A LA CARTE DEC' 11 Issue

`30 Issue 1 Vol. 3

DECEMBER 2011

RECIPES FOR A HEARTY

CHRISTMAS MEAL OF LAMB ROAST, THYME ROASTED POTATOES, PUDDINGS & MORE

CE

FOOLDEB IE

ANU HASAN Of Kebabs, Koftes and Dolmas

Dining in

TURKEY Festive cocktail collection, easy Xmas cake, turkey roast & praline

Cookie mix, jam jar and homemade wine

Make Christmas gifts at home!

Need after-school snack ideas for your kids! Dharini Krishnan answers all

À la Carte

THE COMPLETE FOOD MAGAZINE

CONTENTS DECEMBER

Find out what’s cooking this month!

Perfect ending to a hearty christmas meal

PAGE 30

APRICOT GINGER PUDDING WITH CREAMY CARAMEL SAUCE

What’s in

THIS ISSUE 6 Herby-vorous

Learn a thing or two about these wonderful herbs that form the fundamental flavours of the food we cook.

12 Tipsy Twirl

It’s party time and make yourself these superb cocktails put together by Chef Swapan Kumar Baidya, Le Royal Meridien, Chennai.

14 Beguiling Bananas

Who knew that one can use bananas beyond making a smoothie or a piece of cake?

2 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

20 Thank God it’s Christmas

Don’t shop for Christmas gifts in the nth hour anymore! With our easy-to-make hampers, gifting gets innovative, simple and personal.

Make these delicious bluberry muffins page 22

À la Carte OUT & ABOUT 34 A Sizzling Affair How much cheese can you consume in a week? page 24

IN THE KNOW 18 Ask Sabitha

This culinary wizard answers all your queries on food and cooking.

Now say goodbye to your kitchen angst!

23 Gimme Red!

Stock your kitchen with these handpicked, redhaute pieces.

24 Ask Dharini

This nutrition expert solves all the diet and nutrition riddles which have been hogging your mind. Embrace them for a healthier living.

Discover this sweet turkish delight page 49

Our writers find out what’s cooking in Cream Center’s La Fete De Sizzler Festival.

42 Foodie of the Month

Anu Hasan on her love affair with food, cooking and interesting experiences of dining around the world.

38 A Nutty Saga

A tale on Nuts ‘n’ Spices, one of Chennai’s premium gourmet stores.

GOURMET’S SAFARI 44 Turkey on a Plate

Traversing through Turkey’s culinary landscape which is filled with food that is honest and delicious.

Managing Director Sujit Kumar Editor-in-Chief Maria Bina Associate Features Editor Vijetha Rangabashyam Features Writer Anitha Ramachandran Design Team Rifah Aiysha Francis Augustine Shriya Suresh Kuppuswamy Columnists Sabitha Radhakrishna Dharini Krishnan Marketing Chennai Gurubaran Paneer Selvam Daniel Benjamin Delhi Kunal Chaudhary Ashish Punj Mumbai Kiran N. Murthy Frino Paul For advertising contact Options Media Pvt Ltd 3, Ritechoice VaralakshmiApts. 15/4, H.D. Raja Street, Alwarpet, Chennai- 18. +91 44 24352581/ 42112582/45000010 sales@optionsmedia.co.in

Unsolicited material may not be returned. The opinions of writers are theirs, not ours. We are not responsible for incorrect listings and information. While we do all we can to ensure correctness, readers are advised to re-check with establishments. No part of this publication should be reproduced without our written permission. The different trademarks published in this issue belong to their respective owners. À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 3

Out & About

Mark your dates

The best of Chennai this month. If it’s out there, we’ll find it...

Shimmering Eye Verandah, Vivanta by Taj Connemara

Mark the New Year with a special and an elaborate buffet dinner spread with unlimited servings of five different vegetarian and non-vegetarian starters and select beverages. With a live DJ spinning progressive music, burn the dance floor and win exciting prizes. This is available only for dinner and is priced at Rs.7000 per couple and Rs.4000 for stags.

For further details, call Verandah at 66000000

Residency Towers Bike and Barrel, Performance by Live Martini, Dec 23rd

Ring in the Christmas spirit with music by “Live Martini” – one of Chennai’s finest bands!

Mainstreet, Christmas Extravaganza, Dec 24th, 25th

Come as a group for dinner on 24th and lunch on 25th, and enjoy one buffet on the house!

Christmas Memories Kefi, Taj Club House

For a lovely rooftop dining experience, the culinary team at Kefi arranges a traditional Christmas menu served along with beverages.Be prepared for surprise gifts and music at the restaurant. Available only for dinner, it is priced at Rs.1950 plus taxes.

The hotel also has other exciting gifts and platters for Christmas. For further details, call Taj Club House at 6631 3131

Courtyard by Marriott

The Savera

Christmas Eve Dinner

Qureshi’s Menu at Minar

For some tantalizing roasts and other Christmas delicacies, head to Paprika and Rhapsody for Christmas Eve dinner and Sunday brunch. Watch out for a huge Christmas tree, listen to the sweet Carols and allow Santa to greet you at the hotel.

It was Grand Master Chef Imtiaz Qureshi who introduced the concept of ‘tandoor’ and ‘dum’ which is highly popular in many Indian restaurants today. Carrying forward his excellence, his sons Ashfaque Qureshi and Irfan Qureshi have introduced the forgotten cuisines of the Nawab of Awadh and Dum cuisine at Minar, The Savera. For further details,

For further details, call Courtyard by Marriott at 6676 4499

call The Savera at 2811 4700

4 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

More 'dum' than ever

The legendary Qureshis who once cooked for Moghul Emperors are now with us. Presenting a reinvented Minar with an exquisite new menu fashioned by none other than Master Chefs Ashfaque and Irfan Qureshi.

The Qureshis are a family of chefs to the Great Nawabs who unearthed the secret of the unique flavors of Dum Cuisine.

DINNER ONLY

*conditions apply

@ Level 11

146, Dr. Radhakrishnan Road,Chennai - 600004. Ph: 28114700. Extn: 1936

HERBY vorous Fresh basil in tomato soup, oregano seasoning on cheesy pizzas or chopped parsley in your pasta- herbs are an integral part of any cuisine.

Introducing you to these fragrant herbs which have slowly become a part of our cooking routine.

PARSLEY

This coriander leaf look alike is distinguished by the sharper edges. However, this variety of parsley is mostly used fresh. Many Italian preparations use chopped parsley sautéed with olive oil. The curly variant is not widely used because it doesn’t have as much flavour as its flat counterpart and is only considered as garnish.

6 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

BASIL

THYME

This slightly pungent herb has a spicy, savoury flavour, like clove. Lemon thyme is a milder version with a lemony twist. Thyme can be used with different meats and vegetables. It is also a vital ingredient in casseroles, soups, stuffing, marinades and pâtés. Apart from this, thyme can also be used for flavoured bread and butter. Thyme adds flavour to mushrooms, fried potatoes, vegetables and omelets. Lemon thyme goes perfectly well with fish and chicken.

Basil is a widely used herb, especially in Italian cuisine. It is the basic ingredient for seasoning in tomato sauces, soups, salads and pesto. This aromatic herb is best used when it is fresh. The leaves should be torn rather than cut and used within a day or two. Apart from using it raw, basil can be added to any preparation before serving as overcooking can lead to a loss of flavour.

CHIVES

Hailing from India and China, Chives have been used in cooking for centuries now and take the flavour of the food to an all new level. They are extremely easy to grow and maintain, and are fully packed with nutrients. À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 7

TARRAGON

This sweet, anise-like herb can be used in soups, seafood and egg preparations apart from salads. Among the different variants, the French tarragon has the best flavour. Tarragon is a vital ingredient in salad dressings. It can also be used to make mayonnaise. Tarragon also goes well with green beans, asparagus, peas and carrots.

ROSEMARY

Pungent and fragrant, rosemary finds a special place in Italian cuisine. Fresh sprigs of rosemary are used to flavour meats, roasted potato, vegetables and even breads like focaccia. It is also used in a wide variety of stuffing in salads. It’s easy to grow and because of its strong flavour, a small amount can be used to add a special touch to the preparation.

Dried rosemary can be substituted if you run out of fresh leaves.

8 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

SAGE

Sage washes over your senses with its earthy flavour with minty overtones and camphor like properties. This herb with its lemony tang can be used in stuffing for poultry, fish and other meats.

It is an integral part of sauces, soups, chowders, meat pies and marinades.

Fresh sage sautéed with butter can add an unmistakable touch of rich flavour to any preparation.

DILL

Dill, also referred to as dillweed, has a subtle lemony flavour. Thus, this herb is widely used in adding an exquisite flavour to pastas. The fern leaf dill variety is used more often. It can be added to salad dressings or a variety of meat and seafood. Dill is also widely used as seasoning in plenty of Greek dishes like Tzatziki and Greek salads.

ROASTED CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS WITH DILL 3 tbsp olive oil 3-5 sprigs fresh dill, chopped 2 tsp red wine vinegar 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp cracked pepper 6-8 chicken drumsticks 1. In a large bowl whisk together olive oil, dill, red wine vinegar, salt and fresh cracked pepper.

2. Add chicken to the bowl and toss to

coat. Cover and marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the chicken in baking dish and pour any remaining marinade over the top.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 3045 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Turn on the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until the skin turns golden brown.

5.Garnish with a few fresh dill sprigs. À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 9

OREGANO

After being acquainted with dried oregano as a seasoning for pizzas, it is quite difficult to imagine this herb in its fresh form. Oregano is grown mostly in Southern Italy and has a delicately flower flavoured variant called Marjoram. Oregano is one of the few herbs which still retains its flavour when dried. Maybe that’s why it’s used more often in its dried avatar. A pungent herb, oregano is mostly used for adding flavour in pastas, sauces, seafood creations and of course, pizzas.

OPEN-FACE TOMATO-CHEESE MELTS WITH FRESH OREGANO 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 1 Italian bread, cut into 1/2-inch slices (focaccia) 2 large cloves garlic, minced finely 4 tomatoes, sliced into rounds 6 slices Muenster cheese (or cheddar) 1. Turn on the broiler to low. Place an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler.

