Vegetarian flavours get meaty tweak at VB World's new outlet

CHENNAI: Ruling the roost in south Indian vegetarian cuisine scene for over five decades, VB World is a contemporary diner from the house of Namma Veedu Vasanta Bhavan. They have now opened a new outlet in Velachery with an experimental twist that only southeast Asian nations have been offering so far. One of the largest restaurants in Chennai, it also features their cafe, Cones & Brew, which offers eggless desserts and a wide variety of coffees.

As we step into the diner, nestled on the bustling Velachery-Tambaram Main Road, right after Phoenix Marketcity, the well-lit and spacious ambience is quite inviting. The 220-seat restaurant and an additional 100-seat in-house cafe showcase a carefully curated menu, covering Korean, Burmese, Thai, Japanese, Italian, Mexican, and rustic south Indian cuisines.

While speaking to DT Next, Anand Krishnan, director of VB World, says, “As we had already formulated the concept for the diner, our challenge was to how can we elevate it compared to previous outlets. We believe that our competition is our own previous works and that is the benchmark we would like to set.” The brand has branches in Anna Nagar, Tambaram, Kancheepuram, and now Velachery.

The idea of a standalone cafe within the premises stems from the growing cafe culture in Chennai. “Youngsters are moving towards this trend, and they prefer healthier options as well. Chennai hardly has any space that offers a wide variety of vegetarian dishes. We are trying to bridge that market gap and meet the demand with value for money,” he adds, explaining that the ingredients are sourced internationally.

A great deal of effort has gone into creating the stylish ambience of the outlet, Anand emphasises the importance of taste as well. “Our hard work towards ambience and setting up the place should reflect in the flavours of the dishes. If that is lacking, then the whole effort goes to waste. Gone are the days when people ate food solely to satisfy hunger. Now, it is about the unique experience they enjoy while relishing their favourite dish. We wanted to raise the bar to meet the expectations of the current generation,” shares the director.

Talking about the growth of Chennai’s food scene, he remarks, “The city has always been underrated compared to other metro cities. Post the covid 19 pandemic, there has been a tremendous transformation, and people’s food habits have also shifted, with new dynamics. As they are exposed to global cuisines through travel and social media, they are stepping out of their comfort zones to try new flavours.”

We begin our feast with tangy tom yum soup. The veg chukka with soya base is quite a surprise that tastes exactly like how a mutton chukka does. The dynamite veg prawns is mind blowing with the level of replicating a prawn using root vegetables. The veg kola urundai also aces our list as the meaty taste is aptly achieved with the vegetarian ingredients.

The litchi chat takes innovation to the next level. However, it falls short of expectations. The real deal are the sushis that come in different flavours like the smoked pepper sauce, shitake and asparagus, pickled vegetable maki and spicy tofu and avocado, get full marks from us for satiating our taste buds with their versatility.

The tandoori platter too is another winner with soya, paneer and mushrooms as mock meats. After setting high standards predominantly, it is the beetroot with peanut kebab that deserves a thumbs down from the list of seekh kebabs, grilled paneer, stuffed mushroom and soya chaap.

Now, we move to the beautifully-designed and the eye-catching dessert bar with which the franchise has plunged into over the years. While we are spoilt for choices, from croissants to coffees to matchas and cheesecakes, we try the love pastry, which is a chocolate mousse with almond chocolate cake, and silk chocolate jar are must-try. The velvety texture of the delicious chocolate in the jar is quite alluring. This counter would definitely have repeat customers for its variety.