Pit-stop at Peaches’

Sandhya Ramachandran decides to pause between mouthfuls and gets talking to the three young promoters of Chennai’s new and popular vegetarian world-cuisine restaurant – Peaches’.

Raghu Viswanathan, Venkatesh Kannan and Niranjan Tata never really thought they would start a restaurant together, ten years from the first day they met in college. Hours of coding and debugging later, in both college and the IT Company they worked in, the idea of starting something together was born.

It took them a while before they figured out what exactly they wanted to do. Niranjan reveals that they zeroed in on their choices of food, travel and entertainment. Venkatesh adds, “Then each one of us picked a topic and researched on it”. Since the three of them were foodies, the result was evident.

Raghu tells us that “the name Peaches was our first choice, but then, we wanted a few more choices and hunted for names again.” Funnily enough, they split responsibilities based on alphabets this time. One team of precise, well divided labour, alright!

So who is ‘peaches’, we plead, alluding to their teaser ad campaign that got them a lot of media attention and public eyeballs. Raghu and Venkatesh answer us in detail, “Peaches’ is the embodiment of an ideal woman to us. The concept of an ideal woman varies from person to person. There are different visualizations. In the same way, we have Peaches’. Peaches’ is what you want her to be. We wanted her to be someone that satisfied everybody’s need in terms of food.” Articulation indeed, just like their small but carefully planned menu.

So we get to what interests us the most – the food. We wanted to know the ideal three-course menu that we could order for the boss just in case we happened to land up at Peaches’. Niranjan took this one and has suggested we “start with the French onion soup. It is everyone’s favourite”. Aah! So the boss will begin the lunch in good spirits. He then says we must order their mushroom tortellini for starters, get some Phuket Paneer for the main course and indulge our boss in the time-tested gajar ka halwa and ice-cream to wrap up the meal. Safe and ever-reliable options, we agree.

We asked Raghu to pick out the meal at Peaches’ for our Peaches – meaning what we could order at a date – and he lists out, “Comfort food or what we call the ‘sarakku dish’(tavern snacks) of crispy American corn to begin with.” Good for conversations, we add. Then he urges that you order a creamy mushroom lasagna saying “you cannot go wrong with something that has cream, cheese and mushroom.” Ideal dish for the ideal date, we quip albeit a little cheesily. For dessert, he encourages the great hot chocolate fudge fundae. Hell, we’d order that even if we weren’t on a date!

Venkatesh however declares that the Somaras should be the ideal dessert choice. He indulges us in an interesting theory of immortality behind it. “The somaras comes straight from heaven, as its name suggests. Every drink adds a day to your life. So the sure shot way of longevity is to drop by Peaches for a daily dose of somaras,” he finishes. They had their fill, and have lived to tell the tale today. Maybe it is not all clever advertisement, maybe there is an element of truth. Why don’t we check it out for ourselves?

b! Review: Coffeetales @ Shenoy Nagar

f you like your food with a twist and some splendid coffee to go with it, Coffeetales is the place to be declares Sandhya Ramachandran.

It is an undisputable fact that kids in college love their Maggi (as we have grown to call ready-made noodles in India). Whether it is the watery greasy bowlful they get in their canteens or the 2-minute variety they prepare on the all-nighters before semester exams and juries, Maggi has been a part of everyone’s growing up.

So when a little birdie told us that there was this place in Shenoy Nagar, just a few months old, that sells everything from Paneer Masala Maggi toPuliyodharai Maggi (or tamarind paste maggi), our eyes popped out and of course, mouths watered.

Coffeetales owner Manoj explains how he has always experimented with cooking through the many roles he has donned over the years – textile businessman, computer professional, event manager etc. Finally deciding to go with his passion, he started Coffeetales in March this year. The interiors have been done by Design Ink, a Chennai-based architecture and interior firm, who have created a simple relaxing atmosphere within. There is a Coffeetales comic painted on the ceiling and the theme is predominantly shades of brown tempting you even more to order the brown brew.

We began with the wraps – the Indian paneer(Rs. 65) and mushroom variety(Rs. 60) – the latter winning our hearts almost instantly. The paneer in the former was extremely well made, proudly holding its fort with a thin crust huddling a soft core. That the wraps were slightly high on oil was our only complaint.

