Asian Station, KNK Road, Chennai

The Decor and the cocktail I had....

The cool menu..

Three different kinds of dimsums..

The clear glass noodle soup

Sushi...

Jasmine Rice and Thai Green curry..

Laksa..

Tab tim grob...

There I was, walking into this giant black gated space, with walls decked up in bright coloured murals and then finally the sun hits you as you turn the corner. This place used to be the Park Pod, and then it was known for The Slate, but today I was walking in to the newly opened Asian Station [adjoining The Slate]. 

They have a huge outdoor space downstairs, and a smaller indoor air-conditioned space upstairs. I noticed they had banners displaying the various IPL teams and a giant screen as well. Would have been good to have watched a few matches here. As I made my way upstairs, I couldn't help but wonder how at one point this entire place was Posh, looked world apart from the rest of the restaurants or hotels in the city and today it had a bit of run down look... Oh well~!! 

The closed space can seat about 25-26 people and is a long narrow hallway of sorts with cooling towers/Tower AC that helps keep it cool.. Their kitchen is downstairs[ Gulp, I cant imagine how the staff make trips up and down those narrow steps, sometimes carrying multiple dishes or plate].. The restaurant Asian Station, as the name suggests is all about the Pan asian cuisine- Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean and Malay. Infact, they have another outlet in Anna Nagar which is nearly 2 years old and doing pretty well I hear! 

The colours on the walls and seating was quite funky... But above it all, I loved their menu design. It was a simple one sheet, with flip option on each category. No pages and pages of complicated dishes, leaving you bamboozled.  From the soup section, I had the glass noodle clear soup, dimsums - I had a range of them, from carrots, to mushrooms to mix veg as well, each one came looking so cute and pretty in the bamboo containers. That apart I also tried their veg sushi, which was quite good [ packed with avocado and cream cheese] They were all yumm... 

For the mains, I had my favourite Jasmine Rice and Thai green curry... The other two at the table ordered Prawn red curry.. We did try their Laksa, but it lacked flavour punch [ the base needed more flavour, one of the friends dining with me was from Singapore and so she knew her Laksa...] In most pan asian places, the dessert section is quite small, we opted for the familiar Tab tim grob [ water chestnut] , which was alright [you cant really go wrong with it]... 

During the course of conversation with the man behind the brand- Rohan Ahuja, we came to know he had different chefs at the outlets and while Anna nagar one was doing very well, this one was about 2 month old and slowly picking up. He was looking at introducing a bento box style meal [targeting offices/corporate lunch] and making small tweaks to the menu as well. Coming from a completely non hospitality background, he was in love with food and so got into this business and had learnt the ropes of the business, and was quite kicked about the place. He also spoke about how that particular road had not one but nearly 5 restaurants serving asian cuisine and so it was going to be interesting to create a mark and draw crowds.... 

Well, next time you are in/around Nungambakkam, and looking for a new place to explore, head over to Asian Station~!

Address: 
Asian Station
#23, 13, Khader Nawaz Khan Rd, 
Thousand Lights West,  Chennai -600006
[Inside The Slate complex]

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 :-)

Rooftop Lounge at Ramada Plaza, Guindy

This platter consisted of- ✓ Butter Naan ✓ Mutton Roganjosh ✓ Vegetable Kohlapuri  ✓Dal makhani

✓Mirchi ka salaan ✓Plain Steamed rice ✓Raita ✓Pickle  & ✓ Paapad

Cool breeze, 

Buildings all around lit up and 

you get a 360degree view of the city.. 

....paints quite the picture right? Well this is what you get if you head up to the Rooftop Lounge at Ramada Plaza Chennai in Guindy.. [For those who did not know, Chennai has 2 Ramada properties, one in Egmore- Ramada Chennai Egmore and this is the 2nd one] 

The very first time I visited this property was in March 2018, when someone I knew was visiting the city on work. We had  dined at the Pan asian restaurant they had and it was fabulous- the food and service! I was seriously blown away by the flavours.. And so when I heard they had a new rooftop restaurant, it was time for a visit. 

Those who have been to chennai, know that it is pretty much hot hotter and hottest, but Nov to Feb end, maybe March 1st week the weather is fabulous.. We enjoy the cool pleasant low temperatures!! And so walking up to the Rooftop Lounge on that cool Feb evening I was in love with my city all over again. They have a huge outdoor sitting area, with a cover, the infinity swimming pool right next to the space, and also closed cabanas a few steps below along with a small well stocked bar. The cabanas have two tables or you can use them for a small group dinner as well. Each one is like a separate room with a glass door, which gives you the privacy you need and shuts outside noise. 

