Masala Klub Food Festival @ Beyond Indus - Taj Club House, Anna Salai

For any die-hard foodie, a culinary tour of India will be like visiting heaven. The stark contrast in cuisine across the 4 corners of the country is sure to keep them guessing on all the beautiful dishes and the exotic ingredients that go with them. The Butter Chicken Masala in the North combined with the Dosas from the South and add to it some chats from the west and one can keeping going on and again over the different dishes that we can savour. But in today’s restaurant scenario in India, many restaurant fail to provide authenticity in their food as they try to cover the entire Indian cuisine under one roof. This leads to mixing of the unique tastes that needs to be attributed to each dish based on the geographic location of its origin. However, there are still a handful of restaurant which believe that the trade-off between the variety of dishes vs authenticity will always have the win tilting towards authenticity and have hence embarked on a journey of providing authentic cuisines from lesser known regions of the sub-continent.

One such restaurant serving authentic regional cuisine in Chennai is “Beyond Indus” located within the “Taj Club House” in Anna Salai. Diners here get to savour some exotic foods from the provinces surrounding the Indus River namely Punjab, Rawalpindi & Sindh.  True to their name, the dishes served here were always a reflection of the regions that it was supposed to represent. Various dinners here have never failed in satisfying the entourage. When a restaurant has created a mark in setting amazing food, imagine a food festival being held.

(Chef Chandan - Masala Klub)

How can you have a food festival when you have already differentiated your offering? Well here comes the twist, the food festival being conducted is by a visiting chef from another of Taj’s restaurant, the “Masala Klub” from the “Taj West End” at Bangalore. And what do they specialize in, they provide a modern twist to classical Indian cuisine. Chef Chandan from Masala Klub stylishly recreates authentic Indian flavours using modern cooking techniques and using healthier ingredients without compromising on the taste.

(Papads)

Upon being seated, first to make its way to our table was the welcome drink. On this occasion it was a ‘Litchi’ flavoured drink served in a Champagne glass. This was followed by an amuse-bouche which was a ‘Pani Puri’ with the pani being a differentiator made from Pineapple extract. We were then introduced to the offering for the day which comprised of three starters, three mains served with Indian breads and a plate of traditional desserts.

(Litchi Drink)

(Pineapple Pani Puri)

Once the introductions were over, the starters were presented on the table. The starter platter comprised of ‘Palak Papad ke Kebab’, ‘Bhunna lasson de Murgh Tikka’ & ‘Pan seared Sea Bass’. The Palak papad ke kebab was made of Broccoli florets flavoured with a mix of mustard and spices and finally char-grilled to attain a papad crispiness on the outside. The Murgh tikka was the traditional tender chicken cubes draped in cheese and flavoured with Cardamom and Garlic. The Sea Bass had a peppery taste to it as it was pan seared using deggi mirch. The Papad kebab was the clear highlight of the starters as its crispy crust was an absolute palate pleaser.

(Starter Kebab Platter)

For the mains, we were served with three curries, a mutton, a prawn and a vegetarian. The ‘Patiala Mutton curry’ is an ethnic Punjabi dish made using meat from the leg of a lamb and finished using ghee to provide the richness to the gravy. This was followed by the ‘Anardana Jingha’ which was a prawn gravy with flavourings infused from roasted coriander seeds, the beautiful Kashmiri chilies and topped with pomegranate seeds. The combination of flavours was just mind boggling and was a pure treat along with their ‘Chili Olive Naan’ that was served as the accompaniment. The last of the gravies to make way was the ‘Nadru aur Singhada’ that directly translates to Lotus Stem and Water Chestnut literally. It was quite unique to taste a curry made using these two ingredients and must say they complemented each other very well.

(Curry Trio)

(Chili Olive Naan)

To end the evening, the desserts were rolled out. The dessert for the evening was the ‘Baked Anjeer Halwa’. The halwa is made up of mashed figs and is an all-time favourite of the Masala Klub’s menu. The halwa was served along with a Coconut Ice Cream that had a few tongue-tickling pieces of tender coconut flesh.