Since we were smitten by the paneer, we ordered ourselves a Paneer masala Maggi(Rs. 75) which didn’t disappoint us either. But if you want to get a little more experimental, you have the Puliyodharai Maggi, Vathalkozhambu Maggi(a tangy tamarind and sun-dried sunberry paste Maggi) and Morkozhambu Maggi (buttermilk-based maggi)(each of the three special Maggis at Rs. 90) to try! Manoj explains that he gets these base pastes specially made before tossing them in to the Maggi and conjuring his specials.

We were then urged to try the Masala Burger(Rs. 80) – a non-snooty Hindustani cousin of the famed western burger – a variety that Manoj has carefully crafted. A thin patty made out of minced vegetables is tucked in between buns with a splatter of a masala paste and grilled. Easy to hold and bite into, the Masala Burger was a yummy filling eat. Parents, take note: this dish is good for the school lunch boxes.

We then ordered ourselves a Paneer-Maggi Sandwich(Rs. 225) (yes, we do have a diagnosed OCD for paneer), wanting to desperately find how the slimy sneaky noodles stay put in a sandwich! A delight to eat, the Maggi sandwich had Paneer, tomatoes, onions thrown in to a masaledaarMaggi preparation and then layered between the buns to give us the sandwich. Manoj generously adds a spoonful of the Maggi preparation on the side of our plates so that we could add more of the spicy filling if need be.

You also have an array of ice creams and mojitos to choose from and we went for a paan ice cream. An interesting innovation, which tasted like paan without all the chewing, stains and spitting!

If you swear by your Red Bulls, Coffeetales has an entire drinks menu of mocktails(at Rs.200 each) with the energy drink – Virgin Bulljito (mint based), Summer Fresh(orange, pineapple etc), Verve (peach and orange) and plenty more. But if you are like us and would rather live and breathe coffee-unto-death, do not hesitate to order theirs. The taste of the coffee(Rs.55) stayed with us for a long time even after we had gulped it all down. Excellent, is the word! There are even the chocochino, marochino(hazelnut flavour) and Irish coffee varieties to try from.

We suggest you gather a bunch of friends over the weekend and head straight to Coffeetales. We hope the weather is nice and cloudy and a drizzle follows. Plonk yourself on their couches or grab those ottomans. And over slurps of maggi, plates of fusion food and some excellent brew of coffee get your tales going.

Must try: Coffee, Mushroom Wrap, Masala Burger, any of the Maggi preparations for kicks!

Meal for two: Rs.350-Rs.400

b! reviews Kryptos by Willi @ Nungambakkam

LINK: http://know.burrp.com/food-dining/b-reviews-kryptos-by-willi-at-nungambakkam/44779

Like the expression ‘Greek God’ is to men, ‘Greek food’ should be the last word in judging food, gushes Sandhya Ramachandran after a visit to Kryptos by Willi.

Our idea of Greek cuisine is barely what one could have called authentic. Apart from one or two dishes tasted in multi-cuisine restaurants, the rest of our knowledge came from watching movies like ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ and reading ‘Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants’. To sum it up, we knew next to nothing. So walking into a Greek restaurant was more of an initiation into its cuisine and not exclaiming “that’s Greek to me” anymore. A bad pun aside, Kryptos by Willi onKhader Nawaz Khan Roadwas where we headed.

Tasteful minimalist décor welcomes you at the basement restaurant and the community table right in the middle had our curious eyes and ears perk up. Neha Agarwal, the PR and Marketing Manager who joined us, explained that it was a way of promoting the Greek tradition of communal eating. This table has at many times borne witness to random groups of people sharing a meal and bonding over food and conversation, adds Brand Consultant, Jyoti Agarwal. The point of a meal – to feel a sense of togetherness – finally gets its due.

Unfortunately for us, we were two vegetarians out to experiment a new lunch buffet menu at Kryptos along

with trying out a few old regulars. Thankfully, the buffet was balanced and for a change, even as vegetarians we felt it was good value for money. There was a cold salad counter with servings of chickpeas, potato, spinach and cabbage salad. But what caught our fancy were the Meze-Dolmades. The dish was made from vine leaves marinated in brine and wrapped around a stuffing of rice tossed in olive oil. Moving from soft and chewy leaves to the mildly crunchy rice, the textures that this dish offers you can only be experienced and not written about. A must try, we declare!

