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Hot off the embers
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Chaarcoal, at the renovated Hotel Regaalis, offers good food with a good view
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CRISP 'N' JUICY The tandoor spread is impressive at Chaarcoal PHOTO: MURALI KUMAR K.
No matter what diet regimen you are on, it is impossible not to indulge in a little bit of tandoor once in a while. My pledge before entering Chaarcoal was to just sample a few bits, but I finally ended up having my abdominal muscles stretched to breaking point.
Any old-timer will remember Hotel Rama at Lavelle Road. It has now been renovated and re-launched as Hotel Regaalis. The tandoor and frontier cuisine restaurant, Chaarcoal, on the same premises, has undergone a revamp.
Chaarcoal, situated on the third floor of the hotel, can be called a semi-open air restaurant. Though it has a roof, its walls have been left open to Lavelle Road to give it a nice ambience, especially at night. The lighting is soft and the walls have an unfinished look to go with the regions that the cuisines served here originate from.
Shorba start
As is the norm, a meal here starts with some shorba (light soup) and masala pappad. In the range of shorbas you can choose from tamata dhaniya, murgh badaam or the classic paya shorba (lamb leg soup).
Along with the soup you can try the wide assortment of starters and sizzlers. One that definitely catches the eye is the Leg and Peg, consisting of half a dozen chicken legs marinated in brandy. If you need a little spice, then ask the chef for the kesar kalimirch ka murgh tikka or the dhaniya aur gol mirch ki murgh seekh.
The vegetarians needn't be disappointed. There is the excellent aachari paneer tikka and the tava teekha aloo. The starters are very elaborate, so it is advised to go easy on them so that there is room for the main course.
Since this is supposed to be a tandoor-cum-frontier cuisine restaurant, it is quite surprising to see biryanis missing from the menu. The only rice available is steamed basmati rice. But you do have a selection of breads to choose from. There is the usual naan, roomali roti and kulcha but also some new variants such as the aloo pyaaz ka kulcha, hari mirch ki roti and the lal mirch ka parantha. The highlight of the curries are the tees mirchiwala gosht and the chippe ki macchi. Vegetarians can opt for paneer kundan, minced spinach with corn kernels, black lentils, tomatoes and diced cottage cheese.
The dessert menu is also pretty limited. You have plain-ice cream, gulab jamun, spiced chocolate mousse, desi cassata and the special one, anjeeri kulfi (kulfi served with anjeer or dry figs and cut fruits).
Alcohol is served at the restaurant and the bar menu is available on request.
For reservations call 41133111/22273381.
Ambience: Rustic with a nice view from the balcony-side tables
Service: Good and fast
Specialty: Starters and sizzlers
Wallet factor: Rs. 1,000 for two with drinks
ANAND SANKAR
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