2. Combine the oil, oregano, pepper flakes and a dash of salt in a small dish.

Brush one side of each slice of bread 10 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

with some of the flavored oil. Top with tomato slices.

3. Use a pizza cutter or a flat-edge knife to cut the cheese into strips. Arrange the cheese strips over the tomatoes.

4. Place sandwiches on an ungreased baking sheet and move the tray to the oven rack. Let it sit under the broiler for about 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush any remaining flavored oil over the cheese. Return the tray to the oven and cook for about 1 minute, until cheese starts to get bubbly and golden.

Serve warm.

Twirl

Quench your thirst and give yourself a little kick with these simple yet tasty cocktail and mocktail recipes from Executive Chef, Swapan Kumar Baidya, Le Royal Meridien, Chennai.

Photography: Abhay Kumar

Tipsy

COCKTAIL

Vodka Slammer 40ml vodka 20ml triple sec 120ml litchi juice 120ml grenadine syrup A cherry for decoration 1. Shake all the ingredients with ice and

strain into a tall glass.

2. Garnish with a cherry.

12 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

MOCKTAIL

Berry Delight 120ml cranberry juice 60ml litchi juice 60ml pineapple juice 1 fanta bottle 1. Shake all the ingredients with ice.

2. Garnish with Pineapple.

COCKTAIL

Caribbean Punch MOCKTAIL

Green Ocean 120ml apple juice 120ml guava juice 15ml Khaas syrup 05ml lime juice 1. In a shaker, combine 2 ice cubes with

lime juice, Khaas syrup, apple juice, guava juice and shake well.

2. Serve in a tall glass.

40ml gin 20ml white rum 120ml pineapple juice 120ml strawberry crush 20ml Malibu 1 strawberry 1. In a shaker, combine couple of ice

cubes, gin, rum, Malibu and pineapple juice and shake well.

2. Take a fancy glass and pour in the strawberry crush at the bottom and top it with the cocktail mix.

3. Garnish with a fresh strawberry. À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 13

Food for Beauty

BEGUILING You can use them to improve the texture of your skin or strengthen your hair from the roots. Bananas can be used in numerous ways to provide natural beauty. Discover the goodness of this fruit by using it to better the way you look.

FOR HAIR

Using bananas for hair helps you in managing it better, gives it a shine and prevents dandruff. It has excellent medicinal properties and is one of the best natural ingredients to nurture your scalp and hair with.

HAIR MASK RECIPE

Mash 2-3 ripe bananas to 2-3 tbsps of honey. Before applying the mask wet your hair to provide some moisture.

Apply the mixture to every strand right from root to tip. Now tie your hair with a shower cap and allow it to saturate your hair for at least 30 minutes and then shampoo and condition as usual.

14 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

RECIPE FOR HAIR LOSS

Take a ripe banana and mix it with a cup of fresh yoghurt. Apply this paste to your scalp and leave it on for an hour. Do this religiously for a month and you will definitely feel a decrease in hair loss and at the same time the condition and texture of your hair will improve tremendously.

BANANA

BOOST

If you have dry, frizzy hair or a flaky scalp, add bananas to your hair mask and watch these problems vanishing.

Regular application enhances the glow on your face. You can even mix the pulp of banana with honey in order to give a moisturizing effect to your skin.

Banana peel contains antioxidants and potassium, so simply rubbing it on your skin can be of great help.

FOR A BLEMISH FREE SKIN

Bananas are anti bacterial in nature and are excellent in treating skin blemishes, acne as well as pimples. The antioxidants and vitamins in bananas restore collagen in the skin and are useful for anti-aging purposes. Applying banana pulp on the face, makes the skin supple and soft. You can even add the pulp of a banana to the regular face pack that you use.

BRIGHT EYES

For dry, weak looking eyes, eating a banana a day can be of immense help.

Since the fruit is laden with potassium, it helps to control the balance of sodium and release of fluid in your cells, which results in preventing dry eyes.

These facts may be surprising given banana’s gooey and mushy texture, but bananas are proven to be helpful in smoothening and protection of hair.

FOR VOLUMINOUS HAIR Damages caused to hair with exposure to dirt, pollution and other environmental toxins can be treated with a banana mask. It helps in protecting the hair from further damage. It can also be used to combat dandruff, as regular use of banana honey hair mask can increase the moisture content of your hair.

À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 15

WHY NOT TRY THESE!

The beauty behind a banana is its simplicity; they are cheap and readily available and aren’t messy like some other home beauty ingredients.

BANANA FACE PACK RECIPES Mash bananas and mix it with a tablespoon of milk and rosewater, along with a pinch of nutmeg and some oatmeal powder. Apply this on a clean face and wash off after it completely dries out. Regular use helps to combat acne and blemishes to a great deal.

Take a ripe or over ripe banana and mash it in a bowl. Add a spoon of granulated sugar to the banana mash.

Apply this mix to your face and hands.

Banana mash works as an excellent exfoliating scrub and moisturizer for buffing away dead skin.

Combine banana mash to some honey and drops of orange or lemon juice and leave it on for 15 minutes for a younger looking skin.

Bananas are a rich source of Vitamin A and Potassium, and they are very good at softening and hydrating the skin.

GO BANANAS!

It’s about time to gulp down a few bananas! Not only do they give you an energy kick, but they also help in digestion. This creamy drink isn’t too sweet, and is a healthy choice for breakfast or any time of the day.

Pour the ingredients in the following order into a blender: 1/2 cup honey, 3/4 tsp vanilla extract, 2 sliced bananas 1-1/2 cups of vanilla yogurt and 1/2 cup of crushed ice. Start blending with a normal speed.

Gradually increase the blender speed until the mixture becomes smooth. Pour the mixture into a glass and serve it chilled.

16 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

In the Know

Ask Sabita

Sabita Radhakrishna is a well known food columnist and cookbook author. Our readers can find answers to all their cooking related queries here.

Mail in your queries to sabitaalc@clubclass.in

Is there a quicker way to prepare a Christmas cake?

Some things in life do not work well with short cuts! Especially in cooking, when you take the time to make a dish and prepare it with love, it turns out so beautifully.

I always make the traditional Christmas cake a month earlier. It is the preparation of fruit which is laborious. Wash the fruits and dry them out with a paper towel or sun dry them. Then soak them in brandy for a few days. This way, you can avoid the drudgery of doing everything the same day.

What is a healthy alternative for bread croutons for soups?

Bread croutons are packed with heavy calories only when they are deep fried in oil. To avoid that, merely toast the bread cubes in the oven and you have the same crunchy croutons sans the fat.

18 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

Q

What is the best way to prepare stuffed chicken instead of a traditional turkey roast?

Firstly, buy a fresh whole chicken, clean the insides thoroughly and smear salt. For stuffing 1 ½ kg of chicken, you will need: 8 slices of bread 1 apple A bunch of spring onions A bunch of celery 1 capsicum ½ tsp dry rosemary 100 gm butter Salt and pepper to taste Crumble the bread, chop the apple and other vegetables. Melt the butter in the chopped ingredients and add rosemary, salt and pepper. Now, pack the stuffing tightly into chicken cavity. Insert the legs into the cavity and bind with a thread so that the stuffing doesn’t spill out. Heat the oven to 180 degrees and roast in a baking pan for an hour and turn it at intervals so that it browns evenly.

The same recipe goes for Turkey, if you ever want to try it out!

Can you use anything else other than white bread crumbs for cutlets?

It is better to avoid refined white flour which is the main ingredient in bread that is usually bought. You can use stale brown bread slices to make the crumbs, in which extra care should be taken when frying, as the brown bread crumbs will assume a darker colour and they would look burnt. A better option is to use fine soojee (ravai) or crushed cornflakes.

Q

What is the difference between a mousse and a soufflé?

CHOCOLATE

SOUFFLÉ

What exactly is praline?

Praline gives a caramelized delicate flavor or filling to desserts and sweets. Praline is also a cake which is layered with the sponge cake and praline butter cream and sprinkled over with chopped almonds.

MAKE IT! Blanch 200 gm of almonds, remove skin and toast them in the oven to a golden brown. Place ¾ cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of water in a heavy pan and melt over high heat. When the mixture bubbles, add ½ teaspoon of vanilla essence.

When the sugar melts and turns brown, add almonds and mix briskly for a minute. Leave to cool and pound praline as finely as required.

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE

MOUSSE

Both are quite similar in many aspects. A mousse is a soft preparation, either sweet or savoury, where the ingredients are whisked, and then folded in. It is set in a mould and is usually served cold. The most popular ones are chocolate mousses with the addition of coffee and are normally served as desserts in tall glasses.

A soufflé is more like a cake but airier and is cooked and refrigerated in baking dishes.

There are both savoury soufflés like cheese and tomato and sweet soufflés – custard is made using egg yolks, milk and sugar and then the egg whites are beaten into peaks and folded into the mixture. The flavours of sweet soufflés are ideally fruit based ranging from lemon to strawberry or chocolate with an inclusion of cream. Hot soufflés are baked and served immediately after being removed from the oven so that the mixture does not collapse. À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 19

THANK GOD IT’S

Christmas Christmas is all about sharing good food. Gift your food-loving family and friends these wonderful homemade treats and pack them up pretty to lend a personal touch.

20 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

Choco-chip cranberry cookie mix in a jar ¾ cup sugar ½ cup brown sugar 1 cup dried cranberries ¾ cup chocolate chips 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour mixed with 1 tsp baking powder and ½ tsp baking soda 1. Layer the ingredients in the given

order in a 1 quart wide, smooth, glass canning jar (see picture).

2. Press each layer thoroughly before adding the next one.

WRAPPING IT UP: The colourful layers look beautiful through the shiny glass jar. Fashion a tag to put the method of making the cookies with a small rectangular decorated white card.

Punch a hole in the corner of the card to slip through a ribbon and tie it around the neck of the jar.

ATTACH THE FOLLOWING RECIPE:

Preheat oven to 190 C.Empty all the ingredients from the jar and mix well.