There was also yummy mozzarella cheese floating in a bowl, looking like cottony clouds, so appetising that you cannot resist but put them on your plate (only a short pit stop for the cheese, hah!). The haricot beans were well cooked and were a light and healthy eat. The pasta salad was not up to the mark. However the capers, black olives, green olives and Kalamata olives pretty much mentally transported us to the Greek countryside. Another item that deserves mention was the Imam Bayildi (slow baked brinjal with tomato sauce). The brinjal tasted smoked on the outside and was soft and tender inside; the mixture of the two making for an excellent dish.

We attacked the mixed meze platter with gusto. The bourekia-mushroom pastry (pastry parcels filled with mushroom, leek and cheese) was overwhelmingly good. The mushrooms especially were tender and oh-so-yummy! The tiropitakiaor cheese pastry saw the cheese filling oozing into our mouths from the phyllo pastry triangles they were nestled in, taking us on a sinfully good ride on the gourmand highway. The kremidopita-tomato tartlets had Greek onion and tomato baked in crunchy tartlets with feta cheese. There was then the Cypriothalloumi cheese served with buttered potatoes, broccoli and herbs. The Cypriothalloumi cheese is by nature layered in appearance and salty to taste and the one we were served with, lived up to our expectations.

We stuffed our mixed vege stick (minced vegetable patties filled with mozzarella and sundried tomatoes) burger-style in between the layers of our phyllo bread, spread some hummus and dug into it. A definite healthy and tasty impromptu Greek fix we were proud of. The paneer skewer, although good to taste was a killer to the Greek spirit the rest of the menu provided. To us, it was the clear black sheep in the flock and we are ready to argue hours to make them take it off the menu!

The usual suspects lined up in the dips. The tzatziki was pretty much the Indian raita, with the garlic and olive oil adding the Greek touch to it. The skordila or the garlic-based dip and the quintessential Meditteranean favourite, the hummus made out of chickpeas, were also present, egging us to bring in more flavours to our food.

There was then the star of the evening  – the Domates Piperies. Braised red and yellow sweet peppers with their delicate outer skins stuffed with tomatoes, pine nuts, mint and basmati rice tossed in olive oil, this dish had us asking for more. The crunchy pine nuts contrasted the soft peppers and rice, and the olive oil let us slip it all in smoothly. Aromatic and absolutely delicious, even if you attribute every superlative in the book of descriptions to this, you’ll feel like you haven’t done justice to it. So take our advice, just dig in for more and eat away, instead of finding words!

The svingi – melting chocolate puffs – looked like chocolate dim sums/modaks and of course, tasted good. The baklava was as it should be – true in spirit and taste. The Greek frappe coffee was a purist’s delight – bitter unsweetened coffee shaken to froth and served cold.

Despite hogging on such a spread, thanks to the simple fresh and healthy Greek cooking style, we left with the feeling of having had a hearty wholesome meal. Kryptos is definitely a restaurant one should visit once. You are sure to go back. For you just don’t get acquainted with Greek food, you fall in love, head over heels – on first bite and for life.

Must try: Domates Piperies, Meze-Dolmades, Greek Frappe Coffee
Buffet available from Monday to Friday: Rs.  550 per head

Chennai’s Burrp! Diaries

LINK: http://know.burrp.com/my-city/chennai%E2%80%99s-burrp-diaries/44575

It’s one of those evenings when you can’t decide what to do? Friends aren’t being helpful either? Sandhya Ramachandran gives you a tried and tested solution for every evening of the week.

Chennai is a city that has been branded conservative, dull, insipid, and old fashioned by many. It is a pity, really, for we believe that they have just spent their evenings locked up behind doors waiting for sleep to hit them. If only they knew what we knew! Psst… We know exactly where’s the party tonight! So here are the pages from the burrp diaries on what you can do every evening of the week in Chennai.

Monday Nights

Begin with the cliché – they are time tested. Culturally inclined city, you say? Well, start with a late evening stroll across the Ashta Lakshmi temple in Besant Nagar as shadows begin to haunt. Chomping on a handful of thengai-manga-pattani sundal (a mixture of green peas mixed with grated mangoes and a smattering of scraped coconut), walk down the breezy lanes to Bessie Beach. Shoot down some bright balloons for a measly 10 bucks and take a crazy carousel ride for a 30. Grab some pink panjumittais (cotton candy) and let the waves welcome you to Chennai.