(Dessert Platter)

If you thought the evening ended here, you have to be wrong. Being foodies, we are always on the hunt to find out best places for unique dishes. Being in a restaurant serving authentic Northern-North Western cuisine, how can we leave without tasting their ‘Galouti Kebab’ especially after the Chef revealed that it was his personal favourite too. So after much deliberation with fellow food bloggers Dr Wasim & Dr Shadir, the trio of us decided to go for the kill. As we were already beaten down by the amazing meal that was set in front of us already, we requested for just one portion of the kebab and that’s all the space that was remaining. However, Chefs being chefs, bought us a complete plate with four Galouti’s neatly tucked on a Saffron Roti. The looks were very deceptive as after the customary photo clicks, I’d placed the fork on top of the kebab to pack my camera gear so that we can leave as soon as the tasting is over.

(Making of Galouti Kebab)

Within a few seconds, what we witnessed was phenomenal. Historically, Galouti came into existence because when the Mughal Kings became old and lost their teeth, they still wanted to savour kebabs that would taste divine yet be so soft that they would melt inside the mouth. True to its history, what we saw was that the fork I’d placed had actually sunk inside the kebab. That’s how soft it was. The first bite sealed the case and the verdict was out. Finally a Galouti that beats those from the ‘The Great Kebab Factory’ at Radisson Blu. The trio of us were so delighted that we kept talking about the Galouti till late that evening. A must try if you are a Galouti fan.

(Galouti Kebab)

The ‘Masala Klub’ festival is on till the 22^nd of June at Beyond Indus, located at Hotel Taj Club Road in Anna Salai and a meal for two will cost you upwards of ₹ 3000.

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My First Sushi Experience @ Spectra, The Leela Palace Hotel - MRC Nagar, Chennai

“Fish??? Please no Fish for me”. Thanks to the Chefs at The Leela Palace, Chennai and the Master Chefs from Japan, this statement will no longer have any validity in my food blogging sphere. 

Being a foodie can be quite a task especially if you are into not just eating but also reviewing. The most significant is the ability to be willing to taste all type of foods. This is a department where I’ve always not been able to keep up as there two things that I have to avoid while considering food elements, Pork and Fish. The first due to religious beliefs while the second mainly because of personal choice. I love seafood though and can eat non fish ingredients such as prawns, lobster, crabs, and scallops. Very rarely do I consume fish and it is predominantly in the Asian form of cuisine as it masks out the complete whiff of the fish. Otherwise, it is a complete no-no and has often made me miss out dishes which I know would have tasted fantastic.

I’m sure you must be wondering, why I am talking so much about fish here. Well, beat the irony, a person who absolutely avoids cooked fish gets invited for an International Sushi Training Workshop. Yes, to be honest I was freaking out by the mere thought of Sushi. But being an invitation from one of the most prestigious hotels in the city, I made up my mind to honour the invitation and challenged myself to take it in my stride and try out the Sushi. But yet once again, the mere thought of a raw fish going down my throat was giving me the shudders.

(Sushi)

(Tuna)

The fear turned to excitement and anticipation when I attended the press meet for the workshop. The moment the Master Chefs were introduced, I was determined that if I was to ever taste Sushi then it better be from the professionals. Chef Masayoshi Kazato & Chef Hirotoshi Ogawa are from the “All Japan Sushi Association-World Sushi Skills Institute” and were here to train professional chefs on the art of crafting Sushi. Yes you heard it right the first time, to teach professional chefs. This new found interest was furthered during my post-meet conversation with Chef Dharmen Makawana, Executive Chef & Chef Avinash Mohan, Executive Sous Chef at “The Leela Palace, Chennai”. Chef Dharmen revealed what I felt was the most practical approach for those who are trying Sushi for the first time. It is always better to start with cooked Sushi before moving to cured Sushi and then taking the plunge into Sashimi. 

(Chef Masayoshi Kazato)

(Chef Hirotoshi Ogawa)

(Chef Dharmen Makawana)

(Chef Avinash Mohan)

The litmus test was during the luncheon hosted for us on the next day. After having been well informed by the Chef’s the previous day, I was looking forward to my first Sushi. The first thing I noticed on entering “Spectra”, Leela’s all day dining restaurant was their Sushi Bar which was right at the entrance and the two Master Chef’s handling the counters. Although the smell of fish was all around but it was not of the way that would put one off. Moving to the Sushi counter, I was shocked to see Chef Kazato using the arm of one of his assistants as a chopping board. This he says is a sign of confidence and control any Sushi Chef must possess. The way he chopped the vegetables on the arm, the vegies came out cleanly chopped with even a slight impression on the arm. It was nerve wrecking to see that as the knives used are razor sharp. 

