Soy Soi, Kotturpuram Chennai

"Pan Asian" - the two words that have me drooling and salivating!! Well, this time around I was off to check out the newly opened Asian street food restaurant Soy Soi in Kotturpuram with a friend of mine.. After establishing Double Roti in the city, the duo Japtej Ahluwalia and Nikesh Lamba have now moved on [with Vimal Kumar (Cloud Nine Hospitality) &Vikram Mohan (VM Hospitality) ] to Soy Soi and are all set to open doors to three more restaurants in the city [around this neighborhood], one of them right next door- Savy Rasa [which was just getting ready for the launch as I walked into Soy Soi]... 

A carefully curated menu put together by the team after a  3 week trip across South East Asia, mainly Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam (they will also be including dishes from Burma in the menu]...  

The first thing that you see is the huge red wall with the name Soy Soi on it.. You walk in, and it is quite dark with a lit stairway showing the way. Quite a mystery till you reach the landing and enter the restaurant. And then, the decor, the long wooden long community table of sorts, moving on to a bigger hall with a beautiful mural on the wall and hand crafted bamboo light fittings completes the look. Loved the place..  There are a few tables in the bigger hall and along the far end are booths of sorts for families or large groups of 5-6 people. 

The kitchen  is also divided into sections- beverages, momos & satay, and the main kitchen located near the entrance. 

We settled into a table for 4 and spent a few minutes taking it all in. Had a brief chat with Chef Peter Tseng [Have heard of him from his The Park days to Chap Chay and now this venture] and gave him free reign with respect to our food. Only thing we told him was we were both vegetarians.  The next two hours flew by with us sampling various dishes from across the menu - Soup, Salad, Dim Sum, Satay, Khao Suey and dessert which had a bit of theatrics to it.  Each dish was packed with flavour, different in terms of texture and spices.. by the end of the meal we were two happy souls... 

A meal for one works out to around Rs1000/- .. But it is totally worth it..As we walked out, we were amazed that the place was packed for a weekday afternoon and quite happy to see people trying new places.. 

Address: 

2/10, Gandhi Mandapam Rd, Chitra Nagar, Kotturpuram,

Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600085

Opp AMM School. 

Phone: 044 2447 2557

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 :-)

Songkran Festival at Benjarong

It was time for celebrations, ringing in the Thai New Year  in style, food style!  We were at Benjarong where they do few festivals but what they do they make sure to do well. This time was no different. I walked in and was welcomed by a grand entry decoration made with paper- leaves and flowers of all colours, lighting up the place. 

I walked towards our table and found Chef Ramkumar already on it , all set to take me through the Thai culture and Songkran menu. The evening started off with a glass of fresh delightful Thai pears, which was filled with pear pieces, litchi and a hint of lemongrass.This was so refreshing,  especially for Chennai Summers. 

As we chatted away, the salads and soups made their way to our table. We had a mixed fruit salad with a spicy dressing and my soup came in a full Coconut- yes, you read it right. It was made with a blend of three kinds of mushrooms and coconut milk- I couldn't stop gulping it down. They have a few options for non veg as well, one made wit prawns is said to be a hit. While learning about how different these flavours were when compared to regular Thai food, a plate with an assorted set of starters arrived - mine had two crisp tarts with corn & mushroom mix in it, another was a small bundle and finally the cutlet of sorts all of which were delicious . They were served with two dips- one was a sweet chilli dip while other was a mix of carrot, cucumber in light sugar water. 

Phew, I sure was stuffed and yet I continued to remain curious about what else was in store for the festival menu. For mains I got a portion of spicy thai rice and another was plain jasmine rice served with a Massaman curry [veg version] which had potatoes in it. It is typically made with lamb shanks here at Benjarong, but they had created a veg version for people like me . One last main course was a Noodle dish, with a melange of veggies :)

And finally, it was time for desserts. I was given two options- Khad niew moon- two kinds of sticky rice with fresh Mango slices  [that was heavenly], the other was Pang Ji-  pancakes made with coconut and banana, it is served with ice cream and a hint of strawberry sauce.

The Royal Thai cuisine is open for reservations for lunch and dinner from the 15^th of April till the 3^rd of May 2015.

Address:

Benjarong

146 TTK Road, 

Chennai. 

For reservations for the Festival can be made at 24322640.

