Breakfast options... Jonah's meets Chef Willi

I have had quite a few people ask me if there are good breakfast places in the city.. Oh yes, I tell them! They stare at me amused.. So i have decided to do a new series on the blog where I shall share Breakfast destinations across the city!! 

Here is the 1st one- Jonah's meets Chef Willi on Kasturi Rangan Road...  

A fairly new place, it is located on the 1st floor at the junction near Ashwini Hospital. The decor is quite plush, blue velvet sofa and beautiful intricate wood work panels on the walls.. There are three separate seating areas, with some along the window giving you a view of the street below. As you walk in, you will cross the counter with the delectable desserts in them.... [they source their desserts from Bakers street, Pondicherry] 

The shelves between the rooms have a mixed collection of books, art and deco.. Some of the books are quite good~! perfect reading while you wait for your dishes to arrive..  

Onto the food, their breakfast menu is not extensive but it is impressive. There are enough options for both sides of the fence- Vegetarians and Non vegetarians. 

I am a veg, and i picked the mushroom on toast from the menu along with a cup of hot coffee.  The dish came with Italian Soda bread, the name had me curious. 

The portion sizes are fairly large, so if you are not ravenous or really hungry, make sure to just order one and share with your company. Mine came looking beautiful and generous. The bread was wow- it had a rugged look, and taste was quite unique, none like what I have had before. 

The coffee was piping hot, with just the right amount of froth! 

Well, this dish was priced around Rs200 [dont remember right]... But it is very filling & yummy... So next time you are looking for breakfast option, consider this!! 

Address-

Jonah's meets Chef Willi

No.29, 1st Floor, Kasturi Rangan Road, Poes Garden, Alwarpet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600018

044 4305 3030

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 :-)

The Sarcastic Pastry Chef is here.. "Pie For President 2020"

She is sassy
She is smart
She is cheeky
and she is sarcastic as hell.

Did I mention she can bake? Yes, she bakes! 

Am talking about The Sarcastic Pastry Chef.. Well, she is here in Chennai and she is all set to rock it.. with delectable treats and not so sweet words!

Who is she you ask??

Over the last few years, desserts have attained “rock star” status (we need to talk about the meteoric rise of Cookie Dough!) for obvious reasons- they’re amazing!

For me though, it has always been a space that I could get lost in, mostly because it has been a world where extraordinary is constantly created from ordinary! And that is about as corny as this page will ever get.

So sit back and step into my world of Desserts! (Read that using a raspy voice, it’s quite hilarious!)

Candied hearts filled with sugar syrup (a euphemism for ‘Much Love’),

drum rolls please... ta daaa... presenting, the infamous the one and only, The Sarcastic Pastry Chef

We all love desserts, but there are quite a few who love them before they get done.. yes, am talking about those who love to lick the bowl once the batter is set in the oven..  Are you one of em? Hahah, gotcha- dint we! 

Well, here is the latest video from her kitchen, it features the Cake batter pie, 
sweet yet not too sweet batter sitting pretty on a crunchy yet not too crunchy pie base with colourful sprinkles on top.. The pie is real, it does not make fake promises, nor does it lure you in with any fake boobs err cosmetic surgeries or botox.. It is sweet, it is innocent, it is just yumm .. Paints a pretty picture doesn't it? 

Step right into our studio won't you?

Vote for it!! Go on, watch the video and drool.. And if you want to bite into this, head to Crisp cafe @ 1, Kothari Road, Sterling Road, Opposite Sterling Club, Nungambakkam, Chennai 

Kickass, aint it? Well, you can check out her other videos, pictures and all that she has to say on any of these pages, 

➨ Facebook :  https://www.facebook.com/thesarcastic...
➨ Instagram :  http://instagram.com/thesarcasticpast...
➨ Subscribe here :  https://goo.gl/lDpkyp

Awadhi Food Festival, The Verandah at Vivanta by Taj-Connemara

Is it coincidence or just an act of fate I wondered??? For only last week I was talking to a group of friends about visiting Lucknow. Was doing some research and found the place had quite a bit of history and culture tucked away, not to forget some delightful food as well. And that is when I read that the cuisine from Lucknow city is called Awadhi. A week later I read about The Verandah in Vivanta by Taj Connemera having an Awadhi food festival.

