So long and farewell..

I didn't get a chance to keep this updated as work started taking a real toll on everything under the sun.
A couple of weeks ago, I left work and started getting ready to move back to Bombay. Done that now, and am officially out of Chennai now. :(

As much as I loved Chennai, food-wise, it definitely has a long way to go. Having gone to tons more places through the year, the only ones that I went back to repeatedly were:

- Sandy's. I can't wait to come back to Chennai only for Sandy's.

- Lotus. Best Thai food in my opinion that I've eaten in the country. Green curry, pad thai, the panko chef speciality -- all are just brilliant.

- ID. I would die for their ginger chutney here in bombay. And that sambhar... mmm....

- Tuscana (even after they increased the prices by 25%).

- Soup and Salad Cafe (in their first avatar -- their latest avatar is not as friendly as the old one was). The workable/readable atmosphere of this cafe alongside good food makes me wonder why I'd drive to Amethyst.

La Ferme: Auroville Cheese Farm

This one will be short, but no less yummy. I had emailed them to try and organize a "cheese tour", and they helpfully obliged :) We reached at 11, waded through the branches, and found the helpful Mr. Matzi in the office. What we did get to see: the cheese being cooked, drained, and stored in the cooling chamber in the basement. 

Finished up with tasting at least 10 different types of cheeses, including the well-known Cheddar (really good) the strong Auroblochon, Goat cheese (the only one produced in India!), Bleu cheese, gorgonzola, farm, philadelphia (no, not the cream cheese brand, but a similar spready cheese + flavoured with herbs) . I'm a cheese fan & loved most the cheeses on offer.

For an appointment of La Ferme, call 04132-622212 or email them. I could put the email address here, but why not go out to your closest Nilgiri's, get one of their cheeses, and get the email address from the informative wrapper that packages all cheeses?

Still to come..

To come: food adventures from a recent trip to Auroville.
- New Creation Pizzeria
- Auroville bakery
- La Ferme, Auroville's cheese farm. They make a *ton* of different & yummy cheeses.
- The Right Place (in Residency)
- Gangotree

Tuscana -- quality Italian!

We have been on the hunt for good pizzas in Chennai, a la the Flamboyante, Trattoria & On toes (do I hear you say "On toes??" -- it is really good, try it out) of Bombay: thin, crisp & super-flavorful. Tuscana comes closest, though it is closer to the Neapolitan style that I equally love.
Most people don't know where it is, but if you know/look for the Mocha here, you'll find this. It is increasing in popularity though, so if you're going on a busy night, I recommend making reservations. 6 of us went to check out the place.


About the food:
Started with a bruschetta, which had its highs. It is served as bread pieces & two sides: the traditional tomato+basil, and a gorgonzola+artichoke dip. They can do some work on getting better bread, but the sides (dips?) were spot on.

Pizzas [wood-fired]:
Siciliana: Sundried tomatoes, goat cheese, pesto. As expected with this combination of ingredients, it was excellent. Only wish it were more crispy. Also ask to get it with a pesto base. I personally like it more [tried both].



Margherita: Very good, though I found it a tad on the sweeter side. Can't go wrong with this though.

4 Stagioni: From the meat-eaters: they liked it, but weren't overly impressed.

Pastas:
Vegetarian Lasagne: Yummy! Marinara & creamy, without overpowering the different vegetables. The pasta itself was a bit thick -- maybe they use industry-made, not handmade pasta. [as a side: if you're in Bombay & want good, thin & super-soft handmade pasta, I highly recommend Aurus]

Gnocchi al Pesto: When ordering this, I was a bit apprehensive because gnocchi is really difficult to get right. Unfortunately, it did fall short. It was a bit too sticky & potato-like, instead of the pillowy goodness that it can be. The pesto sauce is very good though.

We also did get an over-priced blueberry smoothie, which is, well: blueberry + banana with the banana winning. Not a big fan of it.

Tiramisu: _Will go back just for this_. They've pretty much nailed it! :)
Sponge cake, something fig something. Forgettable.

Where:
* Details at Tuscana website
* Damage: Rs. 3000 for 6
* Service: Good, but room for improvement. Forgot a couple of smaller things that we asked for.
* Ambience: Good for groups & couples. I like their outdoor section with the open pizza kitchen + oven too [see picture].

ID

ID, which stands for Idly Dosa, is Sathyam's new "contemporary South Indian" restaurant. Went on the day before Pongal on a couple of recommendations, and we thought it was a great combination of the old & new, while still being priced very reasonably. Had a smart-but-not-pretentious feel to it. Above all, they'd not forgotten to focus on the most important thing -- the food!


Food
- Pongal special platter. I liked 3 out of the 5 pongals; in particular I didn't like the sweet ones (jaggery, especially!). They were really nice to replace (ahead of time) the sweet dish that accompanied the platter with Kesari, which I liked a lot more. The pongals tasted even better with their chutneys [tomato, coconut, mint-coconut], which are very good.


- Onion Rava dosa: Brilliant! We sat on their bar counter [contemporary!] & asked the chef to make it crispier for us, and he did just that. The sambar is just spicy enough to be yummy, and the above-mentioned chutneys helped too.



- Filter coffee: Incredibly good. Could taste it even 15 minutes after leaving the restaurant.



* Service: Prompt, friendly chef: make sure to sit at the bar.
* Ambience: Family & friendly.
* $ Damage: 200 for 2. [VFM!]

p.s. I loved their bookmark of a menu: we did take one back & actually use it!

Sandy's Chocolate Labs

This post will be a mix multiple visits, but my remaining ones should focus on a specific visit.

When I was introduced to Sandy's I loved it. They make absolutely great desserts, of which special mention should be made of:

- White Chocolate Cake: soft & sponge-like, creamy, and I love the sprinkle of cocoa powder. The latest time I had it, @ their Nungambakkam venue, they managed to mess it up, but were nice enough to admit that & take it back.

- Tiny Chocolate Cake (get it a la mode): It is *big*. And *yummy*. Love the icing!





- Bicerin: Wow-zer. Floored. Melted chocolate, coffee & cream. Coffee never tasted so good, and I lived in Seattle for 5 years. Here's a short explanation, from the NY Times

- De-constructed cheesecake: One doesn't get to often eat deconstructed food, and this cheesecake is quite brilliant. Again, go to the R.A. Puram venue for this; the newer venue doesn't seem to have quite nailed it.

- Happy Jack (& I don't normally like the combination of peanut butter & chocolate!)

Their breakfasts are also very good, judging from comments of meat-eaters. I love their pancakes & the little beakers they serve chocolate sauce & honey in.

Not-so-much:
Tres-leche
Xocolat [a lot of chocolate, even for me]
Vegetarian main courses: soups & pastas were both a miss for me. The menu changes often though, so maybe you'll find something. I once went with a friend who loved their fish dish (was it salmon? I don't remember very well now).
Pizza toast: Its good, but well.. average: tomato sauce & cheese. I expect Sandys to do something more with it.


Where: details can be found at http://sandys.co.in/

How much: Expect to pay Rs. 200 per person.
Ambience: Relaxed
Service: Friendly & fairly knowledgeable.

A few more..

I have promised a bunch, and will get to it. But, I wanted to add a few more to the list lest I forget:
- ID (@ Sathyam)
- Tuscana
- Mocha
- Bike & Barrell