Entree, Express Avenue

There we were in the mall, wandering aimlessly when hunger pangs began hitting us. We spotted Entree on the ground floor and decided to go check it out. The manager told us it was a pure veg place, and they offered both a la carte and buffet. We walked around seeing what the buffet had to offer, liked what we saw and chose the same. Priced at Rs 600, it is good value for money meal. The buffet began with a soup, going ot a range of straters spanning Indian, Italian and Thai, and then ofcourse came the main and desserts. I loved the noodles and thai curry, and salad options as well. They had a variety of premixed salads, extra olives, dressings that one can choose from

The dessert section had a few pudding, cakes and ice creams, along with payasam as well. Apart from this, friend ordered for a Tiramisu which arrived in style with a side of cut fruits. Overall, we enjoyed the meal. 

There are two entrances to this place- one from within the mall and other through the EA hotel entry!! 

Address:

Entree Located on the ground floor of Express Avenue Mall [in the luxury section] 

Ph: 044 28463333

The Grand Siam, RK Salai, Chennai

Ah, the 1st showcase in 2013. Well, i was looking forward to this one as we had visited another Restaurant under the same group- Chao and the experience had been anything but delightful. But it was an evening of surprises, good and otherwise. While it was lovely meeting the regular suspects, i realised how close we had all grown over the year, and the bonds developed between some of us stronger than others. 

The 1st thing that struck me about Grand Siam were the Buddha idols placed across the restaurant- there was one on the maitre de's table, a bigger Buddha with a mini fountain of sorts in the main lobby and then a few small ones in alcoves across the place. The decor was quite pleasing and the lighting just right, not too bright nor was it dark and dingy. The place looked small on the outside, but upon entering i noticed it was quite large and i also got a glimpse of the neat kitchen. The tables had a vase with a single strand of Orchid on them, reminding me of another restaurant. I noticed couple of others sipping on a drink that had a strong ginger flavour, and passed up on it. The 2nd one that came around too i nearly missed but for a few sips from KK's glass. It looked pink, had fizz and a green Shark stirrer dunked in it. I called it the Shark suicide point :D

 We were given a long table on the right side f the restaurant, and we seated ourselves after a wee bit of debate on where the vegetarians will sit and non vegetarians will. We were 6 veggies, and well, the night seemed long and tad frustrating. The traditional meal opener was served on the table-Mien Khem- a plate with a few baby spinach leaves- coconut shavings, onion, peanuts, red chilli, ginger, lime pieces and jaggery syrup. You serve yourself all that you like on a baby spinach leaf, fold it and eat the whole thing. It is quite yumm and we had a few of these while we waited for the soup. 

1st came the Tom Yum Phak soup- a light vegetable stock with veggies [baby corn, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms] cooked with Thai herbs and spices - galangal, lemongrass, red chillies, kafir lime leaves.. It was very watery and not as spicy as what i've had in other places. The major let down in the soup were the mushrooms, as much as i love them, i felt the ones in the soup were beyond their date and therefore were chewy and had a smell. 

Following this, we saw a plate with an assortment of starters- corn tartlets, spring rolls and mushroom in skewers served alongside a good portion of Raw mango salad. The corn tartlets were good, spring rolls were a bit bland, but tasted good with the peanut sauce. The mushrooms once again were a let down, they had a burnt taste and lacked flavour. The salad was divine, i could have had a bowl of just that and been happy with the meal :) 

Through the meal i must have had a jug full of water, or even more, that is how spicy some of the dishes were. And i had to keep beckoning the waiter to fill up my glass. Moving on, the mains on the non veg side started arriving while we waited wondering what was in store for us. Between meals, we got the chance to speak to the Chef, share our opinions and feedback, and hear his side out. 

For the mains, we saw a bowl of plain rice arrive, a Thai Green curry[ wonder why they add brussel sprouts, it kinda alters the taste adding a touch of bitterness to the dish], a stir fry salad with the tofu and sprouted beans[ which was yummy], a stir fry of veggies [ felt a bit soggy, and broccoli was definitely overcooked] and a bowl of noodles [ i dint taste this but from others learnt it had a strong spring onion flavour]. Oh and there was also the plate of deep fried potatoes and baby corn tossed in a thai sauce [ was good, but the potato could have been sliced smaller]. I had a few spoons of the rice with the different side dishes and the sprouts salad stood out, in terms of texture and flavour. 

It was time for dessert, for once i skipped the cup of Lemongrass tea, diving into the bowl of Tub Tim Grob [Water chestnut in coconut milk]- it was good, but i must agree that i have had better ones. We heard there was also another dessert on the menu- Pumpkin pudding with coconut ice cream, but alas dint get to sample it.

