Intercontinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort, ECR

Now that you got a glimpse of what I saw when we walked into the Intercontinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort, ECR, here is what else we were treated to.. The property is not like any other resort I have been to and well I surprised myself by thinking "now this is one place I would love to come stay in". There was something very mystical, very South Indian and Romantic about the property. With walls that seemed to go all the way to the stars, clear square cut walls within, long walk ways, and simple decor, it stands out indeed. The ocean is just a short walk away by the way... 

The evening was glorious, there was cool breeze which added to the experience. And we were in for a bigger surprise, amazing food, good company and sudden downpour as well. What more could you ask for? We had the pleasure of dining in the outdoor area near their all day dining restaurant The Melting Pot. 

Here is what Chef Ashish, who comes from a background of working at Ananda Spa in the Himalayas put together for us.. A tasting menu as it is called, it had quite a mix of flavours, textures and ingredients... Go on, I invite you to start the journey that sent me some kind of food heaven... 

The welcome drink... the Star Anise was the star of the drink..

Ginger Cosmopolitan.. perfect for the beautiful evening it was..

Freshly baked Focaccia with two kinds of dips- Channa based dip and Tomato dip..We happily had multiple refills of this..

The chilled Green Peas soup that was beyond divine with parmesan crisps

A Thai style dish, with raw mango salad

Baked Camembert, Kalamata Olives, tomatoes and red wine...

Pumpkin Ravioli coconut naje basil

Goat cheese Tart with toppings of various textures served with fresh heirloom tomatoes & walnuts.

 Tagliatelle with caper olive and pickle lime

Chocolates done in different ways...Five different textures to be precise, with a burst of surprises hide within..

Welcome back after the ride, let me assure you the food was beyond amazing.. The flavours, the textures were all perfect and it was a fun dinner...

Buffet is priced at Rs. 1499 and 1799 plus taxes for lunch and dinner, but they are all about customising the experience. So, if you have a budget or certain preferences, just share them with the Chef and you will be wowed... A friend had stayed here earlier and did say the food was good, so a second visit is due! 

Rajasthani Food Festival at Seasonal Tastes – The Westin

Looks like Food Festivals is the buzzword of the era.. Restaurants are raking it in with these festivals, trying to outdo themselves and offer customers something different.. This time we were at Seasonal Tastes, the all day dining restaurant in Westin, Velachery. 

Having been to the hotel before, I knew what was good and what to look forward to,but the only drawback, a big one at that is the distance. It takes me nothing short of an hour, especially the stretch near Phoenix Mall. 

There I was to check out the Rajasthani Food Festival at the restaurant.. Here are a few images from the evening... The dishes have been put together by Chef Satveer.. The menu changes every four days with the last day being the show stopper, with Daal baati churma and few other such exquisite dishes from the region....

The starters and chutney..

The cool copper pots used to serve dishes in.

The entire main course - smaller pots had veg side dishes while the pots had the non veg dishes and then there were breads

Only disappointing thing was the Chef said there were no Rajasthani desserts that evening... We had to make do with the few that was on display, including the Malpua and Gulab Jamun apart from the few western desserts..

What greets you as you walk into the restaurant... Colourful and bright.. 

When: 18th January – 31st January, 2016

Dinner: 7:00 – 11:00 pm

Price : 1550+ taxes 

For reservations, contact:

Address:154 Velachery Main Road Chennai,Tamil Nadu 600042 India

Contact: Shrikanth 8939892022

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 :-)

M'Bessy in Hotel Esthell, Adyar

M’BESSY, the all new Continental Resto-Bar was launched at Hotel Esthell, Adyar by  Mr. Dinesh Raj & Partners this Saturday,  9.00 pm , 26^th December 2015.

M’BESSY Resto – Bar is placed in 2 levels; Ground floor furnished in a vintage European diner Décor’ and the 1^st floor has a contemporary lounge bar, the pride of which are the range of alcohol on the bar and the 6 best bartenders in the country.

As you enter the main hotel, you are greeted with a stairway on the left and a winding spiral stairway on the right. However, the one that is open for customers is on the left. The right one is used by the hotel staff. You get on top of the stairway and are greeted by a door, which opens to a passage flanked by Flags from across the World , some of which I had no idea about. And then you are hit by dark plush interiors and beautiful chandeliers..

[photographs above shared by the Restaurant/pub]

Beverages/Drinks at the RestoPub:

 Maid in India

Mint Julep [non alcoholic]

 mBessy Elite Sour

 The Royal Tea Punch

Ginger Cosmo

M'Bessy Kitchen & Bar:

An exclusive gastronomic endeavor in Chennai focusing on continental cuisine and a wide range of Cocktails and the largest Bar in the city.We have the Bar team headed by the 6th best bartender of India. Our food consultants are currently part of Michelin star restaurants around the world.

