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Chennai
A Trip down Memory Lane
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A sudden downpour. Flooded roads. Chaat. All three immediately bring to mind memories of waves lashing against the shore at the Gateway of India, tracks submerged in water and Chaupati
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In keeping with the rather unexpected showers that Chennai has been witness to, The Accord Metropolitan decided to host an Amchi Mumbai food festival, a tribute to the almost-island city.
From the moment you step into the lobby, huge cutouts of the Gateway greet you along with posters of Mother India, one of most memorable films to have been churned out of the factory that is Bollywood.
You are not transported to tinsel town from the minute you step in but the rather oldish Hindi music piped through the system does bring back memories of wonderful and not-so-wonderful movies that were all the rage almost a decade ago.
With blown up pictures of all things Mumbai, like the Dabbhawallas and posters of Bollywood movies adorning the walls, and typical Gujarati handicrafts suspended from the ceiling, one did get a slight feel of the multiculturalism that the city is famous (or infamous) for.
According to Executive Chef Sridharan, organising the festival was a task in itself. The research required achieving the exact taste and the first-hand knowledge they tried to arrange, had him running from pillar to post! The result, however, was worth the effort.
The meal starts of with a soup. The soup for the day was Maharashtrain Aamti. A lentil-based soup drowning in grated coconut, it has an interesting flavour that grows on you, if you manage to get through enough of it. For starters, there is a variety of Chaat on offer. From hot chaat – vada pav, aloo tikki and dabeli – to the cold chaats – pani puri, dahi puri, bhel puri and papdi chaat, you will be spoilt for choice.
The main course will truly leave you confused about what to choose. To make things simple you might want to avoid the khaman and the dhokla. They are nothing like the original ones and leave you quite disappointed. The cold salad bar, though not ‘Mumbai-ish’ in any way, has an assortment of veggies and meats that are quite yummy. The mutton salad is especially worth trying.
The Konkani Macchi Amti, pomfret cooked in a tamarind and coconut paste is delicious and unlike most fish that simply put you off because of the number of bones they have, this one is rather simple to clean and eat. You might want to give the Bhuna Nariyal Wala Gosht (mutton) a pass but the Jardalu Ma Margi (chicken) is a must have. That’s it for the non-veg section. The staples such as rice, toovar dal and rotis are tasty. From the veggies side of the buffet, the Panchvati Subzi, Bharelimirchi (stuffed yellow chillies), Batata nu Shauk are all good choices.
Don’t fill yourself up too much on the main course though. The dessert section has quite a spread and requires ample space in your tummy to do it justice. The dry gulab jamun is a must have. The Jalebi, Bombay halwa and Shrikhand are good options as well. If you don’t have a sweet tooth, there is quite a spread of savouries to be found as well. If adventure is not your cup of tea when it comes to cuisine, there is the ever-dependable ice cream to be found as well.
At Rs. 450 (plus tax) per head, it is worth it for the overall experience and an almost taste of Mumbai. The festival is on till March 30, for dinner only.
NINA MEHTA
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Chennai
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