Myriad flavours from the world on a platter

So, on one fine and windy summer evening after the skies had blessed us with a drizzle, we decided to check out this new spot in Thiruvanmiyur, and we must admit, we were thoroughly impressed. 

We started with a tour of the swanky hotel that is spread across nine floors with 202 rooms, which also include 10 suites. There is also a beautiful pool, fitness centre and banquet hall. The interiors are in tune with the group’s properties across the world - French windows, classy and minimalistic décor strategically planned to make the best use of natural light. We were then escorted to the hotel’s massive all-day diner Café G, a chic and contemporary eatery with hints of olive, orange and blue. As we made ourselves comfortable in our table, which on one side, offered a view of the ever-buzzing IT corridor, and on the other, of chefs masterfully tossing pasta at a live counter, we were joined by Satej Saigaonkar, executive chef of the hotel. Starting his career in the quaint little bylanes of Lucknow, Saigaonkar went on to work with prestigious hotel groups across the world, also including Hilton and Taj. 

At Café G, Saigaonkar has curated a multi-cuisine menu that includes a plethora of options. While the buffet spread was quite inviting, Saigaonkar had planned a special spread for us. We started our meal with a local favourite, mutton sukka. The dish with tender lamb morsels cooked with black pepper, onion, coconut and curry leaves had us licking it off our fingers. We followed it with murgh tikka mirza hasnu that had delectably cooked tandoori chicken marinated in Kashmiri chilly, yogurt, cheddar cheese and malt vinegar. We also tried the spicy crumb fried fish fillet served with tartar sauce and French fries. The fish was perfectly cooked and fresh. Also in line were kung pao prawns, and paneer shahajani tikka which interestingly had the cottage cheese chunks filled with spicy cheese and prunes. The prawns were a little too salty for me. The sarson malai ke phool was, however, very interesting. The soaked mustard paste, hung curd and cheese marinated tender tandoori broccoli preparation was a new experience. The usual bitterness of the broccoli was subtle and not repulsive. We also indulged in minestrone verdure, a healthy and heartening Italian vegetable soup cooked with beans, pesto and macaroni. But I liked the wild mushroom cream with porcinni dust and truffle oil soup better. Creamy  and full of flavour, this bowl was sheer delight. 

For the main course, we sampled the ossobuco Milanese - braised lamb shanks cooked with red wine and confit vegetables served with saffron risotto. The lamb was meltingly tender and the moderately intense wine complemented it giving a uniquely fragrant flavour. As we were devouring this dish, came in another beautifully plated preparation, sous vide chicken. This slowly vacuum cooked chicken cooked with wine, served with fork mashed baby potato and veggie was simply delightful. This  one’s a must try. The penne mamma rosa - pasta cooked along with cream, chunky tomato, caper and olives – was refreshing and light. The mushroom and parmesan risotto was comfort food at its best. The last treat in the main course was the saffron and honey-laced varqi paratha. 

Fluffy and smooth, this Lucknowi special was simple yet satisfying and went great with dal makhani. It was time for dessert and like they say, they had saved the best for the last. The textures of chocolate that has a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious overdose of chocolate including chocolate marquise, gooey brownie served with white chocolate pistachio financier, chocolate soil, chocolate meringue and chocolate ganache, was heavenly. We literally licked this one off the plate before experiencing multiple foodgasms. The other delicacies that followed included apple pie with cherry crumble and the classic Italian dessert, tiramisu. The chefs nailed these too. So, if you’re looking for a no frills, no fuss place to bond with your friends, family and the special somebody, over delectable food and myriad flavours, you know where to head!

Address: Holiday Inn Chennai, OMR IT Expressway, Thiruvanmiyur.

Ph: 044 6604 6604 

Must have: Murgh tikka mirza hasnu, wild mushroom cream soup, ossobuco Milanese, sous vide chicken, varqi paratha and textures of chocolate.

Star rating: 4/5