Add a stick of butter (100gms), an egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence.

Blend the ingredients thoroughly and shape them into lemon sized balls. Place them on a greased baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes.

Fig Jam with Fennel, Coriander and Bay Leaves 1 tsp fennel seeds ½ tsp coriander seeds 4 bay leaves 1 kg fresh figs (destalked and debuttoned) 900 gm caster sugar Lemon zest of 1 lemon Fresh lemon juice from two lemons Pinch of salt 100 gm pectin stock 1. Dry roast the seeds in a pan and

pop them into a mortar and pestle and grind coarsely. Now, tear the bay leaves from the edge to middle without breaking the leaves. Cut the figs evenly.

2. Now add all the above mentioned along with lemon zest and juice in a large sauce pan. Simmer for 45 minutes till the fig skin becomes tender. Remove the bay leaves and add the sugar and heat till the sugar has completely dissolved.

3. Now, add the pectin stock and bring the mixture to a rolling boil.

Boil until the mixture reaches the jam consistency. À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 21

Muffin Basket with Blueberry Muffins 12 muffins 240 ml yoghurt 1 egg lightly beaten 60 ml oil ½ tsp vanilla essence 260 gm all-purpose flour 100 gm caster sugar 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ¼ tsp salt 100 frozen blueberries

Tie a red ribbon around the hamper for a Christmasy feel

1. Preheat oven to 190 C and butter

12 muffin moulds. In a bowl, beat yoghurt, egg, oil and vanilla essence together. In another bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Take a spoon of this mixture and add it to the frozen blueberries. Now, fold in the yoghurt mixture to the flour mix and then add the blueberries.

2. Fill the muffin cups with the mixture evenly and bake for 15-20 minutes until a knife inserted in the muffin comes out clean.

3. Lay a piece of hand towel on a lovely cane basket and decorate the handle with lace.

NOTE: Don’t over work the batter and do not defrost the blueberries.

22 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

Homemade Fruit Wine 1 packet dry yeast 4 cups sugar A can of fruit concentrate (except citrus, any flavour) 3 ½ quarts cold water (add more if needed) 1. Combine yeast, sugar and fruit

concentrate in a gallon. Fill the rest of the jug with cold water.

2. Now take a balloon and fit it over the opening of the gallon.

Tie the neck with a rubber band.

Place the gallon in a dark, cool place. Within a day, you will find the balloon expanded because the alcohol conversion will release the gasses. Once the balloon has sized down, the alcohol is ready for consumption.

NOTE: It takes a minimum of 6 weeks for the wine to ferment.

In the Know

GIMME RED!

It’s Christmas and the red mode is already set. Whether it’s your kitchen counter, cabinet or casserole dishes, anything in colour red stands out. And there is no better time than this festive season to bring on this powerful albeit stylish colour in to your kitchen. Enthralling as they are, take a look at this month’s red-hot kitchen picks.

Store your tissues in this polka adorned, LACED BOX

HANDY SPEED BLENDER to whip your cream to perfection!

Stylish wooden Shanghai SALT AND PEPPER SHAKERS to add that glam quotient to your table

Place this GLOSSY RED VASE on your table or at any corner of your kitchen for a perfect dining experience

Attractive CUTLERY HOLDER to throw in your forks, knives and spoons!

RED ACCENTS KETTLE Be a stylish cook sporting this uber cute red with white

from Morphy Richards for a hot cuppa

POLKA DOTS APRON

À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 23

In the Know

Ask Dharini

Dr. Dharini Krishnan, a renowned Consultant Dietician answers your questions on basic nutrition and how it can make a difference to our body and health as such.

Mail in your queries to dharinialc@clubclass.in

Is cheese fattening? How much cheese am I allowed to consume in a week?

Part-skim mozzarella, string cheeses, farmer’s cheese, and goat’s cheese are lower in fat. Low fat cheeses tend to be milder in flavor, have a more rubbery texture and different cooking characteristics.

One cube of normal cheese has an average of 6 grams of fat while low fat cheeses have 4 grams of fat. It is okay to have a cube of cheese thrice a week, so long as milk sweets and paneer are not used too often.

What kind of food is rich in Vitamin D?

Ideally, Vitamin D can be activated by 15 minutes of exposure to sunlight. However, other edible sources of Vitamin D are milk products and fatty fish. Vitamin D is also fortified in foods and hence is easily available to the body.

One of the reasons why Suryanamaskar is extremely good for the body is because it keeps the bone strong and healthy.

24 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

Q

Is sea salt better than regular table salt?

Sea salt has a host of other minerals which come with it and hence is healthier. Ordinary table salt is totally refined and loses most of those nutrients in the process.

The chemical nature of sea salt and processed salt is the same. Both contain sodium chloride. The real difference comes in the taste, texture and processing. The body requires only small quantities of salt every day. Due to the increased use of processed foods, the sodium content in our diet has gone up. Hence, we need to restrict the total quantity of sodium that we ingest through our diet everyday.

Salads for example can be seasoned with lime or pepper to make it tasty rather than adding salt.

SUPER SALAD! Here is an interesting recipe where salad can be used without salt: ½ cup apple finely cut 1 cup carrot grated ¼ cup capsicum finely cut Mix all the above ingredients and season with lime juice and pepper.

What are anti-inflammatory foods?

Could you please explain them in detail and give a few examples?

Inflammation is the first response of the immune system to infection or irritation. Recent research has shown that eating the wrong foods can cause inflammation within our bodies. In fact, being overweight can itself be the cause of inflammation. Most of the chronic non-communicable diseases like diabetes are being classified under inflammation. If we control the inflammation we can control the disease. Inflammation can be aggravated by foods devoid of dietary fibre such as maida and corn flour. Most fruits and vegetables are anti-inflammatory in nature. Vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, garlic, beans, spring onions and spinach and fruits including oranges, papaya, lime, strawberry, tomato, guavas, pineapple and apples are antiinflammatory. Under herbs those which are anti-inflammatory in nature include cinnamon, cloves, turmeric, mint, basil, garlic and ginger.

Amla or big gooseberry is a very rich source of Vitamin C which in turn is anti-inflammatory.

Q

Could you suggest a few healthy after-school snack for my kids?

Most schools begin very early and children do not eat enough before they leave or do not carry a wholesome meal for lunch. Hence, after school snack becomes very important.

In most cases, the after school snack is the first proper meal your child can have.

AFTER SCHOOL SNACK/MEAL SUGGESTIONS: Roti wrapped in vegetable and a dhal to go with it.

Roti with fish or chicken or egg curry and vegetable salad.

Rice with dhal and vegetables.

Stuffed idli with sambar. The stuffing for the idli can be a mixed vegetable.

Franki made with vegetable and egg with a fruit smoothie.

STUFFED IDLI 1 cup idli batter ½ cup carrot grated ½ cup yam ¼ cup green leafy vegetable Coriander leaves for garnishing ¼ cup onion diced ½ cup tomato Sliced A pinch of Chilli powder ½ cup cumin seeds ½ cup cooking oil For making the mixed vegetable curry, in a kadai, add some oil and sauté the onions.

Add the yam, greens and vegetables and sauté further and then add the carrots. Make a puree out of the tomatoes and add it to the vegetable mixture. Once the mixture thickens, add the seasonings. Garnish with coriander leaves. Scoop some idli batter and drop it in the idli maker. Now add some vegetable mixture and top it with the idli batter again. Steam for 10 minutes. À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 25

5

treats from the

CHRISTMAS KITCHEN It’s that time of the year when monsoon fizzles away and you feel the lovely December chill on your body.

Suddenly the air is festive with splashes of greens and reds everywhere. Candles, angels, tinsels and more, Christmas is packed with all things pretty.

The waft of freshly baked goodies, roast treats, homemade wine and marshmallows in hot chocolate having a hearty meal with family and friends gets priority over anything during Christmas.

HERE ARE A FEW RECIPES TO A PERFECT CHRISTMAS LUNCH

By SARA KOSHY

Nutty Orange Salad

Roast Leg of Lamb Chunky Mint Pesto Thyme Roasted Potatoes Nutty Orange Salad Apricot Ginger Pudding Creamy Caramel Sauce Figgy Christmas Pudding Rum Butter 26 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

3 navel oranges ½ onion 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 tbsp lightly toasted flaked almonds Mint leaves for garnish 1. Peel and remove all the white pith from the oranges and cut them into thin slices.

2. Slice onion into rings. Arrange orange slices on a serving plate and top them with onion rings.

3. Dribble over the olive oil.

4. Sprinkle salt and ground pepper.

5. Garnish with almonds and mint leaves.

Photography: Abhay Kumar À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 27

Roast Leg Of Lamb 1kg lamb leg or shoulder 2 tbsp olive oil Zest of an orange Salt & pepper to taste 6 cloves garlic, cut in half A small bunch of fresh rosemary 1 onion, sliced into thick rings

Mint pesto is a vibrant alternative to the traditional mint sauce. The fresh herb puree is also fantastic alongside chicken, fish and pasta.

CHUNKY MINT PESTO 30 gms mint leaves 15 almonds 2 cloves garlic 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Salt to taste 1. Place mint leaves, almonds

and garlic in a mini food processor.

2. Process till coarsely combined.

3. Add the cheese and let mixer run for a few seconds more.

4. Pour in oil, a little at a time and process till pesto is done.

5. Transfer into a small bowl and pour over a thin layer of olive oil.

6. Serve immediately.

1. Wash and dry the meat with kitchen towel.

2. With the tip of a sharp knife, make slits 2

inches apart. Stud each slit with a garlic half and a sprig of rosemary.

3. Rub the lamb with olive oil, orange zest, salt & pepper.

4. Cover the meat with foil and chill for a couple of hours.

5. Lay onion slices on the base of a roasting tin, place lamb on them.

6. Roast lamb at 220 deg C, after 20 minutes, reduce temperature to 200 deg C. 7. Continue roasting for about 30-40 minutes and when one side is well browned, turn leg over, add a cup of hot water and roast for another 40 minutes or so till done.