And you could always head to 10 Downing after to hear DJ Gavin spin some vintage rock music for their Vintage Monday nights.

Tuesday Night

Ride on the local train, get down at Guindy, and take a share auto till the Guindy National Park. After a quick ‘hi’ to the animals, go for a leisurely walk in the neighbouring IIT Campus to beat the beginning-of-the-week blues.  And as the Saarang deer play hide and seek between the trees, let the peace and quiet envelope you.

Wednesday Night
You might go to any fancy-swanky theatre in the country, but nothing would ever beat the charm (and the caramel popcorn) of Satyam Cinemas. Catch a night show at one of its glorious screens, one that has seen the rise of Rajnikant, Vijay, Ajith, Surya and many more.  Then go for a ride in the late hours on a now-serene Mount road. Take the Marina Beach road and whiz past the wonderful Indo-Saracenic architecture that has stood witness to the history of this city from days when it was Madras.

Thursday Night

How can one leave out the time tested retail therapy? And for this you have three options. If it is books you want to take home, Moore market with its very many shops of old, rare and pirated (hush!) books should be your destination. Go on further to Parrys for the old-world charm-hunt in the wholesale markets, bargain and also experience the beauty of old Madras, the Anderson church and the yummy samosas at Agarwal Sweets.

You could also go brand-crazy at Express Avenue Mall and drop down for an energizing Lime Mint Cooler at Fruit Shop in the basement. Otherwise, run to where the entire city does, T.Nagar, and choose between the many Saravana Stores, Pothys, RMKV and the like. Or maybe it is Ranganathan Street and Pondy bazaar’s street hawkers and roadside chaaya kadai (tea shop) that might catch your fancy.

Friday Night

Head to Zara’s the tapas bar, down some shots, grab some yummy short eats and unwind. Once you are a little tipsy, take off to Dublin at Hotel Park Sheraton and dance away till the wee hours of the morning. And you will know how we can Mambo with our Madisaars (the 9 yards sari) too!

Saturday Night

If you are in Chennai during the month ofMaargazhi (mid-December to mid-January) attending a Carnatic music/Dance recital is a must-do. Douse yourself in the brilliance and precision of the craft in one of the many sabhas.  Else, there is always a play or performance going on in Spaces/Sivagami Pettachi Auditorium. Contemporary or cultural – Chennai has it all!

If you want something more fun, you could head to VGP Universal Kingdom and Aqua World at the end of East Coast Road for a ride back to childhood. Go karting or take a dizzying ride on the roller coaster. Grab some dinner at their food court and finally head for a meditative night to the VGP Golden Beach Resort and fall sleep to the sound of the waves.

Sunday Night

Take a drive across the IT corridor and head for a relaxing evening at The Farm. Bite into your cheesy homemade pizza accompanied by many glasses of chilled lemonade. Lounge in the hammocks, chase some cows, or adventurously tread the Burmese Bridge. And on your way back, take the East Coast Road and let the sea breeze take your breath away!

So the next time you feel like life needs some stirring up, sulk not. Just relax, follow our advice and get to know your city better than anyone else.

Photos: Sandhya Ramachandran

b! Review: Ras Bhojan @ T. Nagar

LINK: http://know.burrp.com/food-dining/b-review-ras-bhojan-t-nagar/44170

When you crave North Indian thalis and authentic dals besides the idli, vadai and sambar of Chennai, maybe you should try Ras Bhojan at T.Nagar, saysSandhya Ramachandran, as long as you don’t mind the small space.

If one were to judge a place merely by the quality of its starters, Ras Bhojan would win five stars. But unfortunately many other factors come into judging a place, and hence, Ras Bhojan’s newly opened T.Nagar branch comes down a notch or two.

Having been known for their good food and home dining experience in Mogappair, Ras Bhojan recently remodeled a shuttered-down restaurant in T. Nagar to set space for its second branch. Unfortunately, the place is very small and hence raises many functional and organizational difficulties. We love our food and it’s setting too, mind you. But since this newbie is taking its baby steps, we shall give them the benefit of the situation and go over to things of more direct concern to us – food, of course!

