Pulling wires at the Wire Room

Walk into the Wire Room and your eyes will be drawn to the ceiling. All you see are wires and even more wires that crisscross each other which will keep your eyes riveted (pun intended) to them.

Spools and weights

Plumb bobs and wires

Illuminated carvings

"Madras checks"

Design Hotel Chennai by jüSta lives up to its name. Right from the entrance, up the lift and to the corridor leading to the rooms, there are textures and designs on the walls. However, it's the newly renovated Wire Room Bar + Kitchen that evokes the most interest. 20 kms of copper wires run across the ceiling and down to the floor, making the famous "Madras checks" pattern. The ceiling is covered with painted wood shavings and plumb bobs hang down like fat metal raindrops. Spools hold weights, each spool holds 6 weights each weighing 1.5 kilos and it's these weights that keep the wires that run across the room taut. Behind the bar counter is a series of carvings that are lighted up and enclosed in glass, intensifying the sense of depth.

Cushioned seating is arranged around each table and the DJ spins tracks at the console. I'm still mesmerised by the wires when Karthick, Wire Room's Associate Head of Business and Operations tells me that they need to tighten the wires every two months to prevent them from slackening.   

The DJ and his console

Taste of nostalgia - thaen mittai; ginger chips & sliced mango

Covealong

Magzhchi and a familiar face

The decor is not the only thing representative of Madras. From the names and ingredients in the cocktails to some of the food, there are touches of whimsy, nostalgia and fusion in the menu that started with a plate of thaen mittai, mango slices sprinkled with chilli powder and salt and then ginger chips. Karthick revealed that with his background in mixology, he has designed the cocktail menu and suggested Covealong for me, a mix of whisky and panneer soda. A lovely cold, cold drink that helped to quench my thirst and cool some of the gingery heat. My friend's Less Old Fashioned was a twist on the Old Fashioned with maple syrup, smoke and drama! He also had a Marina Mule with vodka and nanari while I tried Magzhchi - gin with ginger, karupatti and egg white. One look at it and I'm sure you'll figure out how it got its moniker!

Galouti Shots

Executive Chef Mir Hafizur Raheman's food menu is quite delicious. He calls them Galouti Shots, put one of those kebabs into your mouth and they'll just melt without any effort. Deft spicing, superfine meat and the almost biscuit-y ulte tawa ka paratha make it so memorable.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

If you like quinoa, you'll flip for the Mediterranean Quinoa Salad. The coloured stack has a layer of mashed avocado over the top and topped with salad greens and pea sprouts. Blue pearls jazz up the plating. Definitely a well balanced dish, if you know what I mean!

Cilantro pesto and harissa prawns...spicy!

Tikka taster platter

Harissa and Cilantro Pesto Prawns are big and juicy and the harissa paste is deliciously spicy.
The Tikka Taster has 5 kinds of kebabs on a platter, nice but no wow factor. 

Surf & Turf

Surf and Turf was the main course with large, juicy prawns and medium done steak. Accompaniments were asparagus, mashed potatoes and gravy in a toy sized pressure cooker. The meat was juicy with a faint hint of rosemary. The portion was generous enough for the two of us to share.

Chocolate Marquise & lime sorbet

Chocolate chilli baked yoghurt

We tried 2 desserts, absolutely loved the dense and flavourful Chocolate Marquise. The lime sorbet  was certainly very refreshing. If you're not too fond of chocolate, there's Chocolate Chilli Baked Yoghurt with a chilli-studded chocolate disc that toned down the overall sweetness. The little gulab jamun that sat in a chocolate cup was a nice touch.

Just in case you're wondering where the Design Hotel is, it's at Phoenix MarketCity. Cocktails at Wire Room are about 600/++ each and a meal for 2 people would come to about 1400/++.

Invited by https://www.eazydiner.com/

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Old fashioned English trifle

My dad had a patient, an Indian man, who owned a petty shop very close to the clinic. He called it a corner shop; it wasn't even a shop, rather, the outside wall of a store against which he had racks and shelves stocked with hairbands and hair clips, chewing gum (this was before it was banned in Singapore), needles, safety pins, embroidery thread, dried snacks, sweets and chocolates, make up, magazines and a whole lot of knick-knacks. It was amazing to see the load of stuff he could store in that tiny space. Home for the holidays, I'd walk over to the shop from the clinic and browse through English magazines like Woman's Own and Women's Weekly before making a selection. Pictures of beautiful English homes, gardens and kitchens fascinated me.