We chose a table near the pool, enjoyed the cool breeze while we waited for the food to arrive. I chose to have a Long island iced tea,while my friend chose a Mocktail, litchi & guava blended- which was actually good.  As for the food, the pictures should speak volumes. The soup, the salad were the show stoppers for me. Chef Pawan Kumar, who hails from Ranchi told us how they played around with flavours, combinations before settling on this menu. The only thing missing from the menu are pizza and pastas, but then the rest of the menu makes up for it, if the dishes that we tried were any indication of the quality of the food. 

The mango spicy spring cigars were quite delicious, one that I havent had before. Similarly, the meal platter is perfect [esp the portion size].. The only suggestion we had was to replace the chocolate swirl in the dessert with maybe a Jalebi or something indian that would go well with the Rabri and chenna. 

A meal for 2 would work out to around Rs3000/- [not incl alcohol] , but then make sure you head here either before March or post August...

Address:

Ramada Plaza Chennai 

36, Sardar Patel Rd, Little Mount, 

Guindy, Chennai- 600032
Phone: 044 4565 3333

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 :-)

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 :-)

Va Pho, Asian Canteen, Chennai

Pan Asian flavours are my favourite  followed closely by Italian. And so when I saw the bright lights of Va Pho, the newest to join this league, I had to drop by for a visit. Aptly titled Asian Canteen, the name is a play of words. Ph [pronounced Foe is a Vietnamese soup] while it could also be the Va Po [as we say in Tamil- which translates to come and go]. There were no doubts in my head with reference to the food or flavours as this was another feature in the Oriental Cuisines's hat.  

As I marched up the two flights of stairs, the stark grey walls kept me company. But the minute you walk in, you are hit by the burst of colours, the vibrant decor and the glittering tuk tuk near the entrance. We took the table at the far end , with high chairs. Two others near us were enjoying their plate of momos while playing a game of Jenga. I spotted a corner on the other side with shelves lined up with merchandise and one of them vintage radio units as well. The walls are all brightly decorated with murals, the monkey being the highlight of it all.  Some of the light fittings look like cameras set up for a photo shoot and there are round tables with seating on three sides, perfect for large groups. It had a very casual relaxed feel to it. 

I also spotted a Roulette and quickly made a beeline to check it out. They were just sorting the game out and hopefully on my next visit it would have the cards and tokens. I had seen this only in movies and so the curious me wanted to play.

Time to get down to the food, right? the menu is simple, all of 4 sheets and the Chef told us it would change periodically. They had a Chef from Malaysia overseeing the kitchen for the time being.. all of which meant the food was going to be spot on and delicious. Here is what we had,

Miloni crush [Melon and pineapple based] and Royale Madras [ with Tender Coconut as base]

Broccoli stir fry of sorts - just yummilicious 

Veg dim sums

Chilli Tofu Satay 

The Bao- it had spicy Tofu . My first experience digging into a Bao and this was light, airy and went well with the filling. did not need a dipping sauce at all. 

The Vegetarian Soup - the broth is poured on the vegetables at the table. There is a side of lemon, sprouts and chilli sauce to add based on your preference.

Since Mangos are in season, here is a Mango based drink that was thick, creamy and refreshing

Japchae- Glass noodles salad with crunchy vegetables and variety of mushrooms.

A Chef's special rice bowl- with beans, garlic and thai flavours 

A melange of veggies stir fried

Chocolate Mousse- it was fun to open the dome and dig into this dark chocolate heaven

Burmese Falooda- There was ice cream, chia seeds, and so much more in this tall dessert 

Sticky rice with peaches, a twist on the traditional sticky rice and mango.

Tender coconut ice cream stick served with coconut cream that had saago in it along with light flaky biscuits on the side. 

What was amazing about the place was not only was the food good, it was also priced very reasonably. All dishes were between 140- 350 bucks. The most expensive item on their menu was a main dish [non veg] and a dessert- Vapholicious [that would be a fun dessert if you are a group of 4 or more] priced @Rs499  

While the flavours in all dishes were familiar, quite a few were new to me [I have heard of the Bao and glass noodles salad, but this was my1st time digging into one]. I know for sure this is going to be one of my favourite places to head to ... 