Like we told you already, go to Ras Bhojan for their starters. Make a meal out of it. If possible, pack some for the next day too. We are pretty sure you will be dreaming about their Paneer Sukka and Mushroom Sukka all night. The luscious paneer was dusted with spices and was served with a tangy chilli chutney. The mushrooms were batter dipped and deep fried, but were surprisingly not oily and were a steal for a mere fifty bucks!

With a slightly sweet tomato soup for a shuruat or appetiser in their terms, we began our meal. We will swear by their Tave Ki Rotis. As the owner, Mr.K.G.Anand promised, they were indeed special in terms of taste and texture. Soft and speckled moderately from the tava, the rotis are a must have, if you drop by Ras Bhojan.

It seems like the crowd agrees with us as well, what with almost every one of the twenty people who dropped by during our hour-long dinner, ordering the rotis. The place seemed like a popular haunt for office goers due to its ample and reasonably priced limited thalis. With such a large crowd to handle, the lone waiter servicing all the six tables seemed like the superman of the day, because not once did his smile falter! We were really wishing he had some company to split the work.

Give the cheese naan a skip, we found it too chewy and a task to eat. However, the Tave Ki Masala Parantha is an item you should order. It had the perfect amount of spice to keep your taste buds entertained. To go with these tava-cooked items, we ordered servings of the Paneer Lasooni, Achaari Kofta and the Stuffed Capsicum. Of these, the Stuffed Capsicum held its fort – the soft insides of the capsicum providing perfect foil to the spicy stuffing. The Paneer Lasooni was too garlicy, even for our garlic-crazy palates! The Achari Kofta made for a spicy side dish. Blame it on our order, if you will, but we felt the base gravy of all three too similar to keep us interested for long.

We moved over to the Ras Bhojan Ki Sabzi Biriyani – the signature dish of the restaurant. We must say, it proved worthy of its elevated status! The aromatic herbs tossed into the biriyani teased our tongues and on the whole made for a memorable eat. The dal tadka that we had alongside was definitely ‘ma ki dal’. The raita that came with it won itself the tag of ‘home-made’.

The gulab jamuns here are a must have. Remember those perfect roundels you possibly see only in those blasted ads for Milkmaid or Natura Sugar Free that don’t roll off when you cut it with your spoon, but also don’t shamelessly crumble into the jeera? We suspect they ordered those from Ras Bhojan. The jeera was just the right amount of sweet, and the texture of the gulab jamun is a worthy topic to write poetry on!

We ordered a sweet lassi and a jal jeera to wash down our food. The sweet lassi was thick in consistency and came with shavings of badam on top. Was it good? Hell yeah! The jal jeera was refreshing and was exactly what we needed – a good digestive.  By the way once you are done with all the hogging, don’t sit around waiting for the finger bowl like us. The sink is outside near the kitchen. So haul those lazy butts and go for a walk.

Technical difficulties apart, head to Ras Bhojan if you want good food at reasonable rates. Best place to pick a lunch thali on a working day. Or like us, you might keep going back there for their wonderful starters!

Meal for two: Rs. 300

Limited Thalis: Between Rs.95 and Rs.175

b! Review: The Madaras Kafé @ Nungambakkam

LINK: http://know.burrp.com/food-dining/b-review-the-madaras-kafe-nungambakkam/44116

Want to sip on some good filter coffee, while snacking on some experimental south Indian recipes in the heart of Chennai? Toss the same-old-idli-dosa out and head to The Madaras Kafé for something new, says Sandhya Ramachandran.

There was something defiantly different about this restaurant, even before we landed there. It had refused to succumb to calling itself Chennai Café. And to top it all, it spelt itself as Madaras, the way most Tamilians especially the ones with the heavy accents pronounce it. Popular amongst the college crowd, The Madaras Kafé recently completed a year in the business. And as per our burrp! notes, that’s a good time to test the kaapi. After all, the teething troubles are a distant memory, the junta has given its verdict and most regulars (yes, by then a good restaurant should have a bunch of regulars) have their ‘usuals’ set in their minds.