(Nervous looking Human Chopping Board)

(Relieved looking Human Chopping Board)

(Assorted Plate)

(Beautiful Fish Cuts)

Chef Dharmen was very courteous enough and helped me plate my dish with a range of Sushi & Sashimi as I couldn’t wait getting into the action. I had an assortment of Salmon, Scallop, Squid & Tuna Sashimi along with some cooked Prawn Sushi and a single serving of a vegetarian Sushi just for the heck of trying it. For the first time in my life, a fish seemed tempting to me. The moment I picked up some Soy sauce along with Wasabi, I was all set to take the first Sushi bite. Everything around me became still for a second when the first Salmon Sashimi entered my mouth. I was shocked and surprised at how delicate and flavoured it was. My immediate reaction was, “How could I have committed such a grave mistake being a foodie?” Why did it take me so long to realize how amazing they tasted?

(My Plate)

One by one the other Sushi’s & Sashimi’s were being emptied of my plate with each providing a very unique flavour profile. My favourites of the afternoon were the Salmon Sashimi, Scallops Sashimi & the Cooked Prawn Sushi. Once I had the vegetarian sushi, I realized how there can never be a vegetarian sushi as it doesn’t do any justice to the authentic Sushi. One way I feel it was a blessing in disguise that I waited so long to venture into this unknown territory as now I’ve got the feel of what real and authentic Sushi is straight from the hands of world renowned Sushi Master Chefs. 

(Baked Yogurt)

As I wanted to relish the flavours of the Sushi, I just had a few dishes from their regular lunch buffet spread promising myself to return again soon to do full justice to their exhaustive lunch buffet. From the dishes I tried that afternoon, I loved their Hummus, Baba Ghanoush and the Pita. Their hummus is probably the only truly replicated hummus available in Chennai. How can a meal be complete without a dessert and to do justice I had a portion of the Baked Yoghurt with cracked French Macaroons on it. On our way back after the meal I bumped into Chef Dharmen & Chef Avinash who were very courteous in listening to my experience of Sushi and were glad to find out it was a memorable one. We ended up chatting for quite some time on various topics pertaining to food and the general restaurant scenario in Chennai. The Chefs were very down to earth and were open to giving culinary tips without any hesitation. The conversations really enlightened me on different aspects of food preparation, storage and cooking.

This amazing experience and training workshop was organized by The Indian Federation of Culinary Associations & JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) along with The Leela Palace Hotel, Chennai.

(The Team behind organizing the Workshop)

Whenever you feel the need for Sushi, hold no bar, head straight up to Spectra, the all-day dining restaurant at The Leela Palace Hotel, Chennai for a mind blowing experience.

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Pan Asian - ITC Grand Chola

Being a very cosmopolitan city, one thing that the food circuit in Chennai had been missing for a long time was the presence of an authentic pan Asian restaurant. We have some amazing Chinese, Thai, Korean & Japanese restaurants but no restaurant that serves all these cuisines without compromising on the authenticity But Chennaite’s the scenario has now changed. With the opening of ITC Grand Chola, there was great expectations in the food circuit about the amazing restaurants that were to be part of this luxurious hotel. One amongst them filled in the gap that we missed for so long. Yes the a pan Asian restaurant known by the same name as the cuisines it serves, “Pan Asian” in our own ITC Grand Chola.

Upon entering the restaurant, the first thing that hits you is the collection of Wines the restaurant boasts of. After being lead through some amazing shelves of Wines, the restaurant throws itself upon oneself with its rustic interiors and a fantastic open kitchen. Yes, the entire kitchen forms an integral part of the restaurant that provides a great experience seeing your order made almost in front of you. 

The menu was crafted keeping in mind the essence of the restaurant and true to its name had cuisines from three different provinces in China, a section dedicated to Thai and finally another dedicated to Japanese. The interesting aspect of the entire menu was the matrix arrangement of core ingredient against each cuisine. This I felt was quite innovative as one need not get confused with complex names but can rather select the core ingredient such as poultry, lamb, duck, seafood or vegetarian and then cross it with the cuisine to order your appetizers and mains. 

(Banana Blossom Salad)

(Steamed Duck Carpaccio)

(Pan Asian’s Som Tam)

The first to be served was the ‘Banana Blossom Salad’. The salad was served very aesthetically on a bowl made of banana fibres and had the right amount of crunchiness that a salad needs. This was followed by the ‘Steamed Duck Carpaccio’. I must admit that this was the first time I’d ventured out into unfamiliar territory of having a dish with duck as the core ingredient. Boy was I surprised, the duck was tender and at the right temperature being a cold dish. It was served along with some ponzu jelly and orange crushed ice which complemented the flavour well. Can’t wait to try another hot duck dish soon. The next to be served was the ‘Pan Asian’s Som Tam’ which was the restaurants own interpretation of the classic Thai salad. 

(Wok Tossed Chicken)

(Sichuan style Crispy Prawns)

(Stir Fried Squid)

(Californian Apple and Fresh Fennel Soup)

The ‘Wok Tossed Chicken’ was one of my favourites of the evening. The chicken was cooked perfectly with a sumptuous amount of nuts that truly elevated its flavours. The ‘Sichuan style Crispy Prawns’ was served next. The prawns were cooked in a succulent nut sauce that complemented the spice of the Sichuan style cooking. This was followed by the ‘Stir Fried Squid’, wherein the squid was crispy and coated in a nice chilli basil crumble. To end the array of appetizers, we were served with a ‘Californian Apple and Fresh Fennel Soup’. The soup served in Pan Asian has a twist to it. You are presented with a big bowl with the core ingredient and then provided the soup separately that can be poured in. This helps understand all the different flavours of the soup. The soup is so filling that it is a meal by itself. 

(Chicken Gaobao with Pixian Chilli)

(Phad Cha Talay)

(Asian Greens)

(Teppanyaki Fried Rice)

The mains started with the ‘Chicken Gaobao with Pixian Chilli’. The combination of leeks, nuts and peppercorns made the flavours stand out. The next was the ‘Phad Cha Talay’, which was basically an assortment of seafood cooked in turmeric and basil. This was followed by some Asian Greens in white garlic sauce. We were served with ‘Teppanyaki Fried Rice’ to go with the mains. The rice had a nice flavour of hotness in it while at the same time the hotness wasn’t too overpowering. 

(Serenity on Pebbled Path)

(Vahlrona Chocolate)

To sum up the evening, we were served with a ‘Serenity on Pebbled Path’ and a ‘Vahlrona Chocolate’. The pebbled path was indeed serene. It comprised of a nice pineapple orange pond with rock chocolates to make up the path. The chocolate on the other hand was exotic which went perfect with the dark cherry compote and spearmint ice cream that accompanied it. 

On the whole, my dining experience at ‘Pan Asian’ was truly Asian without any compromise on quality or taste and in my knowledge is the only authentic Asian restaurant existent as of now in Chennai. If you are a major lover of Asian food, then it definitely needs to be on the top of your must visit restaurant list.

Pan Asian is located at the ITC Grand Chola.

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Maha Virundhu @ Southern Spice - Taj Coromandel

Over the last few decades, a lot has changed in South India excepting a handful. These changes have bridged the gap that existed between the different cities and made us more united. But there are certain things which still strongly differentiate the four southern states. Standing strong amongst this list is the different cuisines of the individual states down south. No amount of evolution can change this scenario as being unique is their speciality trait. And if you have had the opportunity of tasting all the four different cuisines, then I’m sure you will be in agreement to my opinion of how each cuisine are so close to each other yet unique in their own ways.

(Exquisite Cutlery)

If such complexity exists amongst these cuisines, then imagine how challenging would it be to have a restaurant serving out such authentic South Indian cuisine. Now multiply this complexity manifolds for the restaurant I’m talking about is no ordinary restaurant and have been doing this amazing job of bringing cuisines from the four states devotedly since 1996. More so over, being part of the prestigious Taj Group of Hotels, this restaurant has to ensure its standards are the highest amongst the lot. For those who guessed it by now and for the others wondering which restaurant it is, I’m talking about none other than our very own ‘Southern Spice’ located at Taj Coromandel, Chennai. An epitome of the amazing work crafted in the kitchens of ‘Southern Spice’ stands testimonial in the fact that it finds itself a place in the “Top 100 Restaurants of the World”.

Having been to ‘Southern Spice’ on different occasions earlier, this was my first visit post their massive makeover that happened in 2011-2012. From the outside, I wondered to myself as the old traditional entrance was replaced by a sleek modern pathway. But was I not surprised when the pathway ended. The restaurant looked more grandeur now than before. It resembled like a Mandap of a carefully crafted Southern Royal Palace. The carvings on the roof were phenomenal so were the shiny silver pillars. However one thing that has now changed was the absence of live performance. The traditional dance performances that used to take place were one of the reasons for preferring Southern Spice during the earlier days.

(Exquisite Cutlery)

All the impressions that resulted out of the recent makeover culminated in the best possible way when I was told that today would be a degustation menu aka the “Maha Virundhu”. Now “Maha Virundhu” is something that royal families usually host to honour their guests. True to its theme, we were pampered from the start in a grandiose and royal manner. Being led to our private dining room, I was amazed by the cutlery that was laid out on our table. In coherence with the menu we were to taste today, even the cutlery had royal all over them as they were a mix of gold and silver plated cutleries and plates. After all the brief introductions, it was revealed by the Chef that we were to taste a 30 dish “Maha Virundhu”. I was aghast at this as this would be probably the first time, I’ll be savouring so many different dishes at one go.

(Refreshing Towels)

With all said and done, we were being prepared for the fare that awaited us. Wet towels to freshen up ourselves was first up. This was followed by the first dish of the evening, a small idly shaped flour ball with  a stuffing that consisted of dried raisins and other dry fruits. This was followed by two welcome drinks, the ‘Mysore Rasam’ and ‘Ginger Punch’. The rasam was unique as it had a tinge of coconut along with some jiggery that made it distinctive. There was no end to the number of servings we had of this amazing drink. For those wondering, Rasam did start out as a soup/drink and by evolution found itself as a side for steamed rice. But even today, at interiors of the southern states it is still had as a drink rather than as an accompaniment for rice. While we were busy gulping down the drinks, some crunchiness was added to the table in the form of ‘Vadagams/Poppadums/Crackers’ along with a deluge of Chutney’s.

(Stuffed Dumpling)

(Mysore Rasam)

(Ginger Punch)

(Vadagams/Poppadums/Crackers)

With our palate now all set for the bombardment of dishes to follow, the starters quickly starting coming up. First up was the ‘Melagu Adai’. It is a lentil pan cake that has a neutral taste to kick start the ‘Maha Virundhu’. Next was the ‘Banana Dosa’ which was an amazingly soft banana battered up and deep fried with flavours of jaggery and cardamom. This was followed by the ‘Injipuli Koshambri’ which was the south Indian take on salads. It comprised of tempered lentils on a bed of lettuce with a dressing of ginger-tamarind yoghurt. Once the greens were over, it was now time for the meat lover’s feast. Next up were the ‘Denji Rawa Fry’, ‘Kori Kempu’, ‘Vaigai Kari Sukka’ & the ‘Kair katti Yerachi Kola Urundai’. The ‘Denji Rawa Fry’ was one of my favourite dish and was the second time I was having the same meat in a span of few weeks. It is a semolina crusted soft shell crab which is deep fried until crispy. The soft shell crabs are a rarity in India and the one’s we had were imported. The ‘Kori Kempu’ were a bit similar to our regular chicken fried dishes but the seasonings had a great mix of chillies and hand pounded spices that gave it a unique flavouring when marinated with yoghurt and fried. Sukka being an all-time favourite for me, I was just anticipating if they would be serving it. It was exactly just then that we were served up with the ‘Vaigai Kari Sukka’. The dish made its entrance with the symbolic aroma that accompanies any sukka. The lamb was cooked perfect and had an amazing spice flavour. The last amongst the starters was the ‘Kair katti Yerachi Kola Urundai’. This is a unique dish whose recipe was donated to the kitchen of Southern Spice by one of the biggest families in Tamil Movie Industry. Yes, this is a household recipe of the great ‘Shivaji Ganesan’. It was both a delight as well as an honour to have this fennel flavoured minced meat dumplings wrapped in a banana fibre. The meat was amazingly crispy which made me wonder how it retained its shape until the fibres were removed.

(Melagu Adai)

(Banana Dosa)

(Injipuli Koshambri)

(Denji Rawa Fry)

(Kori Kempu)

(Vaigai Kari Sukka)

(Kair katti Yerachi Kola Urundai

With the starters all done it was now time to get into the Thali mode. Thali is the traditional way of serving food on a plantain leaf with all the curries and sides placed in small quantities and the center area for the rice and breads. Well the thali at Southern Spice’s ‘Maha Virundhu’ was a bit different for the leaf was replaced by a gold plated leaf plate. The curries that made up the ‘Maha Virundhu Thali’ were ‘Manathakkali Vathal Kozhambu’, which was a strong tamarind curry made with black nightshade berried. This was followed by ‘Arachivitta Sambar’, a traditional curry in almost all South Indian thali’s made with lentils, stone grounded spices, drumsticks and Madras onions. The next on the plate was the ‘Pookose Urlai Korma’, a combination of cauliflower and potato in an herbed coconut and cashew gravy. Following this was the ‘Kadala Gassi’ which is stewed black chickpeas in a toasted coconut chilli curry. Next up was ‘Pachakari Stew’, a mix of vegetables and potatoes with onion and green chillies simmered on some rich coconut milk to make the stew.

With all the vegetable curries gone, the first amongst the non-vegetarian curries was the ‘Royallu Iguru’ which consisted of some amazing prawns flavoured with a special Andhra spice mix and simmered in a rich coconut and cashew gravy. The next dish was also a prawn curry from the Kanada cuisine named ‘Mangalore Yetti Curry’. It was a flavourful prawn curry in a mix of coconut, chillies and grounded Mangalorean spices. This was followed by the ‘Scallop Pepper Stew’ which was a first for me. Not an avid sea food lover barring prawns and crab, I have never actually pursued the path to try out the different offerings. But boy was I not delighted, the scallops had a unique texture to them by itself and the black pepper infused coconut milk nailed the dish. The final gravy that made to my thali was the ‘Kozhi Malliperalan’, a speciality from Kuttanad. It was a cilantro flavoured chicken stew with succulent pieces of chicken. The one gravy that I gave a miss was the ‘Sankaraa Meen Kozhambu’ which I understood from my friends was a red snapper in a curry infused with fenugreek, tamarind and tomato. The accompaniments for the Thali were the ‘Asparagus Paruppu Usili’ and the ‘Zucchini Khaara Poriyal’. The sides for the thali comprised of ‘Parotta’, ‘Idiyappam’ aka Steamed String Hoppers, ‘Appam’ aka Rice Hoppers & some Steamed Rice with the traditional Paruppu Podi & Ghee.

(The Grandiose Thali)

Also on the offering was the ‘Bhejwada Kodi Biryani’ from Andhra Pradesh, a spiced chicken pilaf made with fresh cilantro and mint that provided a good spiced variant to the regular biryani that is available in Tamil Nadu. To sum it up all, the final dish was the ‘Thayir Sadam’, a must have at the end of any South Indian meal.

With the gastronomy tour that our palate had already encountered, we could just not wait for the desserts to hit the table. But then before the desserts were served came a very surprising drink. A ‘Curry Leaf Concoction’ was provided to us with an option for an alcoholic twist for those who preferred. Personally it was a complete new outlook to me. I used to be the kind of person who leaves aside the curry leaves during my childhood and here I am drinking a concoction made entirely of curry leaf. It was amazing a provided a must needed refreshment after the array of dishes that were served.

(Curry Leaf Concoction)

The line-up of desserts started with the ‘Godhi Bella Ice Cream’. It was a completely new flavour devised in house made with broken wheat, jaggery and banana to create a very creamy yet textural ice cream. This was followed up by the ‘Elaneer Payasam’, which the Chef revealed was from the house of the Mammens, the family behind MRF. It was a milky pudding made from chilled tender coconut. The final dish to commemorate an end to the “Maha Virundhu” was indeed a big surprise. When the dish was being brought on to our table, we were all wondering that the dessert looked amazing but nowhere resembled to an Indian dish leave alone South India. But the surprise was locked within the dessert. Named the ‘Chocolate Purnam Mousse’, the Chef asked us to break the top of the mousse to unlock the surprise. We were all taken aback as to how such a western looking dessert was indeed completely South Indian. The inside resembled almost similar to the Panjamirtham that is given out at temples. For those still not sure, it is a mixture of coconut, lentil and jaggery. This mixture was exotically filled in a chocolate mousse to bring out such an amazingly looking as well as tasting dessert. This was indeed a fitting climax to the ‘Maha Virundhu’ that was offered to us at Southern Spice.

(Godhi Bella Ice Cream)

(Chocolate Purnam Mousse)

The Thali’s at Southern Spice start from INR 2000 per person and can go upwards of up to INR 12000 per person. The higher priced thali’s also have exotica wines paired with the food. The ‘Maha Virundhu’ experience offered today is priced at INR 5000. They are more than happy to create a customized menu depending on your budget and preference. So if it’s a truly royal experience that you would like to have for that special occasion or to showcase the true tradition and authenticity of South Indian food to your friends and families from India and abroad, Southern Spice would be the perfect restaurant to do so.

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