Address:

Va Pho is located behind Hot Breads ,Copper Chimney and Sera Tapas bar. 

No: 6, Cathedral road, Chennai: 86. 

Ph: (044) 48566555.

They are open from 12noon to 11pm all days. 

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  :) 

Avartana unveiled, ITC Grand Chola, Chennai

Deconstructed…Dehydrated….Emulsified…Smoked..

are terms that once upon a time used to go over my head.. Now I know what they mean, and I know what to expect when a dish is placed in front of me. But then there are times when I falter and assume what I see is what I get, well those are times when am in for a surprise..  It is like the dish does a one up on me, giving me a jolt and shaking things up a bit. :-) 

Tonight we were there to explore the newest restaurant in the block, Avartana. "Avartana", the name is  derived from sanskrit [means rhythm, mysticism and magic] 

As we walked along the familiar corridor at ITC Grand Chola towards the new restaurant [located near Towers Lobby],  I could not help but wonder what Chef Ajit Bagera has whipped up.    We had reached the end of the corridor and were guided towards the left, into the restaurant.  The first thing I notice is the rotary evaporator sitting there on the table. When enquired, I was told it was for rasam.. My mind was starting to wander into the world of its own where food was similar to what I have read in Willi Wonka’s Chocolate factory- fun & playful, yet true to the flavours. 

The carpet has banana leaf patterns, the walls have Kerala boat style lighting etched on them, there are glass panels all around with banana flower styled fittings on them, the lights on our table were inspired from the tender coconuts… I could go on and on. It was amazing to see the attention to detail. Oh and this is probably the only South Indian restaurant with an open kitchen.

We had the privilege of being seated in the private dining area [it can accommodate 10 pax, overall capacity of the Restaurant is 60 covers]. I see my plate, and a green blob of sorts on my knife. I wonder if it is a macaron or something else. Chef Harish Rao [ of Park Sheraton’s Dakshin] fame walks in with a grin with a “gotcha, you guys did not know I am here now didja” ..  And thus began our WOW evening.

A flower arrangement with what looked like macaroons on a stick, which turned out to be Fennel & pepper Air with Avocado Fluff [the green blob from my knife] that melted in our mouths… Tomato rasam that was poured into a French press containing herbs, tomato and poured onto martini glasses- it was filled with flavour and fun[ I would have happily had a pot of this]… 

Fluffy little idlies served with a Sweet pepper & Eggplant stuffed Ridge gourd sitting on a sesame & peanut curry.  The rice & Madurai Chutney [ a version of Kuzhi paniyaram served atop hot red chilli chutney] , Jackfruit and vegetable congee served with brinjal raita.. Butter milk noodles dish, a take on our curd rice perhaps where the sauce was poured on and it had a tiny pippet containing lemon pickle. To finish it off there was Finger millet vermicelli served with tender coconut ice cream and caramalised milk sitting pretty on a plate resembling a bird’s nest with some edible art work around it…

Along with the food there were a few interesting drinks- Mocktails & Cocktails as well. I had Mouth Road 63 [which is the address the property sits on] and Gooseberry Margharita served in one tall glass, both of which were absolutely divine. For the others there were a range of Mocktails- Nannari based, Paneer soda, raw mango drink served in a traditional Bharani, mint-coriander and many more.

The dishes were not only a treat for the eyes, but for the palate as well. During the course of the evening, Chef Bangera shared the journey behind the restaurant, and how the team has been at it for a while, working on the dishes and presentations. He was clear he did not want to reinvent South Indian food, but he was here to give it a twist and add a surprise element for the guests. Well, must say he has done exactly that.

All during the evening, I kept thinking of my granpa. He was one of those always open to new flavours and would have loved this place.  He is one of those true blue South Indians who will not tolerate any mucking about, especially with traditional dishes.  It also makes me happy to note that my city has now opened doors to such new restaurants and the fact that the restaurant is sold out the 1st few days is heart warming~ 

The restaurant is open for dinner [7pm to 11pm] and offer only tasting menus.

Prices begin at Rs. 2000 approx [per pax] for a 7 course-tasting menu.  

[All you need to do is tell the Chef if you have any allergies or don’t eat certain items.]

Address: No., 63, Anna Salai, Guindy, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600032

Call 044 2220 0000 for reservations.

Website : http://www.itchotels.in/hotels/itcgrandchola.aspx

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  :-)