8. Remove lamb from the oven, place it on a platter and tent with foil.

9. Let lamb rest for 15 minutes before carving.

10. Carve in thin slices, serve with gravy, mint pesto, roast potatoes and salad.

CHUNKY MINT PESTO 1 tsp oil 1 tbsp flour ¼ cup red wine or 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

While the meat is resting, scrape the gravy and the onion bits into a bowl and reserve.

Put the roasting pan on a low flame, add the oil and then the flour.

Stir constantly till a smooth paste forms.

Pour the reserved gravy over the flour mixture, scraping the pan to loosen the browned bits.

Add wine or balsamic vinegar.

When it comes to a boil, check seasoning, remove from flame and strain into a bowl. *Lamb shoulder (also called the front leg) is more tender.

28 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 29

Wait till the potatoes are crisp and golden

Thyme Roasted Potatoes 1 kg large potatoes, peeled and each cut into 3 thick wedges 4 tbsp oil 2 tbsp butter A few sprigs of thyme Salt to taste

30 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

1. Boil potatoes for 5 minutes. Drain the water well and toss the potatoes in the pan so the edges fluff up.

2. Heat oven to 200 deg C. 3. Heat a roasting tin over a medium flame, add oil, then the butter.

4. When butter melts, tip potatoes into the tin, add thyme, salt and mix well.

5. Roast for about 50-60 minutes.

Apricot Ginger Pudding with Creamy Caramel Sauce 7 dried apricots 2 tbsp golden syrup 2 tbsp softened butter 120 gm butter 120 gm sugar 2 eggs 115 gm flour sifted with ½ tsp baking powder and ½ tsp ginger powder Caramel made with 2 tbsp sugar 25 gm chopped candied ginger 6 tbsp milk

CREAMY CARAMEL SAUCE 110gm sugar 100 gm water 200 ml cream 1. Heat sugar and 2 tbsp of the

measured water in a saucepan till it turns light gold. (If caramel becomes darker, the sauce will be bitter.)

2. Remove from heat and add in remaining water.

3. Place back on heat, simmer till caramel thickens.

4. Remove from heat, cool a couple of minutes and then carefully whisk in cream.

1. Place apricots in a dish and cover with boiling water.

2. Keep aside for 30 minutes, drain and cut into halves.

3. Grease a 750ml pudding basin, cut greaseproof paper to fit the base and grease it. Arrange apricot halves around the base, spoon over golden syrup and drop softened butter over it.

4. Cream butter and sugar till fluffy.

5. Add in eggs, sifted flour and blend for another minute.

6. Stir in caramel and chopped ginger, mix well with a spatula and add in milk to get a dropping consistency.

7. Pour into pudding basin, cover tightly with a pleated piece of foil.

8. Pressure cook for 15 min on high heat without the weight.

9. Ensure there is sufficient water in the pressure cooker, place the weight and cook for 30 minutes on low heat.

10. Unmould carefully and serve with creamy caramel sauce.

À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 31

Figgy Christmas Pudding 100 gm figs, chopped 100 gm currants 100 gm sultanas 100 gm raisins 25 gm orange peel, chopped 50 gm cherries, halved 15 gm ginger, chopped 25 gm flaked almonds 6 tbsp rum Rind and juice of ½ orange Rind and juice of a lemon 60 gm flour 1 tsp mixed spice powder ¼ tsp cinnamon powder ½ tsp nutmeg powder ¼ tsp salt 125 gm butter 60 gm fresh breadcrumbs 120 gm brown sugar 2 eggs, beaten 3 tbsp milk 100 gm grated apple 3 tbsp thick caramel

RUM BUTTER 90 unsalted butter 180 gm icing sugar ¼ tsp salt 2 tbsp rum 1. Cream butter till soft,

gradually beat in icing sugar.

2. Mix in rum, beating till light and fluffy.

3. Pile in a serving dish and serve with Figgy Christmas pudding.

32 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

1. Put all the prepared fruit into a glass bowl.

2. Measure in the rum and mix well. Cover

with cling wrap and leave overnight.

3. The next day, grease and base line a 2 litre pudding bowl.

4. Sift flour, spices and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add in all the ingredients, including the fruit and stir thoroughly to make a fairly soft mixture.

DON’T FORGET TO MAKE A WISH! 5. Transfer pudding into the prepared bowl, cover tightly with double thickness greaseproof paper with a pleat in the middle to allow pudding to expand.

6. Tie paper tightly in place with kitchen twine; make a twine handle to lift bowl. Keep undisturbed for 2 hours.

7. Steam pudding for 4 hours, topping up with hot water every ½ hour.

8. When cooked, remove onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

9. Wrap in greaseproof paper and foil and store in the fridge.

10. Steam again for 2 hours before use.

(The batter can also be filled in 2 smaller bowls, do not fill more than two thirds full.

Steam pudding for 2 ½ hours the first time and 1 hour on the day of serving.)

11. Serve hot with rum butter.

Rum Butter goes perfect on your favorite biscuit or scone recipe. It makes a great homemade gift too.

Rum butter goes perfect on your favourite biscuit or scone recipe

À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 33

Restaurant Rounding

A Sizzling Affair

With 50 years of glorious past and branches spreading across twelve cities, Cream Centre is considered to be one of the finest vegetarian restaurants in the country. When the restaurant first set its foot in Chennai, you would find several clusters of people waiting in line to get a place inside; it’s been five years and the scenario hasn’t changed a wee bit.

We were welcomed with icy cold virgin margaritas; a zesty peach and apricot flavoured Sunset Drive and chatpata and jamun imbued Kala Khatta.After a quick sun-kissed ride, they were quite refreshing. Next up was Cream Center’s trademark starter, World’s Best Nachos; 34 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

Photography: Rajsekar Balan

Anitha Ramachandran and Shriya Suresh Kuppuswamy indulge in an eclectic fare of Indian, Continental and Oriental cuisines at La Fete De Sizzler Festival, Cream Centre.

a bed of velvety cheese over crunchy tortilla chips served with a tangy salsa dip, a signature dish indeed. We then sampled the Parmesan Cream Cheese Potatoes – perfectly cut cubes of baby potatoes bathed in parmesan cheese.

We loved the outburst of rosemary in this toothsome dish. We also tried the American Cream Cheese Balls- gooey cheese stuffed in golden brown corn balls fried to perfection.

For main course, we were introduced to Thai Pattaya Sizzler an oriental east delicacy served with Hakka noodles or fried rice. The sharpness of lemon grass in stir fried vegetables perfectly complemented the tangy Thai Pattaya sauce and crispy wantons. While Thai food is predominantly non vegetarian, the restaurant has created a vegetarian counterpart without compromising on the authentic taste of oriental flavours.

The wow factor of the dish was the stir fried vegetables and the omission of coconut milk in the sauce gave the dish an interesting twist.

Sizzling Mumbai Special Pav Bhaji made its way to our table next, with

The garam masala used in the dishes here has a secret ingredient which hasn’t been disclosed to Ram Kumar himself till date. buttery hot pav and simmering bhaji served with mirchipakora and potato wedges. Good food always takes you through a nostalgic memorabilia of dining anecdotes and this one directly transported us to Chowpatty. While we were waiting for the next sizzler, Head Chef Ram Kumar who has been with Cream Center for the last 22 years explained to us that people in Chennai prefer a relaxed dining experience and are choosy about their food unlike Mumbaikars. The garam masala used in the dishes here has a secret ingredient which hasn’t been disclosed to Ram Kumar himself till date. Perhaps it is this ingredient that gives the extra punch in many of their signature dishes which are extremely popular. We finished the main course with the subtly delicious Continental Sizzler – delicious penne

À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 35

While Thai food is predominantly non vegetarian, the restaurant has created a vegetarian counterpart without compromising on the authentic taste of oriental flavours.

Arrabiata served with creamy au gratin, cheese sticks and herbed potato wedges.

To round off the meal, instead of taking the conventional sizzling brownie route, we indulged in an Indianized fundae, called the Sizzling Indian Fundae – a concoction of rich shahitukra and rabrimalai- toasted bread soaked in milk and malaikulfi served with tiny succulent pieces of gulab jamuns sprinkled with pistachios, truly a grand finale.

The Deal

Cream Centre 55, 2nd Main Road, R A Puram 42815777 45, College Road, Nungambakkam 43561777 Atmosphere: The interiors are kept minimal with clean lines and less drama.

The Meal

Appetizers: Rs.125-200 Main Course: Rs.200-400 Dessert: Rs.100-200 Hours: Lunch and Dinner Monday to Sunday

36 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

Out & About

Our pick of the hot and happening events that sizzled the city of Chennai last month Vivanta by Taj Hosts ‘Divas of Rock’ In order to celebrate the 21st Century Princess, Vivanta by Taj hosted ‘Divas of Rock’, an innovative event along with Rolling Stones magazine and Sony Music Independent ‘Day 1’. This show provided an opportunity for the female rock musicians to showcase their talent and skills in a platform that is usually dominated by men.

Cake Mixing at Courtyard by Marriott Like every other year, Courtyard by Marriott organized its cake mixing event and this time it was even more special!

Kids from the Marriott Home along with other guests donned the chef’s hat and tried their hands at mixing raisins, nuts, almond, apricots along with a dash of rum and brandy to make a yummy plum cake for Christmas. À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 37

Out & About

A Nutty Saga Having begun their journey back in 1999 with just one outlet, Nuts ‘n’ Spices today has become fifteen in number. Sunil Sanklecha, founder of the store walks us through an exciting journey of how it all began and what it is today.

By Anitha Ramachandran

When his grandfather started a one-off store in 1999 in Sowcarpet, little did they know that they would carve a niche for themselves in the market today.The sole purpose of starting the store was to create an accessibility of nuts and dry fruits, which weren’t available easily back then. Sunil still recalls his initial days in the business where he used to sit at the counter in Nungambakkam branch and tend to every single customer himself. “Today everything happens on a remote control basis. Thanks to the advanced communication! I hardly go to the store, but sales are rocking,” he claims.