Our sixth sense was well rewarded, when we landed there and realized that it was one innovative food hub alright! Barotizza, vadawich, grillwich – no no, these are not nonsensical words from any new Tamil item number. These are actually the food items on their menu!
So let us begin with the barotizza. Mr. Somasundaram, Managing Partner of The Madaras Kafé explains that it is their Indian spin on the pizza, with a barotta base. Fancy that! The vadawich is a burger and the grillwich is the grilled sandwich. The novelty doesn’t just stop with the nomenclature but extends to the food as well. Excited, we began to dig in!

We confess we have a weakness for the vada or our South Indian fried lentil fritters, and so we picked the Mini Tower Vada to start with. Either the vada was very tired waiting for us all day (we got there only in the evening), or their microwave refused to reheat it – but the vada tasted insipid and was obviously not fresh. Despite being served with a dollop of cheese on a bed of diced tomatoes and onions it still couldn’t impress us. If only it had been hot, it might have succeeded to entice, but now, we were left with our imagination to do the needful.

Off to a bad start, apprehensively we bit into the next thing on our card – the Spicy Vada Holes. Bits of bun dipped in flour batter, deep fried and then rolled around in masala, these spicy vadas were a sheer delight (and according to the owner the hottest sell). We took heart again and polished off half a basket of these yummeats (well, we can invent words too!), generously dipping them in the lip-smacking spicy green chilli chutney. Throughout the meal, Mr.Somasundaram kept us entertained with stories about how college girls finish plates of SpicyVada Holes every evening, and explained to us the recipe(apart from the etymology) of the wondrous sounding dishes.

Then came the Podi Friedly (fried+idli) which had mini idlis deep fried in oil and dunked in idli-dosamilagai podi (aka gun powder… umm not the arms kind, but the traditional spicy masala powder usually served with idlis and dosas in the South). As Madarasis would exclaim, “It was a killer!” You could gobble an entire mini idli in one mouthful and experience the textures of the dish – the crunchiness of themilagai podi, the softness of the idlis with the thin crust thanks to a quick round in the frying pan. A must-eat every time you visit The Madaras Kafé!

 The Kumman Kuththu Idli, supposed to mean an idli that has been punched and reduced to pulp, literally, came by next. Sadly, with idlis dunked in a gravy of tangy tomatoes, it did not live up to its violently-wicked name. It was quite an ordinary affair, almost as if the stunt man (read chef) who was supposed to thwack it got bored mid-way and hastily finished the kumman-kutthu (or punching) act.

The Cheese Vadawich had a soft bun you wanted your beds made from, with cheese filling its core and plenty of fried vegetables joining it in the middle. If only it did not have a sinful amount of cheese in its belly, you’d want this packed in your dabbas everyday.

Continuing on the innovation, theYennai Kathrikkai Dosa (dosa stuffed with an oily brinjal gravy) was an interesting eat. It fell somewhere between good and okay in its taste. It lived up to its name, the oil from the brinjal seeping on to the dosa, making us suddenly aware that every item on the menu was just the arch rival of our diet charts *sigh*.

With the Paneer barotizza I think we have truly found our first all-Indian-pizza. The taste of the barotta and the paneer merged so (ooo) well with the pizza sauces. But what caught our fancy was the Panjambridham grillwich. Skeptical when we ordered, we were instantly converted into silly fans on first bite. This, my dears, is our answer to the pancake. Slices of fruits and chunks of dates soaked in jaggery grilled between slices of bread with a swirl of honey on top, the Panjambridham grillwich is the perfect dessert to a South Indian meal.

But in case you are still on your “I want to taste everything that is new” mode, like we were (*grin*), you must allow yourself a Paneer Payasam. Little pieces of paneer soaked in kheer made from condensed milk, sugar, cardamom and cashews, the Paneer Payasam seemed rasmalai’s cousin in terms of taste.

Finally, we reserved the signature item on the menu for the last, the filter coffee. It was love at first sip. True to their claim, it was indeed one of the best in the city – the aroma steadied our breath, the taste soothed our tongues and its appearance made us want to ask for some more. Order we did, despite being over fed like poultry chickens. Good coffee cannot be denied its due!

In case you are in the mood for some scrumptious innovation The Madaras Kafé is just the right place to head to.

b! Review: Parambriym @ Nungambakkam

LINK: http://know.burrp.com/food-dining/b-review-parambriym-nungambakkam/43682

If you crave for home-cooked food bang in the middle of your office hours,Sandhya Ramachandran encourages you to stealthily make your way to Parambriym for some delicious saapaad (or lunch as the rest of India calls it).

