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Rhapsody by night

Now, a `bohemian bar and restaurant' in the city

STYLE AND SERVICE At Rhapsody PHOTO: SHAJU JOHN

Crash. Suddenly the swish gleaming floors were covered in bright red, long stemmed anthuriums and a big puddle of water. And that's when we realised how gracious the famed Marriot hospitality really was.

When I decided to check out Rhapsody, a trendy new restaurant-lounge bar at the Courtyard by Marriot hotel, I took along a friend, whom we shall just call Ms. Style. Style's probably the Marriot's ideal customer. She carries Prada, wears Gucci and totters about in Manolos. Unfortunately she's also dreadfully accident-prone. A world-citizen, she's made tables totter in Thailand, broke bottles in Budapest and even mangled a marionette in Manhattan.

At the Marriot, in a fit of giggles, she backs into a gorgeous flower arrangement, and then goes completely red in the face, apologising repeatedly even as the hotel's efficient team swings into action, setting everything right in minutes, smiling all the while.

Lavish decor

In keeping with the Marriot philosophy, Rhapsody's strongest point is probably going to be its excellent service, which manages to balance confidently between friendliness and polite deference. The club's uber-trendy interiors won't hurt either.

Designed to be "bohemian bar and restaurant", it's divided into distinct lounging, dining and socialising areas, all of which seem to flow into each other. The club sprawls over 3,000 sq ft, and is decorated lavishly, with sheer curtains, designer couches and gleaming wooden floors. "And look at all the crystal hanging over the bar," squeals Style, pointing upwards and elbowing a guest in the eye.

Following a central colour scheme, Rhapsody is drenched in purple, in the furnishing and on the staff. "I have exactly the same top by Anita Dongre," trills Style on meeting our trendy waiter, dressed in a crinkled purple shirt. We quickly grab the menu before she decides to compare wardrobes with each of the staff.

Rhapsody, thankfully, has had chutzpah to break the bond between lounge bars and fusion, or French/ Italian/ Spanish cuisine. For some reason, Indian party people associate `posh' with food from anywhere but India. Rhapsody, however, is unabashedly North-West Frontier. And extremely proud of its dal makhni.

Justifiably so. The dal, fragrant and bursting with warm butter, is cooked all night on the tandoor and served with a small pot of rice. It makes a nice meal just by itself.

We try the bhuney masaley ka murg, rubbed with six broiled spices and cooked in a clay oven. It's tender and tasty enough, but hardly distinctive. The kalmi vadais, which are small coriander spiced kebabs, are more unusual. But to be perfectly honest, they are both overshadowed by the humble dal makhni.

It's probably the whole picture that will make Rhapsody a popular addition to Chennai's culinary landscape: an addictive combination of old-world graciousness set in cutting edge ambience. And the fact that you can head there, trip over your feet and still leave smiling.

For details call 55764001.

SHONALI MUTHALALY

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