Ok ok! It wasn't the homes and kitchens that interested me but the recipes. Pictures of cakes, biscuits, pies and desserts, all beautifully captured, were tantalising and I must admit that a lot of my baking "education" came out of those pages. I'd wait for my parents to organise a dinner party for their friends just so I could make a dish from one of those mags, usually dessert.



The English trifle was about the easiest to do. It was absolutely delicious, colourful, a crowd-pleaser and by the end of the evening, THE topic of conversation. The best thing was that it could be made a day in advance so the flavours could mellow and merge. My preparations would start two days earlier when I would bake the cake and make the jelly. On my shopping list would be canned fruits, custard powder, sliced nuts, whipping cream and sprinkles. The next day, it would be quick work to chop the fruits and sandwich the cake with jam. Trifles need to be presented in a clear glass bowl and Mum would let me use one of her best ones. Dad's finest sherry would be used to moisten the cake slices once they were arranged in the bowl and topped with chunky squares of jelly and fruit. Cold custard forms the middle layer and then softly whipped cream is spooned or piped over the top. A few fruits, toasted nuts and sprinkles were all that would be needed for the finishing touches. The sprinkles, by the way, are mandatory :)

The trifle is one of those desserts that you could either spend a lot of time over starting with the cake and créme anglaise (custard) or like me, make it with custard powder. I get my stock from home and it's as good as made-from-scratch custard. The jelly too is made from a pack, my favourite flavours are orange and strawberry.  As for the fruits, it's always a large can of cling peaches. For texture, I like to add toasted almonds. As for the cake, I always bake a pound cake, slice it into thick slabs and sandwich them with strawberry jam. (A trifle is a great way to use up stale or leftover cake.)

Trifle trivia - Trifle history reveals that the first trifles were a combination of biscuits (sometimes cake), custard and alcohol and were probably made around the mid-1700s!

Here's the recipe:

Old Fashioned English trifle

Ingredients

500 gm vanilla pound cake.
Jam
1/4 cup sherry (can use orange juice)
1/4 cup peach syrup (from the can)
2 packs fruit flavoured jelly crystals
3 tablespoons custard powder (I use Bird's)
4 tablespoons sugar
600 ml milk
I large can peach halves, cut in large squares. Reserve some for the top.
200 gm whipping cream
2 tablespoons icing sugar

An 8" glass bowl

To decorate
3 tablespoons slivered almonds, lightly toasted
Sprinkles

Method
Start a day earlier, follow packet instructions to make the jelly. If using two different flavours, set them in separate moulds.
To make custard, mix the custard powder and sugar with a little of the milk. Place the remaining milk into a saucepan and when nearly boiling, stir in the custard powder-sugar mixture.
Whisk the custard till it thickens, allow to come to a boil and simmer for a minute.
Remove from heat, cover with cling film to prevent a skin forming.
Cool to room temperature.
 
When you are ready to assemble the trifle, slice the cake into slabs, sandwich with jam.
Cut into cubes and arrange them inside a large clear glass bowl.
Moisten the cake with the sherry (or orange juice) mixed with the peach syrup.
Scoop out blobs of jelly, place them over the cake, top with fruit and most of the toasted nuts.
Stir the cooled custard till smooth and pour over the jelly and fruits (if the custard is warm, the jelly will definitely melt).
Leave to set in the fridge for a couple of hours till the custard is cold.

Whip the cream with icing sugar till it forms soft peaks.
Pipe or scoop over the custard layer, top with the remaining diced peaches and toasted nuts.
Leave to set in the fridge for about 8 hours or even overnight.

*To make this a completely no-egg dessert, use an egg free cake and packaged custard powder;
*Any fruit can be used, stew them before use with the exception of mangoes, oranges and bananas;
*Nuts may be omitted;
*You could substitute sherry with any other liqueur
*Omit liqueur especially if giving to young children;
* You could make your own créme anglaise in place of packaged custard powder.

Baketales is now 6 years old and how better to celebrate than with a recipe! So go on, make a trifle and impress your family and guests. Thank you for keeping us going!

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Whisky Samba pops into the Flying Elephant

The Flying Elephant at Park Hyatt Chennai recently invited us to an evening of cocktails and malts. It was co-hosted by Whisky Samba, a popular resto-bar in Gurgaon. A fabulous 8 course menu was created just to be paired with the whiskies at this 2-day pop up event.

Imagine a bar that stocks 140 whisky brands. And more are being added to that number even as you read this. Part of Whisky Samba's charm is the food created by Executive Chef Akshay Bhardwaj, who has been working hard on a menu that combines mixology and progressive cooking. What kind of food goes well with whiskies or whisky-based cocktails? Pat came the answer from the chef - smoked food and tandoor-cooked would enhance the taste and smokiness of a whisky. This chef certainly knows a thing or two about progressive food, having worked at 2 star Michelin restaurant, Noma, under Chef René Redzepi. He's also worked at restaurants in France and Brussels.
 