For a little more than a decade now, Sunil claims that the market has changed dramatically. “Ours is a premium store that targets the elite and today, people don’t mind shelling out extra bucks to get quality products,” he says. Products like olive oil and green tea were considered exotic once upon a time; not anymore with stores like Nuts ‘n’ Spices mushrooming at every corner of the city. “With a change in lifestyle, these products aren’t regarded as indulging in luxury, they have become a necessity.”

What was it like to run a store exclusively for nuts and spices in Chennai? Sunil precisely remembers people telling him that the concept 38 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

is premium and it will not survive.

“The image they had of the city was conservative and I wanted to break it and prove a point. The experience has been beautiful and challenging.”

Sunil explains that there has been a positive development over the last five years especially because of the broadening of the A+ segment and the double income groups in families.

“Clearly, we don’t cater to the masses.

Our positioning is different and we are proud of it. Nevertheless, customer satisfaction is really important to us.”

Spice rack:

Et cetera

Coriander Olive oil Chilli Pasta sauces Turmeric Teas Cardamom Snacks Cinnamon Frozen foods Clove Nutmeg Signature Ginger Shelf Jeera Walnut kernels Methi Mamrabadam Mustard Green tea Pepper Flax seeds Palm sugar candy

Nuts and Dry Fruit Galore:

Macadamia Hazel Blueberry Cranberry Dry cherries Prunes Brazilian nuts

Photography: Rajsekar Balan À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 39

On asking him about their import and export policies, pat comes the reply. “We don’t import, export and franchisee, even though there have been temptations.

Products like saffron, gulkand and a few spices are sourced within India like Rajasthan and UP. Our main strength is retail and we don’t believe in franchisee too as it is short-term.”

Sunil proudly says that the store’s USP lies in its products. “We do not provide any discounts or price reductions.” The gift hampers from this store sell like hot cakes. “In 1999, we thought there will be sales for gift packs only during festivals and special occasions. But now, we have huge sales throughout the year.” Because of its extended shelf life, dry fruits have replaced sweets when it comes to gifting.

“The student in you should never die as there is no age limit for learning,” says Sunil. He says that everyday has been a learning experience for him. “Though we have tasted success, we are always looking to improve. We started off with 57 lakhs as our annual turnover. Today it is 42-45 crores. We review ourselves from time to time and are prepared to face our competitors any day!” With a vision to promote tea as a health drink, they have also started Cup ‘n’ Saucer 40 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

café in Anna Nagar. To give prominence to dry fruits, they have begun an exclusive sweets line. “Our baked badam-pista and badam-cocoa treats are huge hits among customers.”

So what’s in the pipeline for this flagship store? “We want to categorize snacks, savories, spices and dry fruits under four umbrellas for easy operation.”An outlet has also been launched in Coimbatore recently and the demand is huge. “We want to open more outlets in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and other pockets of Tamil Nadu.”

Find Me

Nuts and Spices Nungambakkam Spencer Plaza, Anna Salai Gandhi Nagar, Adyar Shanti Colony, Anna Nagar G.N. Chetty Road, T.Nagar Ashok Nagar Kilpauk Nilangarai, ECR Mt Poonamali Road Velachery Valluvar Kotam Gopalapuram Ascendas IT Park Porur

Foodie of the month WHEN YOU ARE COOKING GO WITH YOUR INSTINCT. STICKING TO THE RECIPE IS LIKE PUTTING SOMEONE ELSE’S WORDS ON YOUR PLATE.

ANU HASAN

Almost seventeen years ago, she swayed many of us with her debut performance in Indira. Now, she is one of the most sought after television hosts in the industry. Anu Hasan is known for her screen presence, poise, intelligence and sagacity when it comes to films. But what we don’t know about Anu is the fact that she is a complete foodie and an excellent cook. She shares with À la Carte her anecdotes as an epicurean.

Close to heart cuisine

I love Thai, Chettinad, Italian and Chinese – an odd combination, but there you go.

WOW food moment

I can think of an incident which took place in Paprika at the Marriott. I had come back late from a shoot and I was dead on my feet. Chef Dev himself asked me what I wanted and considering I was so tired I asked him to make me anything of his own choice, which was probably the best thing I did. He made me the best wild mushroom risotto with grilled fish and for dessert he brought me a mud pie.

It was like being transported to heaven!

‘Not-so-nice’ food moment

Oh yes – my mum is a vegetarian and we had gone out for dinner. She had ordered Gobi Manchurian, while we had chilly chicken and the like. When the dish came to the table and it was placed in front of my mum, I grabbed her hand before she could eat it and tasted it first.

It was chicken! Can you imagine the horror on my mother’s face? She got quite upset – although, I did sneak in a tiny giggle.

42 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

Anu the Chef

I love cooking. My recent mutton biryani was quite a success. The dishes popular among my family and friends are roast chicken with mushroom sauce, chicken in balsamic vinegar sauce, and mutton curry (the recipe varies with whatever ingredient is available at that moment).

Amma loves my stuffed gobiparatha and appa loves the way I can make soft, fluffy pulkas.

Hubby dearest’s Favourite

I am an avid non vegetarian. Someone had put up a picture of biryani on Facebook and I started craving it. So I decided to make mutton biryani and even though I do say so myself, it was one of the most awesome biryanis I have ever had! Spicy, hot and delicious! The funny thing was, there I was sniffing and drinking water between mouthfuls of biryani, and Graham was happily munching away without batting an eyelid. I looked at him in amazement and said “what? Isn’t it too spicy for you?” his response was “you find this spicy?

Ah! must be because you Indians are not used to our spicy British food!” Cheeky Graham huh?

Beloved culinary adventure

I loved the food in Cyprus; meat wrapped in vine leaves and stewed in sauce, served with herb rice. I still haven’t found the recipe;guess I will have to create my own.

Parting food tip

‘I can’t get enough of’ mutton biryani and fish and chips; I would be hard pressed to give either first place. But I also happen to be the kind of person who has different favourites from time to time, hence I would say I am a foodie, period!

Photography: Venkat Ram

When you are cooking go with your instinct. Sticking to the recipe is like putting someone else’s words on your plate. A tweak here and a tweak there is the secret behind a perfect recipe and a fabulous one that you will love.Of course, if you are not that great a cook, it could mean the difference between a passable result and a disaster, so I’ll leave it to your discretion!

À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 43

Gourmet’s Safari

Turkey ON A PLATE

44 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

With its turquoise waters, battlegrounds, ruined castles and palaces of legendary empires, the country has everything a ‘voracious, all encompassing’ traveler would expect.

The culinary landscape of Turkey makes it worthwhile to go there exclusively for food. A ten minute boat ride to Asia for a cup of tea, a gentle ferry to the serene Princes’ Islands for a seafood lunch, Gaziantep where baklava was born and Gallipoli where you get the best of garlic-oozing clamps and fresh salads which are had with chill Truva beers; like they say, tourists come to Turkey for its glorious history, but they stay back for its incredible cuisine.

À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 45

The Meal Structure

A sumptuous Turkish meal consists of starters and main course which are made of grains, meat, seafood and vegetables, desserts and beverages. The lack of a specific dominant dish in Turkey like pasta in Italy or a French Croissant is simply because Turks believe in retaining the flavour of the principle ingredient rather than mollifying it with strong spices or sauces. Unlike what most people believe, authentic Turkish dishes are seasoned with herbs and spices scantily; for instance, eggplants are topped with parsley, while zucchini is served with mint or dill, cold vegetable platters normally come with garlic cloves and cumin is used in soups or ground meat dishes like kofte. Turks use plenty of yoghurt and lemon to balance the taste in both vegetarian and meat dishes. Meat dishes like kebabs come with ‘pide’ or flat bread with vegetables and yoghurt on the side.

Turkish Meze

Drinking along with food is an integral part of the dining culture in Turkey. Social gatherings are marked by families and friends drinking alcohol along with their food either at their respective homes or restaurants.

Meze platter ideally has nibbles of honeydew melon served with velvety feta cheese and fresh bread, spinach in a yoghurt-garlic dip, cold vegetables boiled or fried in olive oil, crunchy savoury pastries, deep fried mussels and calamari served with tomato sauce and caviar. Although, meze served before kebabs are a bit different than the usual, with green salads, cut tomatoes in herbs infused olive oil, humus, a popular dip made from boiled chickpeas, tahini (sesame paste), olive oil, bulgur and red lentils and raw kofte, a stuffed dish with marinated aubergines and peppers along with spices, nuts and pickles.

Much like the Spanish tapas, meze is a selection of small portions of dishes which are first brought to the table along with wine or anise flavoured spirit known as raki.

46 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

Staple Dishes

Turkey has a reputation for baking the finest of breads. Apart from ekmek, which is a common white bread, the region boasts of other dough varieties like pide, simit (sesame rings), manti (ravioli look alike) and borek, which are thin sheets of pastry. Ekmek, pide and simit are best consumed fresh and dishes are made from leftover ekmeks. On a typical Sunday afternoon, Turkish families lunch on mantis, which are essentially dough dumplings stuffed with meat, along with garlic yoghurt and paprika filled melted butter. Boreks are ideally served at special occasions and family functions and it is very difficult to make such thin sheets of dough with a rolling pin. After the dough has been rolled out, it is stuffed with various meats and cheeses and then it is baked or fried.

Pilaf is another Turkish staple, which is either made from cracked wheat or rice.

Pilaf made out of a whole onions, chopped tomatoes and green peppers sautéed in butter and brewed in beef stock, makes for a sumptuous meal by itself. Rice pilafs are gently tempered with butter and are had with vegetable and meat dishes.

Turkey is known for its world famous kebabs which also go back to a time when Turkish nomads learnt how to grill meats over fire. Typically, there are two kinds of kebabs – the sis kebab and the doner kebab. While the former is grilled cubes of skewered meat, the latter is an alternating stack of minced meat (usually lamb) skewered upright; thin slices are shaved off and served as the outer layer is well done.

Dolmas – cabbage wraps filled with sautéed rice, pine nuts, currants, herbs and spices, are another popular favourite among the locals and tourists in Turkey.

They are stacked generously on a huge platter and are served with lemon wedges and a yoghurt dip. À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 47

Beverage Galore

Turks take great pleasure in drinking tea considering it is a major source of caffeine for them. Every nook and cranny has a tea joint or a tea garden.