Address:

1/200, Dr Radhakrishnan Salai,
Opposite Maruti Suzuki Showroom [next to Duchess & Kabul]

Mylapore

Phone 044 45568323

A meal for 2 [vegetarians] would cost close to Rs600. This was a pre set menu served to us.. Shall update cost of this shortly

This was part of a Chennai Food Guide showcase conduced by Chennai Food Guide and so i am not going to rate the place. But i will tell you this- if you are bored of the usual Thai restaurants, give this one a shot, and do let me know what you thought of the food/service/ambiance/price.  All i shall say is the Restaurant needs to notch up their service, pay more attention to the dishes and they will see more crowds at their doors vying for a table!

Remember- This was just my review of the place, my opinions might vary from yours. And the dishes might change, so will  other factors!

Chao, T Nagar

"Chao".. well, it means hello in Vietnamese and to think Ciao means Bye in Italian.. One word, so many meanings. Similarly, Chao, the restaurant has many faces, many avatars so to speak. It offers an eclectic blend of interiors, a menu that takes us on a journey from Vietnam to Singapore, China to Thailand....

Spending a few minutes exploring the venue, I discovered it was on two levels, the basement bigger than the ground floor. it also included a Lounge-a private dining area... The walls are adorned with various figurines and pieces made of wood, a tree stump leading to a light fitting under which sits a majestic Buddha. A narrow winding staircase tucked away in a corner. The ground floor offers a few cabin like settings, two small and one large. Glass, wood and light is what catches your eye as you step into this swanky restaurant that is just a few weeks old. 

Situated on north Boag road, almost opp the Singapore Consulate, adj to Coffee Central, the restaurant belongs to Ramesh & his partner Jagadish. Ramesh, being an architect has spent quite a bit of effort in decorating the place and it is quite visible.

Greeted with a cup of hot Lemongrass tea, I chatted with Shalini Muthukumar [Ramesh's sis in law] who also owns the label "spice dip". Pretty soon, the table was full, and Chef Dhiraj started bringing out plates of food... not only did they look good, but tasted delicious as well. He was kind enough to remember the vegetarians from the non veg clan and patiently answered my 1001 questions.

Starters:

Green Mango Salad

 

Corn Tartlets - Tartlets filled with crispy corn kernels

Devil's potato - Crispy fried and sauteed potato wedges

Veg Dim Sums served with garlic sauce

Mushroom Pepper Salt - Crispy & juicy mushrooms tossed in pepper, chili flakes and garlic and served on a bed of fried noodles'

Rice wrap rolls served alongside Lemongrass dip - Rice wrap sheets stuffed with raw vegetables and tofu rolled up.

 

Devil's chicken

Chao Thai Grilled Fish - Boneless fish fillets marinated, grilled and served on skewers

Wasabi Prawns - Crispy fried Prawns tossed in smooth Wasabi mayo.

 Satay Prawns - Juicy prawns marinated, grilled and served on skewers

I spent quite some time sampling the dishes, trying to figure out the spices, method of cooking, sorting through my curiousity and i noticed another array of dishes coming towards our table. They were the main dishes announced Shalini.

Thai Veg Green Curry- It was very different from what i've had, was surprised to find Brussel sprouts in the gravy

Jasmine Rice- A rice cooked with jasmine infusion though with no jasmine flavour[thank god]

Singaporean Bee Hoon - Fine Rice noodles with bean sprouts[ this was the best of the lot]

Cashew Garlic Garden greens - Stir fried vegetables mildly cooked with Garlic sauce and cashews

 Sambal fried rice- Non veg

Basil Chicken - Fine Minced tender chicken served in hot basil sauce

And finally, as i flipped through their extensive menu card [which has been beautifully separated into 2 sections- Veg & Non veg], i spotted quite a few familiar desserts. The ones we got to taste were

 


Tub Tim Grob - Water chestnuts in coconut milk served with crushed ice

Pumpkin custard with Coconut ice-cream- This was an afterthought of sorts. I noticed it on the menu and requested Shalini to serve us a plate or so. and no sooner there were more than one plate of this dessert served up, but they kept disappearing...








It was one fun evening... As always.... If you are driving down the road, and feel hunger pangs kick in, then pull over and do try the restaurant. 

Price- A meal for 2 will roughly cost around Rs1500 - 2000 

Address:
#49, North Boag Road,T. Nagar address 044 65555553, 044 65555554
[Opp Singapore Consulate and Adj to Coffee Central] Drive down from Residency towers/10D towards GN Chetty road, and you will spot this restaurant on your left.


This was part of a CFG Showcase that I attended and was conducted by Chennai Food Guide.

Disclaimer:
The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-)