At the Junior Chef workshop

Kids. They're just like cupcakes - small and cute. Teaching them is like working on a blank slate - everything is assimilated quickly. They wear their emotions on their sleeves so you get instant feedback and if not verbally, the look on their faces will give you the answer. And you can't fool them.

The Junior Chef workshop was held over 2 days. Day 1 was recipes without eggs.

Scone pizza

Grilled mushroom and cheese sandwich

Bubble & squeak

Quick camp style mac

Kit Kat squares

Bakes on Day 2

Cheese muffins

Choc chip bread pud

Ooey gooey cuppies

Sandwich 2 ways with carrot and apples

Cherry nut choc triangles

Happy kids, happy parents!

The second round of workshops is slated for May 18th and 20th, 10.30 am - 2.30 pm.

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Chili's at EA - the spice is on!

Mexican restaurants have played a game of hide and seek in the city. Mixed reviews and the difficulty of sourcing authentic ingredients have made them shut shop pretty fast. Then, in comes Chili's American Grill and Bar serving Tex-Mex. Well, not the bar as yet but there's loads on the menu.

The frontage

Located at the bustling 3rd floor of Express Avenue, it's got Burger King as a neighbour. I went on the day the outlet was inaugurated and the place was full of VIPs. It's a 120 seater restaurant and the music is peppy. Quite loud too and that makes conversation a tad bit difficult.

Mixology at the bar

Multicoloured lamps hang along the ceiling, the pop of colour adds to the life of the space. The bar is at the other end, the crew busy mixing drinks for thirsty patrons. A tray is set up beside one of the tables, a sizzling grill plate of fajitas is placed on it and from there, it's transferred to the table. Tableside guacamole is also prepared and served immediately. Neat!

Pretty lights and shades

Ashish Saxena, CEO Tex-Mex India comes over and we chat. Tex-Mex India runs 3 restaurants each at Mumbai and Pune, 2 at Hyderabad and this one at Chennai. There are other Chili's in other regions but they are run by another franchisee.  Of course I was curious as to how authentic they would make the food. A lot of their meats, cheeses and vegetables are sourced in India but the fish is from Vietnam and the Pacific, corn chips from China and the pork ribs from Spain. I guess I got my answer.

Watermelon margarita; mango chili margarita. The chillies are garnish!

Well, it was a hot day and the folks I was with urged me to try a couple of Chili's signature margaritas. The watermelon chilli was very pink and very pleasant but the flavour of watermelon was somewhat lost. The mango chilli was certainly refreshing but again, the taste of mango was more a hint rather than a statement and as the ice melted, it became a memory. And those chillies in my drink - they were the hottest thing I ate that afternoon!

Triple dipper - calamari; chicken crispers; boneless wings

Texas cheese poppers with chipotle dip

I love appetiser platters - I ordered a non-veg triple dipper. Four types are on the menu and you get to choose 3 of them. The country fried calamari was crisp and crunchy and stayed that way for quite a bit. Original chicken crispers were so tender but I just loved the succulent boneless chicken wings. They come with ranch dip and a honey mustard dip. We got a portion of Texas cheese poppers - so deliciously cheesy with their crisp coat of panko. Ditch the cutlery - pick up these babies with your hands and dunk them into the chipotle ranch dip they come with.

Chipotle quesadilla bites

We also had chipotle quesadilla bites - flour triangles stuffed with a mix of cheeses and batter fried. Served with chipotle sour cream, the coating was delicious but the bites bordered on blandness. It could have done with more punch and a more pronounced Tex-Mex flavour.  Well, blame it on the cheese! Tex Mex cuisine does use a lot of cheese.

Santa Fe chicken salad

A friend ordered the Sante Fe chicken salad. The chicken strips in them were so tender and there was plenty of tortilla strips, diced avocado, iceberg lettuce and cilanto with cool ranch dressing. While it tasted alright, the lettuce gave it a pale look, I guess a mix of lettuce leaves would have made it more vibrant. It could also have done with a little more of a kick from the pico de gallo. More ranch dressing was served on the side.

Baby back ribs with a corncob and fries

For mains, the baby back ribs came highly recommended. We ordered a half rack of Chili's classic with BBQ sauce. Served with a cob of corn and fries, that was a super tender rack with fall-off-the- bone meat, as the menu promised! And outstandingly moist.

Chocolate chip paradise pie

About 6 people walking by our table told us to order the chocolate chip paradise pie. The pie was itself was a cross between a cake and a biscuit - dense and studded with chocolate chips and coconut. Topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, hot fudge sauce, caramel and chopped nuts, it was paradisal!

Another was the molten chocolate cake. The warm chocolate cake was topped with a scoop of ice cream and topped with chocolate that had hardened into a shell. And inside, a fudge filling that flowed out as we cut into it. Seriously good!

