Restaurant Review: Potpourri of flavours on a plate

As we sipped on a refreshing glass of mint lemonade, the view of the ever-bustling OMR through beautiful transparent windows of the newly opened Novotel was quite a sight. Cut off from the cacophony of the traffic which took us nearly two hours to get to our destination all the way from Egmore to Sholinganallur, we hoped all the effort would be worth it. As we were going through the menu of The Square, the hotel’s flagship restaurant, which had an interesting mix of North Indian, European and Chinese dishes, we were joined by the property’s executive chef Muthu. The chef gave us a lowdown on the concept behind the hotel which is a part of the AccorHotels group.

He said the main idea was to create a menu that would both suit local sensibilities and those of their international guests. While we found it difficult to zero in on something considering the elaborate menu, we let the chef pick our food.

As we waited for the starters, the chef took us around the eatery which had pristine white i n t e r i o r s with hints of gold and red. While there are big tables to cater to large families, there are intimate seats for couples who’d like to get cozy. On the other side, chefs were masterfully whipping up one dish after the other at live kitchens. However, the most interesting part of the conversation was how Muthu wanted to be in the hospitality business. He said it was a book on the story of veteran hotelier Mohan Singh Oberoi. Later, as we binged on crispy fried squid rings which were quite a delightful start to the meal, the chef spoke about how he grew up reading Thanthi and how it reminds him of home whenever he touches a copy. Next, we were treated to chicken satay.

The chicken was tender and the tangy sauce on the side went quite well with it. However, the barbeque chicken wing was clearly the winner. The smoky flavour of the perfectly cooked chicken had me devouring it all the way to the last speck of meat on the bone. The pineapple and tofu salad that followed was a welcome break from all the meat we had hogged on.

For the main course, the chef suggested we taste their Indian preparations. And we’re glad he did. We went for rotis and tasted murghmakhani that had tender chunks of chicken marinated leisurely and cooked in a deep, rich gravy of fresh cream, butter, tomato and spices.

It was an explosion of flavours in the mouth. There was also the classic dal makhani. It was creamy and heart warming. We also tried goshtrogan josh. A staple in Kashmiri cuisine, this delectable curry was aromatic and a sheer treat for the tastebuds.

We finished the meal with a warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. Being a chocolate lover, I experienced multiple foodgasms, after which I went into a food coma of sorts.

So, if you’re planning to spend a beautiful evening over some good food and great conversations, you know where to head.

Trust me, wading through all that traffic will be worth it.

Venue: Plot No 36, OMR, Egattur Contact: 044 3085 3734 

Cuisine: European, North Indian and Chinese

Must have: Lamb satay, mutton rogan josh and warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream