Chennai’s new beachside diner ‘Fifth’ serves global flavours with an Indian twist
Chennai never misses an opportunity to up its culinary game, and the new addition is Fifth. On the coastline of Palavakkam, the beachside restaurant elevates the common flavours that Chennaiites relished previously.
Image credit: Justin George
CHENNAI: As the sea breeze gently caresses us, setting the mood for a lovely dinner, Fifth, a beachside diner, is the newest addition to Chennai’s growing culinary scene. Located on the shore of Palavakkam beach, the restaurant aims to stand out from the crowd and offer distinctive flavours.
Chef Shriram Rajendran and Dr Aishwarya Selvaraj joined hands to start this beach-facing fine dining. “I run a couple of brands in the city and wanted to delve deep into the concept of modern Indian and Asian. We have a meticulously curated menu, featuring around 48 handpicked dishes, which is quite new for Chennaiites,” starts chef Shriram.
Why the name Fifth? This diner is a tribute to the fifth basic sense of taste, that is, umami. It is basically a savoury, brothy, or meaty sensation. “The name comes from the idea of the fusion of different flavours across the globe with a twist,” adds Shriram.
Talking about the initial stages of background research, Dr Aishwarya says, “We have been working on the concept and menu of this restaurant for almost a year. There were several trials and errors before finalising the carefully curated menu. The reason behind settling on this location is that now urbanites are preferring a slow-paced lifestyle and moving towards ECR.”
Chef Shriram reveals that the main USP is the beach, the serene view and classy interiors. “We took inspiration from various dishes across different states within India and across the globe. I do not follow trends because they are short-lived. To sustain a business, it is crucial to offer unique flavours, great hospitality and good quality food,” he shares. Some of the signatures in Fifth include avocado thokku, gunpowder calamari and Tangra chilli chicken.
As we enter the diner, we are amazed by the fancy interiors and the tranquil view of the beach. To start with, the melon and berry kiss and kaffir and coconut collins mocktails are quite refreshing. We find the orange candy to be unique and citrusy. Most of us have relished hummus before. But the Punjabi chole hummus gets a ten-on-ten from us for its incorporation of Indian flavours with balanced spices. Next comes the hoisin paneer, which has a bit of sweet taste to the super soft paneer pieces. Unlike the regular chilli chicken we are used to in Chennai, the Tangra chilli chicken with scrumptious meat pieces is mind-blowing.
The Thai chilli cauliflower topped with staple Thai crisps and the Amritsari murgh taco are the ones that aced our list of recommendations. In the main course, the buttery naan, accompanied by delicious champarana nalli, is good. The meat of the nalli deserves a special mention.
Ending the experience on a sweet note, the Basque burnt cheesecake sums up the great dinner.
Overall, Fifth should be on your list for its unique delicacies and great ambience to spend quality time with your cherished circle, as each dish tells a story.
