Culinary fusion at Crimson Chakra

Chennai has finally managed to make me overcome my laziness and pen down my thoughts on the underrated dining experience in the city. It has been almost a year since I have been in Chennai and I can count at least 7 joints I have thoroughly enjoyed. The city actually offers a lot of variety in cuisines and it would be a crime not to give due credit to a host of innovative restauranteurs that have set up shop here. No wonder its called the 'Gateway to South India'. So here goes!  
 
It had been a while since we enjoyed the pleasures of a fine dining ambience, so we headed out to the much recommended Crimson Chakra located near Adyar, Chennai. The name is a bit misleading, to say the least.. I almost thought it might be a dim lit place with couches, bean bags, curtains made of beads and candles all around. Well, I got that last one correct! What delighted me about this restaurant first up was the fact that it is set in a bungalow.

A house cafe instantly brings a homely and comforting feeling to the dining experience, and the one point that Crimson Chakra did not disappoint in was the ambiance.

An arched doorway leads you into the warm glow of the restaurant and you’re greeted with some spunky art pieces, lamps and dining seats made of bamboo. The house, in fact, belongs to the owner Nikhil Moturi’s grandfather.

Coming back to the food. We were a group of six, majority being non-vegetarian, each with a considerable appetite. The menu is essentially divided into two – Fusion Continental and South Indian. I’m still on the quest for what exactly comprises of ‘Continental’ cuisine but more on that some other time. The joint offers two options – a fixed menu or Ala Carte. The fixed menu primarily comprises of south Indian cuisine, a mix of dishes from Kerala and Chettinad with a couple of Continental bites thrown in. Although I appreciate the Chef’s attempt to do a fusion, Grilled Chicken and Indian style Chicken curry at the same time didn’t work for us. To avoid confusion, we went in for Ala Carte (a choice we did not regret).
For starters, we tried the Stir Fried Prawns Olivette, Tawa Kozhi and Curried Mushroom & Corn Sacks for the veggies. The Prawns were quite good, set in a sharp tomato based vinaigrette with olives while the Tawa Kozhi (Kozhi in Malayalam is Chicken) in contrast was a lovely blend of Indian spices cooked till tender. The Mushroom and Corn sacks is a good try especially with its accompanying garlic based dip - something different.

For the main course, the majority decided to go in for ‘continental’. The fusion theme finally got to me and I decided to savour the aromas of Kerala cuisine for a change. So I went ahead and ordered a Mundiri Kozhi Currie with Appams. The dish was served last in order and lived up to expectations and the wait. Very similar to the tradition Kozhi stew, the preparation was a bit spicier in taste and thoroughly enjoyable with the steaming Appams that were served. The Chicken was boneless and well cooked (worth a mention since a lot of joints serve half cooked Chicken worthy of a struggle).

Blackened Fish New Orleans

My neighbour went in for Blackened Kingfish fillets New Orleans, grilled fish in a tomato and cheese sauce. A bit of sweet (honey probably) in the sauce gave it a different touch but was overshadowed by the bland taste of the fish itself. A bit more of marination would have done the trick. We met a similar experience with the Baked Stuffed fillet of Sole Mahler. The idea was great – sole mashed with potato, egg and cheese batter and baked to perfection – the end result, however, was an overdose of the batter and minimal taste of fish, one would probably get a snippet every second mouthful. The Poached Chicken Breast Clemenceau was a delight – a simple culmination of mushroom, herbs and cream, topped with wine and mixed with tender chicken pieces. It is difficult to get a good aroma and taste to white sauce and the Chef’s got it bang on.

Cottage Cheese Steak

The vegetarians ordered the Corn, Peas and Cottage Cheese Steak and Blackened Cottage Cheese Steak. I would recommend the latter as it offers a perfect balance of all ingredients (you can feel the taste of each constituent) and, again, the unique touch represented by the cheese sauce and tomato base.

The dessert menu also comprises of Indian and non-Indian delicacies. This time, we all zeroed in on the non-Indian side and it was a Chocolate extravaganza. Mud Pie, Warm Fudgy Nutty Brownie (it was the name that hooked me on) and Warm and Indulgent were ordered to be shared amongst the 6 of us. If you do not want to make it too heavy, go for the Mud Pie. Warm and Indulgent, a chocolate fondue of sorts, was pure bliss – a must have for the calorie unconscious.

Overall, I would give a big thumbs up to Crimson Chakra, for its sheer variety of preparations, the quiet and warm ambiance and because every effort has been taken towards giving a unique taste to each dish. What’s more, the restaurant offers a Candle Room (a small area with a romantic setting) and a pet friendly dining area as well.

There is also pool side seating available with a couple of tables lined up in the pool itself where you can dip your feet in the water – a perfect setting for a hot Sunday afternoon.

Meal for 2: Approx Rs. 1200 including starters and dessert (the restaurant does not serve alcohol) 
Fixed Menu – Rs. 545 (Veg) and Rs. 604 (Non-veg) per person inclusive of taxes 
Timings – 12.30 pm to 3.00 pm and 7pm to 10.30 pm all days