Devesh Kailash Dhall of Whisky Samba talked to our group of 6 about the whisky and cocktails they had planned for that evening. He also talked about Speyside distilleries and the Glenlivet label that is made there.

Irish Maid; Frisky Whisky; The Ballantine's Tango

Our first 2 cocktails, Irish Maid and Frisky Whisky had Jameson as a base while the third had Ballantine. Along with Jameson, the flavours of muddled cucumber and elderflower liqueur in Irish Maid were rather refreshing but tame. The second cocktail, Frisky Whisky with honey, orange, bitters and more Jameson was even better. The Ballantine's Tango had more complex notes of orange rind and mango, a hint of pear and smokiness from the whisky itself.

Fresh shucked oysters with miso broth and kimchi

For starters, there were oysters with miso broth and kimchi which did dominate the the mild taste of the mollusc. Not only smoked but even fermented food pairs well with malts.

Rice disc topped with tomato relish, lacto fermented coriander, coconut, flower soya & mustard

Rice disc topped with tomato and coconut? This did look and taste quite like a dosa with chutney. The disc was crisp but could have been crisper.

Bone and ground

The cocktails took a backseat as the 3rd course began. Bone from the shoulder of lamb was neatly sliced down the middle, cooked to perfect doneness. Even the marrow was intact! To finish, it was sprinkled with olive dust and koji onion. The caramelised garlic resting on it stole the show. The Glenlivet 15 years old was paired with the meat, enhancing the toasty nuttiness of the whisky.

Course 4 - tender Australian lamb chop, garlic, burnt garlic and soya. The flavours were beautiful yet earthy, once again paired with The Glenlivet 15 year old.

Lime and gooseberry sorbet  to cleanse the palate

A peg of The Glenlivet Founder's Reserve

Braised fish ribs, mushroom & wakame glaze

The 6th course was presented on a table brazier, filling our noses with a delicious aroma. Yeah, fish ribs which we were encouraged to pick up with our hands and eat. The wakame served beside it had a chewy, gelatinous texture, perfectly in sync with the fish theme. The Glenlivet Founder's Reserve was the pairing malt.

Potato buns

Mushroom risotto

Course 7 - poached king prawn with almond butter, garlic, gunpowder and lemon, paired with The Glenlivet 18 year old

Course 7 - Shimeji, almond & orange stuffed into a pasta nest for my vegetarian friend

The meal had a surprise end - stuffed betel roses and fermented flowers. Dunked into liquid nitrogen, it was a fitting pairing with smooth and fruity The Glenlivet XXV.

Do follow @ParkHyattChennai on social media if you would like to be informed of these exclusive events.

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Japanese fare at Bazaar

Master chef Hirofumi Masaki and pastry chef Yasushi Kawashimo were in Chennai a few weeks ago to showcase authentic Japanese food. Bazaar at Grand Chennai was the venue where the visiting chefs put up a splendid display of Japanese fare.

Chefs Yasushi Kawashimo and Hirofumi Masaki

Bazaar has a wonderful vibe to it and that night, the restaurant was positively buzzing with diners. Chef Masaki is one of the top sushi chefs in his country and the large platter of assorted sushi he put together bore testament to his expertise. The varieties were mind boggling.



A part of the colourful restaurant had been turned into a Japanese corner and along with a cold display box, there was a large teppan from which delicious aromas rose. We started with soup, the miso broth was delicious and there was a range of ingredients to add on, including soba noodles.

Sushi and more sushi

 

Veg stir-fry hot off the teppan

The chef manning the teppan quickly put together a dish of stir fried veggies (the chefs had brought in more than 100 kilos of ingredients). All those yummy sauces ensured that the finished dish tasted real good.

Udon stir fry

Tamagoyaki

Beef teriyaki

Chicken dambushi

Ajedashi tofu

Sliced salmon for nigiri sushi

Watching the chefs construct nigiri sushi was fascinating. They were so quick and in a matter of a minute, they had assembled and plated three of them. A little Japanese mayo was drizzled over and then torched. Well, I've never had sushi this way and it was quite a treat to watch them in action.

Torched nigiri sushi

GRT's amazing spread of desserts 

The chefs have long gone but I heard that before they left, they trained the chefs at Bazaar so well that Japanese food is now on the menu!

Bazaar is at Grand Chennai by GRT Hotels, T'Nagar. 

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