for a fact that Basil with a twist joins the league of my favorite restaurants! 

Address 

Basil with a Twist

 # 58 A, Habibullah Road, 

T. Nagar, Chennai. 

Landmark: Bang opp SGS Wedding Hall [on the road next to Vidyodaya School]

Phone: 044 4261 3613

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/BASILWITHATWIST

Disclaimer:

The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember these were just my views!! Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-)