I discovered that the cooking patterns of Lucknow are similar to those of Central Asia, the Middle East, and Northern India, and they gave equal importace to both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Their meals consisted of elaborate dishes such as kebabs, kormas, biryanis, kaliyas, nahari-kulchas, zarda, sheermal, roomali rotis, and warqi parathas. The richness of Awadh cuisine lies not only in the variety of cuisine but also in the ingredients used like mutton, paneer, and rich spices, which include cardamom and saffron [ not in small doses, mind you].

It was then I realized that the Land of Nawabs is a total foodie's paradise! So when I met the folks who hailed from Lucknow at Taj, I knew I was going to reach out to them for inputs when I did plan my trip here. 

What was amazing about this festival was that in true Taj style they had flown down Shamshad Ahmad, Master Chef from Vivanta by Taj, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow who had brought with him hundreds of recipes that would become a part of the Dinner buffet menu for the ten days of the festival. While chit chatting with the Chef we learnt they used what is called Potli spices [spices in a bundle] and when we probed all he told us was it had Cloves, black pepper, cardamom and few other spices. But would not reveal the ratio or the process. It was a secret he guarded with his heart!! :D

The evening begin with the delicious Tomato dhaniya ka shorba (Tomato coriander flavoured soup) followed by a whole range of starters Panner tikka hariyali (Mint and coriander flavoured tandoori paneer);  the showstopper Khoya khubani ke kebab (Apricot infused khoya kebab) and Tandor Subzi [ clay oven cooked vegetables]which was tad too spicy for my taste buds. These were served with the dip that had too much coriander if you ask me [ I love the subtle mint yoghurt chutney]

We then took a nose dive into the mains-Rumali roti, Sheermal [ the saffron flavoured flakey bread of sorts], the beautiful  Dum kofti biryani (Kabuli channa kofta biryani) that was served alongside Shahi panner (Paneer dum cooked in Mild rich gravy); Gobhi taka tin(Cauliflower cooked dry on hot plate with Awadhi mild spices);  Dum aloo dhaniya wala (Baby potatoes cooked in a green dhania  gentle spices- once again I felt the coriander was over powering),  Shahi urad dal (Creamy rich dal from Nawabi kitchen).. and the show stopper here was the Lasooni Palak [ Garlic flavoured spinach] – I couldn’t stop eating this!

And then came the finale, a trio of desserts - Shahi tukra (Rich creamy dessert of bread slices, dry fruits, nuts and saffron); Sheer Korma (Vermicelli, saffron, raisin & date kheer); and  Zarda Ananas [ sweet rice flavoured with saffron and pineapple]

By the end of the meal, I had learnt so much about Luckow and Awadhi cuisine that my resolve to visit this city was strengthened further..

Another amazing thing about this festival is that it is available only for the dinner buffet and the entire buffet has dishes from the festival menu.. Oh and make sure to catch the live bread stations set up outside near the pool- it is such a treat to watch..  

The festival is on from October 16 to 26  |  Dinner buffet  |  
INR 1500 plus taxes


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 :-)

Fusilli Reasons, Kilpauk,Chennai

It was one of those evenings when I was in a blah mode... Friends were busy messaging and talking about meeting,and finally after much ado, we decided to meet around 8.30 at Fusilli Reasons.. Now, I knew the place was good cos these guys have been raving about it, just hadn't visited yet.. 

I walked to Ormes road from home, took me about 15mins and found it tucked inside a lane just after Murugan Idli... It was a small place, I mean small- literally.. It could hold about 10 people, beyond which will get stuffy!

The guys were already there, so i grabbed a chair and looked around. Their menu was small which worked well.. We ordered two plates of Garlic bread- one with regular mayo while the other was with beetroot mayo- damn that was good.. 

We also tried their orange juice, came in a small glass bottle with a plastic cap- very neat and cool. Reminded me of the juices I had in Bangkok- fresh and yummy.. 

Apart from this, we went ahead and ordered Nachos, and two kinds of pasta- cream sauce & pesto.. The portion size is something I should mention- just perfect for one! And pesto pasta was awesome- I loved it... They are all served in palm leaf plates and came with disposable forks, spoons... Only downside is they have just brownies for desserts [ this is for those who need something sweet to end the meal]  

And for those of you who havent got it, the name is a word play on ‘few silly reasons’... Actually you don't need a reason to visit this place! 
Prices: 60Rs for Garlic bread, 80Rs for Nachos, 30Rs Iced Tea and 80Rs Pasta... Total value for money if you ask me! 

An article in The Hindu about the place

Address: 1/9,Dr Vasudevan Road,Ormes Road,Kilpauk, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600010
Phone:099626 31631