Molten chocolate cake

Chili's has so much more on the menu. They have a range of crafted burgers, pasta, Mex bowls and of course fajitas, quesadillas, tacos, chilli, ...  get it... the whole enchilada! No, no enchiladas though but plenty for the vegetarians too. Pricing is moderate, a meal for two would work out around to 1400/++ and quantities are fairly large. And they have home delivery! But me - I need to go back for the chilli. And those ribs!

Chili's
3rd Floor
Express Avenue Mall
White's Road, Royapettah
Chennai 600014.

04442151527/28
https://www.facebook.com/ChilisIndia/

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Days Hotel Chennai OMR

The Old Mahabalipuram Road or State Highway 49-A was at one time a dusty strip of road that linked Madras to Mahabalipuram and beyond. I remember going for drives on the road and all that was to be seen on either side of the 'highway' was scrub land, paddy fields and ponds - no buildings, no petrol bunks, no stores, not even a streetlight! If your car broke down anywhere, you just prayed that a good Samaritan would show up and help you. Today's OMR bears no resemblance to its previous avatar. It's now a six-lane highway where IT majors, department stores, residential communities and restaurants are located and traffic jams are the norm.

We were on our way to Days Hotel Chennai OMR at Padur. We blinked and sure enough, missed the entrance to the hotel. Two u-turns later, we were driving up into the portico.

Lobby lounge

The lobby lounge is small but elegant. A beautiful crystal chandelier that hangs from the mezzanine ceiling adds to the charm. The upholstery, wall and floor tiles are in shades of brown and lend warmth to the cosy space. Beside it is the pastry counter. We go up to the mezzanine floor and are welcomed by the vice president of the hotel, Mr. Prakash Chandran who shows us around the property.

Ride -the bar

Our first stop is the bar, Ride, which is not yet operational. It's a very man space with leather upholstery and on the walls are miniature buses, bikes, train cars, bicycles and a float ring, which explains the name. From the ceiling hang 2 model planes. The bar counter takes pride of place and to the side is a more secluded area and it leads to the smoking room.

Svanna by night

Svanna is the roof top alfresco restaurant furnished with cane chairs, glass topped tables and bar stools. There are covered walkways on all 4 sides but the centre is open to the elements. It's too dark to see in the night but we're told that in daylight, one can see right across the ECR and the all the way to the Bay of Bengal. When it becomes operational, it's going to be serving a variety of grills. The health spa and salon, Viviana, is located just beyond the restaurant.

The hotel has 57 guest rooms on 3 floors. They include 3 luxurious suites, one on each floor, 21 deluxe rooms, 32 standard rooms and 1 for the differently-abled, all large and well appointed. Decorative objets d'art are placed along the corridors like this one made of mother of pearl.

Suite space

The restaurant - open from 7 am - midnight

Decorative nutcrackers!

Back to the mezzanine floor and there's the Nutcracker, the cutest restaurant that I've seen in a while. The entrance is guarded by 2 particularly fierce looking fellows. Inside the restaurant, in niches on top of the buffet counters are smaller characters. The restaurant is bright and cheery, done in red and white and tables are set with napkins with candlestick folds. I can almost hear Tchaikovsky's music and imagine the figures coming to life!

Buffet counters

Executive Chef Sathiyaseelan tells us that the food is multi cuisine and that includes Japanese. We have orange mojitos to sip on while the parade of food starts. And what a parade!

Minty orange mojito

Bruschetta; Chettinadu urulai croquettes; crunchy panko crumbed squid rings

Maa Thai lamb; yummy karaivepplai yera (curry leaf crusted prawns); trio idlis

A taste of Japan - deliciously crisp veg tempura; assorted sushi

Paneer; chicken gravy; dal Makhani; vegetable curry with soft Indian breads. The veg gravy was delectable.

Subtly spiced lamb biryani; a do-not- miss fish curry with kokum. These 2 paired so well!

There's plenty of choice for the vegetarians too. It was a delicious meal, the company even better. We finally had to beg the chef to stop plying us with more food but then, he pulled out his trump card - dessert! And who can turn down this picture...?

Apple pie; strawberry ice cream in a tuile cup; an unusual tulsi rasagolla; mud cake; red velvet cake 

While Days Hotel welcomes business and leisure travellers, they also hope to provide local residents a place to relax and rejuvenate. Folks who live around the Navalur toll gate and beyond on that stretch of the OMR are going to love the location and amenities that this hotel provides.

Nutcracker has both a la carte and buffet service. The buffet is priced at 777/++.

Days Hotel Chennai OMR
245/1 Old Mahabalipuram Road, Padur
Chennai 603103.
044 3000 1444.

In case you're wondering what nutcrackers are, check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutcracker

   

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Junior chef workshop

Any aspiring young chefs at your home? One who is 11 years or older? Well, this post is especially for them.

Get them over to the Junior Chef workshop happening on May 4th and 6th.

So what's on the menu?

