World on your plate
Cibo in Anna Nagar East revamped its menu recently and added a wide range of delicacies featuring Indian and international. Nitesh Ashwin from the diner explains DT Next how the restaurants here are serving global food in a more palatable way
Ambience of Cibo
CHENNAI: Post-pandemic, Chennai has evolved into becoming a hub of international cuisines. One can find almost any dish under the sun here. However, there are a few cuisines that still need to be explored in the city. Cibo is one such diner that aims to bring in continental cuisine and pan-Asian dishes.
Creamy crunchy chicken (Photos: Hemanathan M)
Thai red curry with steamed rice
“Cibo means food in Italy. We serve continental, pan-Asian, Japanese, Indian and tandoori. Our goal is to offer freshly prepared high-quality food,” says Nitesh Ashwin, managing director of Cibo Anna Nagar. Cibo has various branches across the state, including Salem, Tiruchy and Thanjavur.
Tender coconut pudding
Chicken dil ruba with chilli garlic naan
Talking about the international food scene in Chennai, Nitesh Ashwin shares, “Apart from the oriental cuisines, Middle-Eastern food is also making its entry into the city. But, most of these dishes are served with an Indian touch to match the taste buds of people here and meet the market. Sri Lankan cuisine is not much explored here but the palette is quite similar to Indian. As there is not much demand, the cuisine is not popular in Chennai. However, in future, many cuisines like Latin American and African, among others, will be introduced in Chennai with innovation and slight changes to the flavours.”
Veg dimsums
We visited the recently revamped Cibo in Anna Nagar, where the ambience had a galaxy colour palette. To begin with, we tasted the Thai tom kha, a creamy coconut chicken soup. The creamy crunchy chicken was top-notch, with a cheesy dip. The crust was crispy and the meat was tender. Veg dimsum had a nice chewy texture and the accompanied sauces added more flavour to it. The chicken in the sushi could have been made tender.
Chicken sushi
Coming to the main course, the Thai red curry with steamed rice is a must-try, with scrumptious meat. The chicken dil ruba has three different curries on the same plate, namely palak chicken, butter chicken masala and malai chicken. Apart from the butter chicken masala, the other two curries did not meet our expectations. Chilli garlic naan paired well with these curries and the Kashmiri naan had a sweet taste to it.
In the desserts, the tender coconut pudding was refreshing, subtle and delightful.