They are concocted over boiling water and are served in elusive glasses so that one can see the beautiful auburn liquid through the glass. Tea is also a beverage that symbolizes a sense of hospitality since guests are served with tea at homes and restaurants to begin with. Turkey is dotted with such tea houses in the little village squares, on hill tops which has a breathtaking view of the sea, roadside markets or even by a waterfall or the woods. There are plenty of pretty tea gardens in Istanbul like Emirgan, Camlica of Bosphorus, the popular Pierre Loti Café and Uskudar tea garden.

Boza is a classic Turkish beverage which is sold by the wandering merchants door to door. It is a thick, fermented drink made from wheat berries, which is ideally consumed with cinnamon and roasted chickpeas. Salep is another hot drink made with milk and Salep powder and is had in vast quantities by the locals.

The Tale of Raki

Raki is a beverage which is twice

distilled and then brewed with ethyl alcohol. One can draw a close parallel of raki to that of alcoholic drinks from the Balkans and other Mediterranean regions such as pastis and ouzo. The drink is usually had with water and the addition of water causes the drink to fade into a milky white colour.

Raki is a traditional, non-sweet, anise flavoured beverage. It is best served cold, along with meze or small portions of meat and vegetable starters.

48 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

Markets for Fresh Produce For Turks, a place of dining is literally like a place of worship. The food setting here, be it a restaurant or a market is very atmospheric.

Ingredients which go into making a sumptuous Turkish meal are often found in weekly neighbourhood markets known as ‘Pazar’ or the permanent markets. The Spice Market in Istanbul is a popular example of the latter, which has been thriving since the pre-Ottoman days. The stalls emanating strong aromas are nestled within the antiquated dome shaped structures, which was once the Spice Road depot. However, the epitome of Turkish culture and civilization can be found in the weekly markets where the locals and villagers put up stalls to sell fresh ingredients, fruits, vegetables, meat and seafood.

Seafood Bowl

Turkey is flanked by sea on all three sides and hence offers the best of seafood.

Locals who live by the coastlines prepare the finest sea treats, however, Ankara is home to some of the celebrated seafood restaurants in Turkey. Every month is significant for a specific catch which are had with different vegetables; for instance bonitos are had with arugula and red onions and blue fish with lettuce. Mackerels are filled with onions before they are grilled and a relatively dry summer fish are poached with tomatoes. But the best of fishes in Turkey is the hamsi, which can be cooked in 41 different ways including hamsi borks and pilafs.

A Sweet Land

Turkish baklava is normally had with tea or as a snack after a hefty meal of kebabs. But Baklava is really not considered as a dessert by the locals in Turkey. Seasonal fresh fruits like strawberries, cherries, melons, peaches and apricots are also had after main course. Other desserts include, the milk puddings from the famous Muhallebi family, grain based pastries, other variants of baklava which are thin baked pastry sheets filled with pistachios and walnuts, served with heavy cream, and helva which is made from semolina flour. À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 49

63

62

Grilled Snapper with Vegetables

Seafood

Cappuccino

Coffee Pubs

55

Gelato

Desserts and Ice Cream

Indulge in a slice of delectable chocolate truffle pastry P51

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50 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

Chocolate Truffle Pastry

Chocolate truffle cake is a recipe of rich chocolate truffle layered between chocolate sponge cake is truly a chocolate lovers delight.

A light and fluffy chocolate delight, it will impress anyone who enjoys truffle cake.

When cooking this exceptionally rich dessert, baking it a day ahead will offer optimum flavor and texture. It really is slice of chocolate heaven.

For easy serving, dip knife in hot water before cutting each slice.

Sprinkle with chocolate shavings and finely grated semisweet chocolate evenly over the cake.

Sandy’s Chocolate Laboratory 14 1st Cross Road, Off Greenways Road, R.A Puram.42303852 La Patisserie Taj Coromandel 37 MG Road, Nungambakkam.

66002827 Hot Breads 74 Cathedral Road Gopalapuram 28110345 La Boulangerie 21 Arundale Beach Road, Kalakshetra, Besant Nagar 9566099917

French Loaf T46 A 7th Avenue, Anna Colony, Besant Nagar 32216628 Cake Walk 10, Montieth Road Egmore 28553811 Movenpick 13/33 Shafee Mohammad Road, Off Greams Road, Nungambakkam 28295925 Baker’s Cottage 6th Avenue, Anna Nagar.

9884532326 Cakes N Bakes 70/32 Nungambakkam High Road, 28277075, 28205554 Brio - The Cafe Shoppers Stop Chetpet 42664471 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 51

Bars & Restobars Bars & Restobars Zara Tapas 74 Cathedral Road, Gopalapuram.

28111462 Anna International Airport, Meenambakkam.

22560779 Geoffreys 171 J N Salai, AnnaiSathya Nagar, Arumbakkam.

66778899 Opium Bar Hotel Royal Plaza 3E Road, Koyambedu.

23790066 10 Downing Street Kences Inn Boutique Hotel 50 North Boag Road, T Nagar.

28152152 Bike & Barrel The Residency Towers 115 Sir Thyagaraya Road, T Nagar.

28156363 Black & White The Residency 49 GN Chetty Road, T Nagar.

28253434

Chipstead Taj Coromandel 37 MG Road, Nungambakkam.

66002827

Havana The RainTree Hotel 120 St Mary’s Road, Alwarpet.

42252525

Crystal Bar Ranjith Hotel 15 Nungambakkam High Road, Nungambakkam.

28270521

High Time GRT Grand 120 Sir Thyagaraya Road, T Nagar.

28150500

Distil Taj Connemara 2 Binny Road, Anna Salai.

66000000

Le Pub Liberty Park Hotel United India Colony, 1st Main Road, Kodambakkam.

24725950

Dublin The Welcome pub Park Sheraton 132 TTK Road, Alwarpet.

24994101 Gallop Radisson GRT Hotel St Thomas Mount, 531 GST Road, Anna Salai.

22310101 H20 Harrisons Hotel 315 Valluvar Kottam High Road, Nungambakkam.

42222777

Pasha The Park 601 Nungambakkam Main Road, Nungambakkam.

42676000 Sparks Savera Hotel 146 Dr Radhakrishnan Salai, Mylapore.

28144700 Rhapsody Courtyard Marriott 564 Anna Salai, Teynampet.

66764000

Regal Resto Bar Raj Park 180 TTK Road, Alwarpet.

42257777 The Leather Bar The Park 601, Nungambakkam Main Road, Nungambakkam.

42676000 Blend Taj Mount Road 2 Club House Road, Mount Road.

66313131

Cosmopolitan Want your restaurant to be listed? Give us a call.

52 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

Bars & Restobars · Food Chains 365 A.S. Hyatt Regency 365 Anna Salai, Mount Road.

61001234 Flame, Le Club Le Royal Meridien 1 GST Road, St Thomas Mount. 22314343 Madera The RainTree Anna Salai 636 Anna Salai, Teynampet.

28309999 The Pirate’s Esthell Continental Hotels & Resorts Royal Enclave, 1 Besant Avenue, Adyar.

24466240

Tequila Sunrise The Society Bar The Ambassador Pallava, 30 Montieth Road, Egmore.

28554476

Xzubarence Bar Raj Park 180 TTK Road, Alwarpet.

42257777

Poker Bar Hotel Shelter 19 20 21 Venkatesa Agraharam Street, Mylapore.

24951919

Zodiac The Accord Metropolitan 35 GN Chetty Road, T Nagar.

28161000

Transque Bar Hotel Abu Palace 926 Poonamalle High Road, Egmore.

26412222

Trantor Bar Breeze Hotel 850 Poonamallee High Road, Poonamallee.

26413334

Tropicana Bar New Victoria Hotel 3 Kennet Lane, Egmore.

28193638

Anchor Bar Taj Fisherman’s Cove Covelong Beach, Kancheepuram.

67413333

Degree Pub Quality Inn Sabari IT Tech Park, 33 Omar Road, Navalur.

27435030

Arcot Bar The Trident Hilton 1/24 GST Road, Meenambakkam.

22344747

Q Bar Hilton 124/1 J.N. Salai, Ekkaduthangal.

22255555 Mustang Bar Green Park Hotel NSK Salai, Arcot Road, Vadapalani.

66515151

Food chains Adyar Ananda Bhavan 70/241 Ramakrishna Mutt Road, Mylapore 23453031 Nungambakkam 23453037 Anna Nagar 23453048 Koyambedu 23790403 Mogappair 42845074 Pondy Bazaar 23453041 Vadapalani 42013008 Parrys 23453044 Perambur 43529997 Tambaram 42034949 Hotel Saravana Bhavan Spencer Plaza, 769 Mount Road, Anna Salai 28495577 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 53

Food Chains Egmore 28192055 R.K Salai 28115977 Mylapore 24611177 Purasawalkam 26616699 Anna Nagar 26269721 Ashok Nagar 24892466 KK Nagar 24745577 T Nagar 24345577 Vadapalani 24817866 Vasant Bhavan 10 Gandhi Irwin Road, Egmore 28190639 Mount Road 28418693 Mylapore 24936666 Nungambakkam 28222233 Tambaram 22264441 Sangeetha Restaurant 24/2 South Mada Street, Mylapore 24643898 Nungambakkam 42137300 Greams Road 28294081 Choolaimedu 23744041 T Nagar 42121170 Parrys 25341745 Adyar 24426554

KFC Spencer Plaza, 769 Mount Road, Anna Salai 45514447 T. Nagar 43042222 Taramani 42666061 Nungambakkam 43562222 Anna Nagar 42612222 Subway Spencer Plaza, 769 Mount Road, Anna Salai 64616883 Mylapore 45600600 Anna Nagar 28111177 Besant Nagar 64616889 Express Avenue 28464646 US Pizza 152 Abirami Mega Mall, Purusaiwalkam 42371111

Mc Donald’s 106 2nd Avenue, Anna Nagar 9566022866 Taramani 45556008 Pizza Hut Spencer Plaza, 769 Mount Road 39883988 Marrybrown Spencer Plaza, 769 Mount Road, Anna Salai 42116777 Mylapore 45535362 Nungambakkam 42032923 Anna Nagar 46218777 Koyambedu 421790372 T Nagar 42023704 Kodambakkam 42135553 Adyar 24418811 Kilpauk 43307054

Pizza Corner 64 CP Ramaswamy Road, Abhiramapuram 43009502 Nandanam 42131333 Nungambakkam 42139566 Anna Nagar 42172300 Meenambakkam 42064151 Tambaram 22390647 Adyar 42187666 Velachery 22552172 Domino’s pizza Spencer Plaza, 769 Mount Road, Anna Salai 28494444 Mylapore 28474444 Purasawalkam 25322333 Teynampet 24355890 Anna Nagar 42014444 Ashok Nagar 24714555 Mogappair 26536455 Perambur 25518888 Adyar 24424444 Tidel Park 22540221 Velachery 22431777

Garden Fresh Veggie Pizza Want your restaurant to be listed? Give us a call.