On the 4th, it's all eggless - a quick pizza from scratch, camp-style macaroni, bubble and squeak, grilled mushroom and cheese sandwich and Tim Tam squares.
On the 6th, there's cheese muffins, 2 kinds of sandwiches, ooey gooey cake, cherry nut chocolate and choc-chip bread pudding. Not eggless!

Sounds yummy? Do call and register.

All classes will be held from 10.30am to 2.30pm at Kottivakkam.

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Sunset, ceviche and seafood at Westin Chennai Velachery

Up the lift, past the pool, up a short flight of stairs and there, on the open terrace is the coolest, breeziest place in Chennai- the Sunset Grill at Westin Chennai Velachery.

When Sunset Grill opened up nearly 2 years ago, I was invited for a review. That day, rain played spoilsport but I do remember being shown those stairs and being told that up there was where the alfresco grill restaurant was located.

I'm finally climbing those stairs. Ooh the breeze... the gently swaying palm trees... the panoramic view of the city skyline... ok, ok... I exaggerate... not the city but the Velachery skyline...

The first thing I see are wooden boxes holding the catch of the day. There's fish, giant prawns, lobster tails, crabs and bivalves, a wicked looking cuttlefish and a coconut shell full of tentacles! And I have to make choices... this is after all the Seafood Bazaar and Ceviche festival.

Sunset Cinderella

The upholstered chairs are so comfortable; I sink into them, just want to stay there and not make any decisions. I'm joined by Executive Chef Yatendra Rawat who takes charge. Thank goodness because in a couple of minutes, our dinner order is placed and I'm sipping on my Sunset Cinderella. It's a great spot to unwind and do nothing more than watch a thousand stars twinkling up in the sky and trees that sway in the breeze, their branches lit up by tiny bulbs.

Snapper,  and sea bass; pomfret

Jumbo prawns; lobster tail and lobster

Salmon steaks, cuttlefish

Molluscs and mud crab

So here's how the bazaar works. Pretend you've gone seafood shopping. The catch includes beautifully pink Norwegian salmon, jumbo prawns, lobster tails, calamari, clams, mud crab, cuttlefish and bivalves like mussels and clams. Take your pick.

You choose from a selection of 4 marinades - peri peri, Asian, lemon garlic and Mediterranean. Then you choose a sauce - romesco or ravigote(a sort of vinaigrette) or peri peri or Bearnaise. The staff whisks off your choice of seafood into the glass-enclosed kitchen. And that's it - sit down, sit back and enjoy your drink and the breeze which nearly threatened to topple over our bottle of water!

Breads and dips - aubergine, romesco, cayenne butter

We are served a basket of Westin's deliciously soft signature breads along with 3 dips - roasted aubergine, romesco and butter slices with cayenne. That romesco is simply divine.

Seafood ceviche

Then it's ceviche time. The menu says it's made with tiger's milk ...where did they go to get such an exotic ingredient? Let's start with the ceviche - this one's made with a mix of seafood. Chef Rawat hastens to add it's perfectly safe to eat seafood raw as the lime juice "cooks" the fish. The juices that are released in the "cooking" process is called tiger's milk. Among other things, there's thin slices of shallots, finely chopped chilli peppers, coriander and small cubes of springy seafood and it is absolutely absolutely delicious. Nothing tastes raw and that hit of acid and chillies is stunning.

Papaya ceviche

We are then served a vegetarian version of ceviche - with papaya. The combination of sweet papaya, chillies, lime and coriander is fabulous. There are 2 vegetarian and 2 non veg ceviches on the menu.

Grilled seafood platter

Chef Rawat has ordered a platter of octopus, snapper, sea bass and pomfret, along with tentacles. The marinades are peri peri, Asian and Mediterranean. The freshness of the fish in the various marinades is outstanding. The peri peri marinade was perfect with the cuttlefish and of course, everything was grilled to perfection. Incidentally, all the seafood used is indeed from the sea! And fresh!

The sides - dips and fries 

The sauces are interesting, the Bernaise toned down the spice level of the peri peri. The grills are served with roasted vegetables and a choice of mashed or baked potato wedges.

Dessert platter - baked yoghurt; cheesecake; tiramisu

Dessert is Sunset Grill's platter of baked yoghurt, classic New York cheesecake and tiramisu. The baked yoghurt with raspberry coulis is smashing, so too the cheesecake with mango coulis. The tiramisu had a strong taste of almond and a mild coffee flavour which threw the balance out of whack.

Vegetarians, do not despair for Sunset Grill does have a menu for those prefer it.

Seafood lovers, pick out your seafood and have it weighed. Prices range from 295/- per 100 gm for mud crabs and clams to 895/- for lobster tails. As mentioned earlier, it is served with a choice of sauces, grilled vegetables and potatoes. Ceviche costs vary between 325/- and 425/-. A meal for 2 would be around 4000/++.

The Seafood Bazaar and Ceviche is on till April 30th, 2016.

Westin Chennai Velachery
154, Velachery Main Road
Chennai
Do call 044 66333777 for reservations.

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