M'Bessy derived from Embassy is a  "Republic of Gastronomy" traversing the customer into a world of great food and drinks. The twist in the name is to emphasis the term "Bessy" which is the elite name for Chennai's iconic besant nagar beach and our strategic location of being the 1st building on the road to that beach.

An European Interior, our 2 level restaurant has a fine dining space in the ground floor leading into a Bar in the first floor. M'Bessy is the brainchild of young entrepreneur Dinesh Raj.The other partners of the restaurant are Mr. & Mrs. Britto and Nithya.

The dishes we had were,

Starters:

1. Mezze Platter

2. Broccoli Polonais - Loved it

Mains[veg]:

3.Pizza Bianca - blue cheese & caramelised onions - was good.. 

4. Paneer based dish 

Desserts:

5. Chocolate Terrin

6. Tiramisu [deconstructed]- was the best of the lot 

7. Caramelised Bono

Well, the decor is wow, the drinks were beautiful, each one different from the other and quite theatrical as well. Loved the starters, esp the Broccoli dish but they do lack consistency in favours. As for the mains, liked the pizza, others were alright... The desserts were alright...  But then it could also be that they are still new and rough around the edges.. Should do a visit few months down the road to give it another shot!! 

It is indeed a place where one can go hang out with friends or even hold a business meeting.. 

A Meal for two will cost about Rs.1800 without the drinks.

Address: 
No. 1, Royal Enclave, Besant Avenue, Adyar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600020
Phone:044 2446 3311

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 :-)

Eggs Benedict, Fusion and Breakfast at Park Hyatt

Since I wake up early, it is never an issue about getting ready and getting out early. But when you have been out on your feet all day on a Saturday, waking up early on Sunday wasn't  really exciting  But then, the thought of digging into Eggs Benedict, in different forms and a morning with good friends was what had me up and ready....

As we walked into Park Hyatt, I looked around to see what was different, the art in the hotel lobby keeps changing, they have display by new artists and it is always something I look forward to. From the minute we entered The Dining Room [ their all day dining restaurant on lobby level], it was magical...  Here is what we had... 

Madras 

Fried Idli + Tomato Sliced + Potato Masala+ Curry Spices

Florentine 

English muffin + Creamy Spinach +Poached Egg+ Grated Parmesan Cheese

Savory Waffle 

BBQ Sauce Glazed +Spring Onion [it comes with Bacon as well]

Southwestern 

Brown Toast + Refried Beans+ Tomato Salsa + Poached Egg+ Cheddar Cheese

Asian

Corn Cake+ Oriental Mushroom Salad+ Poached Egg+ Sesame Seeds

Cant seem to find the photograph, this was quite divine as well. It had corn and potato at the bottom along with some sautéed mushrooms. the egg sat pretty on the top!

Note:  All eggs benedict were  served with our homemade hollandaise sauce... 

Apart from this, we did a run of their Breakfast buffet, learnt about the fresh honeycomb they had brought down from the Himalayas in Oct [honey collected was also part of buffet spread], and the beautiful dessert spread they had.. I loved the Beetroot cake- it was sweet, had the strong Beetroot flavours and was very soft.  Chef Balaji who has put his together has really gone all out !!

I also tried the Masala Dosa which was served with three chutneys and sambar... 

Fresh fruits, Muesli with berry topping and a slice of the beetroot cake. It is accompanied with Fresh watermelon juice.. They also had orange, pineapple juices.

The dessert counter.. 

Priced at Rs 900 plus taxes (or was it Rs. 1150 /-) with no additional charge for the Eggs, this is a breakfast for someone like me.. Indulgent and delicious!

The Eggs benedict festival is on till the 31st,  but we did suggest they incorporate these into their regular breakfast as well..

Address:

#39, Velachery Main Rd, Raj Bhavan Colony, TN Police Housing Colony, Velachery, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600032
Phone:044 7177 1234

Mint Padmanabhan at The Music Academy

I have this gang of friends, one morning one of them began this thread on "Shall we go try Music academy lunch one of these days" and soon there was a buzz and we zeroed in on a  date and plan was in place.. 

We headed to Music Academy around 12.30, a friend had already reached and picked up lunch coupons. The line was long, it snaked around and we stood in it for nearly 20mins before we found empty spots. 

There was a small area where round tables and chairs were placed, people were having snacks and mini meals. And for the main lunch, there were tables and chairs laid out like in a wedding. The five of us sat down and eagerly looked forward to the food. We had seen the menu earlier in the morning and it had a few interesting dishes. 

Priced at Rs220, this was good value for money and quite umm as well.. Loved the Pavakkai Pitlai and Motichoor laddoo :)

What was amazing was we noticed the line was still long and people waited patiently for their turn.. !