54 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

Desserts, Bakers and Ice Cream Muffin Tree Courtyard Marriott 564 Anna Salai, Teynampet.

66764000 Snow Field Dessert Pub 1 Cathedral Road, Cathedral Road, Gopalapuram.

28116416 Baker’s Basket Savera 146 Dr.Radhakrishnan Salai, Mylapore.

28114700 Baskin Robbins 37 1st Main Road, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar 42115900 Velachery 42325234 ECR 42300911 Milkyway 24 G7 Wellington Estate, Ethiraj Road, Egmore.

28251194 La Boulangerie 21 Arundale Beach Road, Kalakshetra, Besant Nagar 9566099917 Valluvar Kottam 42222777

Blueberry Muffins Desserts, Bakers and Ice Cream

Hot Breads 74 Cathedral Road Gopalapuram 28110345 Mylapore 28112760 Kilpauk 26444212 T Nagar 28153998 Thiruvanmiyur 24485080 Saidapet 22200850

Emilios Gelateria 22/1 2nd Main Road, 5th Cross Cit Colony, Mylapore 43535544 Neelankarai 24495010 Anna Nagar 43016680 Besant Nagar 45511226

Fresco Chennai City Centre, R K Salai, Mylapore 45600654 Nungambakkam 45600654 Egmore 45600654 Citi Center 45600654 Besant Nagar 45600654 Delicatessen at Chamiers45000008 Burgundys-4900 1000

Sandy’s Chocolate Laboratory 14 1st Cross Road, Off Greenways Road, R.A Puram.42303852 Nungambakkam 42134000

Freeze Zone 33 TTK Road, Alwarpet.

24661839

French Loaf T46 A 7th Avenue, Anna Colony, Besant Nagar 32216628 Chetpet 32216618 Mahalingapuram 32216627 R.A Puram 32216625 Spencer Plaza, Anna Salai 32210936 Ecstasy 8, Sathyam Cinemas, Thiru-Vi-Ka Road, Royapettah.

43920444 Cake Walk 10, Montieth Road Egmore 28553811 Besant Nagar 24917022 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 55

Desserts, Bakers and Ice Cream MC Renett A9 2nd Avenue, Anna Nagar 64551011 Kodambakkam 64551012 Mandaveli 64551022 Teynampet 64551027 Nungambakkam 64551028 Parrys 64551036 Purasawalkam 64551014 T.Nagar 64551019 Parfait 3 16 Manikeshwari Road, Kilpauk 25321601 Velachery 22432022 Valmiki Nagar 24405588 Anna Nagar 26288822 Creamy Inn W396 School Road, Anna Nagar West Extn.

26150080 Anna Nagar 26220080 Chetpet 28362255 K.K Nagar 23663939 Movenpick 13/33 Shafee Mohammad Road, Off Greams Road, Nungambakkam 28295925 Cakes N Bakes 70/32 Nungambakkam High Road, 28277075, 28205554 Thoraipakkam 24580809 Velachery 65610502

Strawberry Smoothie La Patisserie Taj Coromandel 37 MG Road, Nungambakkam.

66002827

Jelly Belly E37 2nd Avenue, Besant Nagar.

24460777

Baker’s Cottage 6th Avenue, Anna Nagar.

9884532326 Maple Leaf Chocolate Lounge 9 Harrington Road, Chetpet.

43561666, 43561333

Rich n’ Creamy 169 GST Road, Chrompet 42073030 Ekkaduthangal 43102626 Teynampet 45000303 Brio - The Cafe Shoppers Stop Chetpet 42664471 T. Nagar 42024415 The Baker’s Code Kebab Court Complex, Velachery.

22591275

Banana Split Sundae

Fruit Shop on Greams Road Greams Rd, Thousand Lights 23450871 Besant Nagar 23450876 Anna Nagar 23450872 Kilpauk 23450877 Spencer Plaza 28490083 Cathedral Road 23460986 Want your restaurant to be listed? Give us a call.

56 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

Desserts, Bakers and Ice Cream · South Indian Est Hilton 124/1 J.N. Salai, Ekkaduthangal.

22255555

INDIAN CUISINE South Indian

Southern Spices Taj Coromandel 37 MG Road, Nungambakkam.

66002827 Navaratna Le Royal Meriden 1 GST Road, St Thomas Mount.

22314343 Vrindavan Restaurant New Woodlands Hotel 72-75 Dr Radhakrishnan Salai, Mylapore.

28113111 Amaravathi Restaurant No.1, Cathedral Road, Gopalapuram 28116416

The Raintree Taj Connemara 2 Binny Road, Anna Salai.

66000000

Annalakshmi Restaurant 804 Mount Road, Anna Salai.

28525109

Anjappar 7/2 JP Tower, NH Road, Nungambakkam.

28256662

Dakshin Park Sheraton 132 TTK Road, Alwarpet.

24994101

Rasam 25 Raja Annamalai Road, Purasawalkam.

9789062857 Ponnuswamy 55/1 Gowdia Mutt Road, Royapettah 28130986 Egmore 28270784 Curry Leaf The Chariot 4 Tirumalai Road, T Nagar.

28341212 Chennai Woodlands 20 2nd Lane Beach, Parrys.

25214343

Kerala Ente Keralam Kasturi Estate, Poes Garden, 1st Street, Alwarpet.

42328585 Coconut Lagoon 1 Cathedral Road, Gopalapuram.

42020428 Tharavad 6 Bay View Drive, Kottivakkam Beach, Kottivakkam, ECR. 9840075355

Madras The Kitchen The RainTree Anna Salai 636 Anna Salai, Teynampet.

28309999 Maya 32 Platinum Building, Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam.

42137774 Southern Aromas The Residency Towers 115 Sir Thyagaraya Road, T Nagar.

28156363 Malgudi Savera Hotel 146 Dr Radhakrishnan Salai, Mylapore.

28114700

Semiya with Madras Fish Curry À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 57

Kerala · North West Frontier Peshawri Chola Sheraton 10 Cathedral Road, Gopalapuram.

28110101 Sigree Hotel Aruna Annexe 144-145 Sterling Road, Nungambakkam.

42664222 Mouthful 12/20 Raghaviah Road, T.Nagar.

42124260

Chemmen Roast Kerala Hut Restaurant 25 CP Ramaswamy Road, Alwarpet 24662333

Kabul 1/200 Dr Radhakrishnan Salai, Mylapore 24996761

Copper Chimney 74 Cathedral Road, Gopalapuram.

24980819

Kumarakom 27/28 Vijayanagar Ext, Velachery Main Road, Velachery 42022277 Nungambakkam 42605677 Anna Nagar 42172217 Adyar 42034203 Ramapuram 22496109

Meenam Harrisons 315 Valluvar Kottam High Road, Nungambakkam.

42222777

Olives Hotel Deccan Plaza 36 Royapettah High Road, Royapettah.

66773333

La Shaakahari 20 Pycrofts Garden Road, Nungambakkam.

28265000

Mast Kalandar 17 2nd Sashtri Nagar, MG Road, Adyar.

42018382

Kottaram Restaurant 9/2 Taramani-Perungudi Link Road, Perungudi.

24540660 Thalassery W77 4th Street, Anna Nagar.

26207853

NORTH INDIAN

North West Frontier

Nawaab’s Express Avenue Mall, 49 Whites Road, Thousand Lights.

28464255 Palki 1, Cathedral Road, Gopalapuram.

28111794

Hyderabadi Pulao Want your restaurant to be listed? Give us a call.

58 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

North West Frontier · Pan Asian · Thai · Chinese INTERNATIONAL Pan Asian

Hip Asia Taj Connemara 2 Binny Road, Anna Salai.

66000000

Thai

Baan Thai 10 Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam.

28332611, 28332612

Barbecue Chicken Up North The Raintree Hotel 636, Anna Salai, Teynampet 28309999

Tandoor Aruna Hotel Annexe 144-145 Sterling Road, Nungambakkam.

28262626

Mughals Zaika Restaurant 8 Rajarathinam Street, Kilpauk.

42858901

Crimson Chakra 13 First Crescent, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar.

09677277900

Rajdhani Shop No.5, Express Avenue Mall, 49 Whites Road, Royapettah.

28464422

Minar Savera 146 Dr.Radhakrishnan Salai, Mylapore.

28114700

Silk Asiana Hotel 1/238 Old Mahabalipuram Road, Semmencherry 67411000 Benjarong 146 TTK Road, Alwarpet.

24322640, 43009161 Lotus The Park 601 Anna Salai Nungambakkam.

42676000

Chinese

Stix Hyatt Regency 365 Anna Salai, Mount Road 61001234

Beyond Indus Taj Mount Road 2 Club House Road, Mount Road.

66313131 Navaratna Le Royal Meridien 1 GST Road, St Thomas Mount.

22314343 The Great Kebab Factory Radisson GRT Hotel 531 GST Road, St Thomas Mount.

22310101

Grilled Mutton Kebab Skewers À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 59

Chinese · Malaysian · Japanese · Korean Rangis Continental Chambers 142 Nungambakkam High Road, Nungambakkam.