When a shot glass of paneer soda (a refreshing sweet drink made from rose essence and soda with absolutely no sign of cottage cheese aka paneer) is served as a welcome drink, you sure go a little weak-kneed. At once you see your grandparents’ house, hot afternoons, a game of hopscotch or thirudan-police(thief-police) and then a kuchi ice (popsicle) and paneer soda in the end.

Pinch yourself back into reality. You are still at Ispahani centre, at Parambriym, a fairly new restaurant on the block. Its interiors boast of brass utensils laid out on stone tables, with gold-colour upholstered chairs to go with – regality with restraint.

You could either go the a la carte way or order their thaali, the latter being very reasonably priced for the amazing combination in store. However, since we are so into experimenting *wink*, we went crazy with the menu. We went the traditional way, Chicken soup and Madrassoup beginning our gourmet fest. The Chicken soup was spicy and good – excellent value for money as a large bowlful comes for 85 bucks. TheMadras soup was a combination of ground coconut disseminated into our traditional tomato soup giving it an interesting, creamy, authentically homemade flavour.

The Paneer Podimaswhich is paneer minced and mixed with tomatoes and onions, was succulent but had way too much oil. Some restraint would have made this dish a must-have. But now, we have our doubts, and probably would egg you to try the Kozhi Veppedu (a Chicken fry from Andhra Pradesh) instead. Worthy of every penny(costs 170 Rs for a serving that can be shared by two) with enough spices to bring out the taste of the chicken and flavoured with garlic (towards which we have a weakness, mind you!), the Kozhi Veppedu will pretty much order itself, the next time round.

The Koththu Barotta (minced Barotta) sounded so ‘Chettinad’ that we had to try it! And yes, it lived up to the hopes it raised- chunks of barotta tossed in oil with onions, tiny chunks of beans and slivers of chillies. The Vaazhai Ilai Meen Varuva was a delight to look at – a whole fish, smeared in red chutney, carefully wrapped within folds of a plantain leaf, fried and served with a slice of tomato on top. It tasted as beautiful as it looked – fresh and teasing the tongue with its flavours.

The Mutton Pepper Chukka or dry mutton pepper, however, was just about average. The meat was very chewy and the taste was nothing to write home about. We say give the red meat a miss when in this joint.

When it comes to rice, we South Indians have a peculiar practice. And since we were at what is declared an “authentic South Indian” restaurant, we followed the traditions. Firstly, we heaped rice on our plate like a mountain… okay, hillock (yes sometimes our eyes are bigger than our stomach *sigh*). Next we made a gaping hole in the centre, almost a crater on the said hillock. Then we poured in the lava…erm…Poondu Kozhambu (tamarind-garlic broth) right into the centre.

One bite and we knew for sure that the Poondu Kozhambu would be our number one excuse and reason to visit Parambriym again! And then we had thePooshnikka Halwa – a sweetmeat made from pumpkins - which was a little too sweet and had enough ghee to make the guilt stick on to your love handles for a week!

But…hold your breath…for here arriveth reason two – the Gulab Jamun. Royalty would fall on the chef’s feet to taste this Gulab Jamun. Mind-numbingly good, we couldn’t resist but gobble two more. The GULAB JAMUN – for it deserves its respect with capital letters – was especially prepared at home by Anita, the owner and brains behind Parambriym. No wonder it had ammavin anbu (aka maa ki mamta or mother’s love) oozing from its soft insides.

Anita went on to explain how it all began in a quest to “revive home food”. She started with chicken combos and mutton combo dabbas from home, expanding it to open this restaurant. Her enthusiasm is palpable, as she explains about how she has personally trained the cooks to brew her specials. She also tells us that the paneer soda they served us as welcome drinks comes all the way fromMadurai, breathing life to an almost-dying small scale industry. She confided that there are some innovative plans cooking alongside the food in the kadais. All we can say to that is “simbly sooper ma!!!”

Average Meal for two: Rs. 500 (buffet), Rs.1000 (a la carte)

Must try: Poondu Kozhambu, Vazhai Ilai Meen Varuval and Gulab Jamun