42144933 Oriental Blossom Radha Regent 171 Jawaharlal Nehru Salai, Arumbakkam.

24757788 Chin Chin The Residency 49 GN Chetty Road, T Nagar.

28253434 Lemon Grass The Rain Tree 120 St Mary’s Road, Alwarpet.

42252525 Mainland China Hotel Aruna Annexe 144-145 Sterling Road, Nungambakkam 28238345 Teynampet 45000236 The Canton Kaveri Complex, 96 Nungambakkam High Road, Nungambakkam.

28272197, 28214445

China Town 74 Cathedral Road, Gopalapuram.

28112246 Mandarin 19 Thiruvedian Street, Gopalapuram.

28117431 Flower Drum Prince Plaza, 46 Pantheon Road, Egmore.

30228822 Wonton 39 4th Street, Alwarpet 32513335, 43009700 Nungambakkam 28332002 Anna Nagar 26264633 Adyar 42116364

Malaysian Pelita Nasi Kandar 16 17 18 Appaswamy Towers, Sir Thyagaraya Road, T Nagar.

24335759

Bee’s Kopitiam Express Avenue Mall 49 Whites Road, Thousand Lights.

28464088

Japanese

Dahlia Kauvery Complex, 93 Nungambakkam High Road, Nungambakkam.

28265240 Akasaka 128, Grd Floor Lattice Bridge Road, Thiruvanmiyur.

24453424 Teppan at Benjarong 146 TTK Road, Alwarpet.

24322640, 43009161

Korean

In Seoul 530 TTK Road, RA Puram 42081998

Golden Dragon Taj Coromandel 37 MG Road, Nungambakkam.

66002827 Dynasty Restaurant Firm Tower, W121 3rd Avenue, Anna Nagar.

26212699, 42026609 The Cascade 32 Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam.

28333836, 42137767 Besant Nagar 42019372, 24461625

Crispy Sesame Chicken with Gingered Beans Want your restaurant to be listed? Give us a call.

60 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

Korean · American · Continental · Italian Kyung Bok Gong 10 Chamiers Road, Nandanam.

42113346/7

American Sparky’s Diner 15 East Spurtank Road, Basement, Chetpet.

42634233

Continental

Giorgio T29 7th Avenue, Besant Nagar.

24461828 Fondue Savera 146 Dr.Radhakrishnan Salai, Mylapore.

28114700 Above Sea Level The RainTree Hotel 120 St Mary’s Road, Alwarpet.

422525252 Kipling Cafe 14 L. Jey Avenue, Akkarai, Sholinganallur, ECR. 24530040

Focaccia Hyatt Regency 365 Anna Salai, Mount Road.

61001234

Casa Piccola 7, Kader Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam 64500500

Mediterranean

Bello Ciao 140 Nungambakkam High Road, Nungambakkam 24511130 ECR 24511130

Aqua The Park 601 Nungambakkam Main Road, Nungambakkam.

42676000

Prego Taj Coromandel 37 MG Road, Nungambakkam 66002827

Azulia GRT Grand 120 Sir Thyagaraja Road, T Nagar.

28150500

Tuscana on Chamiers

by Willi 89 Chamiers Road, Alwarpet, diagonally opp.

Park Sheraton, 45000008

Kefi Taj Mount Road 2 Club House Road, Mount Road.

66313131

Tuscana Pizzeria 19, 3rd Street, Wallace Gardens, Nungambakkam, 45038008

Azzuri Bay 13 First Crescent Road, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar.

42115253

Little Italy Eldorado Building, 1/2 Nungambakkam High Road, Nungambakkam.

42601234, 66246178

The Upper Deck Taj Fisherman’s Cove Covelong Beach, Kancheepuram.

67413333

Eden Harrisons Hotel 315 Valluvar Kottam High Road, Nungambakkam. 42222777 Anna Nagar 26221010 Mexican Don Pepe 73 Cathedral Road, Gopalapuram.

28110413

Italian

Rhapsody Courtyard Marriott 564 Anna Salai,Teynampet.

66764000, 66764488

Hummus with Pita Bread À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 61

Mediterranean · Sweets · Coffee Pubs Café Coffee Day Montieth Road, Egmore 28546981 Kilpauk 42175621 Ispahani Centre Nungambakkam 64627082, 43577231 Amethyst Whites Rd, Royapettah Entrance next to Corporation Bank 4599 1630 Anokhi 106 Chamiers Road, Opposite Oryza 24311495

Rava Khoya Laddoo The Crown The Residency Towers Sir Thyagaraja Road, T Nagar.

28156363 Estia Aloft Hotel 102 Rajiv Gandhi Salai, Sholinganallur, Old Mahabalipuram Road.

45925500 Kryptos by Willi 24 Yafa Tower Khadar Nawaz Khan Road Nungambakkam 45038001

Sweets Sri Krishna Sweets Soundarajan Street, CIT Nagar, Theyagaraya Nagar 42616161 Adyar 24413805 Anna Nagar 26191222 Ashok Nagar 24850808 Mylapore 28112827 Nanganallur 9789062861 Purusawalkam 26616667 West Mambalam 9789062860

The Grand Sweets 2nd Main Road, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar 42054466 Besant Nagar 45006464 Anna Nagar 42634422 T.Nagar 42124466 Shree Mithai 18 Dr TV Road, Chetpet 42809999 Spencer Plaza 42134455 Mishtee 112 Nungambakkam High Road, Nungambakkam.

43084984 Adyar Anandha Bhavan 9 Lattice Bridge Road, Adyar 23453045 Anna Nagar 23453043 Nungambakkam 23453037 Gangotree 42 Cathedral Road, Gopalapuram 28111664 Adyar 24452422

Coffee Pubs

Mocha Mojo 72 1st Avenue, IndraNagar 42337024, 42337025

Barista 4 Khader Nawaz Khan Road Nungambakkam 42138567 Besant Nagar 42019455 Café Zha 25 2nd Main Street, Kamarajar Avenue, Adyar.

42116027 Coffee World Abhiramapuram, 64 CP Ramaswamy Road, Alwarpet.

43009499 Coffee Central 11 Dr B Narasimhan Road, Opp GN Chetty Road, T Nagar.

28152045, 9840111298 Café Pascucchi Express Avenue Mall 49 Whites Rd, Thousand Lights.

09840922895 High on Caffeine Mitsubishi Showroom, LB Road, Adyar.

42116482, 9003034049

Want your restaurant to be listed? Give us a call.

62 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011

Coffee Pubs · 24 Hour Dining · Seafood Café tapas 47B Ground Floor, Ramana Nursing Home Complex Velachery Main Road, Velachery.

42325165 Robustaa 24/67 Halls Road, Kilpauk.

42858412

24 Hour Dining

Paprika Mariott Courtyard 564 Anna Salai, Teynampet.

66764000 Anytime GRT Grand 120 Sir Thyagaraya Road, T Nagar.

28150500 Garden Café Radisson Blu Hotel 531 GST Road, St Thomas Mount.

22310101 601 The Park 601 Nungambakkam Main Road, Nungambakkam.

42676000

Verandah Taj Connemara 2 Binny Road, Anna Salai.

66000000 Seagull Taj Fisherman’s Cove Covelong Beach, Kancheepuram.

67413333 Cilantro Le Royal Meridien 1 GST Road, St Thomas Mount.

22314343 My Cafe Chola Sheraton 10 Cathedral Road, Gopalapuram.

28110101 Main Street The Residency Towers Sir Thayagaraya Road T Nagar.

28156363 Water’s Edge Café GRT Temple Bay Mahabalipuram.

27442251, 27443636

Caramel Asiana Hotel 1/238 Old Mahabalipuram Road. Semmencherry.

67411000 The Kitchen The Raintree Anna Salai 636 Anna Salai, Teynampet.

28309999

Seafood Bay View Point Taj Fisherman’s Cove Covelong Beach, Kancheepuram.

67413333 Sea Shell Greams Rd, Thousand Lights 28295789 Wharf GRT Temple Bay Mahabalipuram.

27443636 Fisherman’s Fare Casa Major Road, Egmore.

28194840

Club House Taj Mount Road 2 Club House Road, Mount Road.

66313131 Anise Taj Coromandel 37 MG Road, Nungambakkam.

66002827 Rainbow The Raintree Hotel 120 St Mary’s Road, Alwarpet.

42252525

Cappuccino À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011 63

Multicuisine · Health Food · Arabian Burgundy’s Somerset Greenways Serviced Residence 94 Satyadev Avenue, MRC Nagar.

49001000

Health Food Cholayil Sanjeevanam 97/45 Nungambakkam High Road, Nungambakkam.

64508427 Mahamudra 117 Luz Church Road, Mylapore.

43535555

Mixed Vegetable Broth Kayal Le Royal Meridien 1 GST Road, St Thomas Mount.

22314343 Samudra Trident 1/24 GST Road, St Thomas Mount.

22344747

Multicuisine

Rain Forest Gandhi Nagar 1st Main Road, Adyar.

42187777 Duchess 35, T.T. Krishnamachari Road, Alwarpet.

24996762 Cream Centre 55 2nd Main Road, RA Puram 42815777 Nungambakkam 43561777

Ashvita 11 2nd Street, Dr R K Salai, Mylapore.

28476063 Five Senses Oyster, No. 9, Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam.

30062010 Drizzle No. 1, Sultan Ahmed Street, Neelankarai, ECR. 32219966 Dewberry’s The Resto-Café 6/29 Rajasekaren Street, Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai, Mylapore 28473439 Fusion 9 2nd Floor, Aruna Centre, 145 Sterling Road, Nungambakkam 42664299

Escapade 361 Shakti Garden Road, Okyampettai, Thoraipakkam.

9884051456

Arabian YallaYalla Radisson GRT Hotel St Thomas Mount, 531 GST Road, Anna Salai.

22310101 Al Arab 131 Dr.Radhakrishnan Salai, Mylapore.

45130000 Arabian Delights A46 3rd Avenue, Anna Nagar East.

42172047 Palmshore Foreshore Estate, 111/108 Santhome High Road.

42102244

Want your restaurant to be listed? Give us a call.

64 À LA CARTE • DECEMBER 2011