On a humid Chennai evening (aren't they all?), a bunch of us were gathered at Courtyard Marriott, Anna Salai to sample Chef Sanjeev's curated dishes for the new introduced menu. This particular hotel apparently has the honor of being the first "Courtyard" by Marriott in our country.
Reading about the brand, it seems to cater primarily to the business traveller but sitting in the expansive atrium of this hotel where Paprika Cafe is located, the ambiance could lend itself to the informal too albeit with some dissonance. The whole of the lowest floor is an extended brunching area with sofas placed along the periphery serving as lobby seating. I could see an elderly gentleman having a leisurely time with his grandkids who were wolfing down burgers and some couples having a quiet dinner.
In the time we waited for the rest of the invitees to arrive, we were presented with Sushi that came in a double decker tray. Juicy and fresh it was. Another small-eat that found its way to us was prawns placed on a curious crunchy bed of sago wafer (guessing). This was aptly prepared too the wafer acting as a clean way to pop one into the mouth as well.
In a few minutes we were seated around a long table with Chef Sanjeev at the head guiding us through his team's creations. Chef's enthusiasm for discussing the nuances and ingredients of the dishes he presented was palpable and soon everyone was involved in the mostly ingredient related discussions that followed.
The starters consisted of Kolkata Kathi rolls, Gilafi Lamb Seekh and good ol' Tandoori chicken.
Tandoori Chicken was everything it should be; tender, juicy and with that delectable spice rub.
The Gilafi Lamb Seekh didn't disappoint. Tender and not overcooked to dryness, the meat was punctuated with tiny bits of red, yellow and green bell peppers which the Chef said was purposely placed on the outside rather than inside of the Seekh so it would get that slight char and be cooked through.
Kolkata Kathi roll was accompanied by the pungent mustard sauce famous in the region. A good snacky eat, though it seemed a bit out-of-place in this menu showed the Chef's Bengali influence which he spoke of at length. I was scared to eat much of this and fill my tummy up with the heavy paratha.
The main course was a nice mix of the quintessential dishes across cuisines spanning continents. There was Nasi Goreng from Malaysia, Mushroom Risotto no prizes for guessing where from, Fish Pollichatu from Kerala and Butter chicken and Nalli Roganjosh from the North India. We were also served steamed chicken momos outside of the set-menu. A curious mix of dishes but one representing their wide menu. Not sure how many of these dishes are available at the buffets or if it's only available a la carte.
First off was the Nasi Goreng which had a bulls-eye right on the top of the rice and was served with prawn crackers and a peanuty skewered chicken. The chicken was delicious and I found myself munching on those prawn wafers. Most of us weren't in the mood for eating the rice with the egg yolk so we just tried the rice with the chicken n other accompaniments. A good main course. Perhaps the team can ask guests how they would like the egg to be cooked in this dish.
The Mushroom Risotto was well-made too with the simple yet fulfilling flavor of the arborio rice and cheese coming through. However, my friend who was sitting next to me and has lived in Italy said the cheeses in Italy made a huge difference in this dish.
Fish Pollichatu was quite anticipated by me and arrived wrapped in a lovely banana leaf just like how it is served in Kerala.
The marinade was tasty, slightly tangy from the "masalified" tomato based slathering. However, the piece inside was mainly the fish's head so there wasn't much flesh to pluck out, sadly.
The final main dish on the menu was the Nalli Roganjosh. Keep in mind, unlike the usual Roganjosh made with mutton, this dish uses "Nalli" which is lamb bones. The slow cooked Nalli yields a marrow rich gravy that is lip-smackingly delicious when done right. And Chef's version was pretty darn good it was a loose gravy, flavorful and aromatic.
Awadhi Biriyani: Lovely, delicately spiced there wasn't anything to fault with this. Only problem was I was full by now so only a few spoonfuls of it. Also, the butter chicken dish wasn't served.
For the dessert we were served Mango Kulfi which hit the spot. It was a dense affair and deliciously n purposely so as the Chef explained techniques. However, the cold mango pieces sticking to the small matka pot it was served in slightly marred the eating experience. Dinner was rounded off with another dessert in the form of a delicate chocolate cake which impressed us too.
Reading about the brand, it seems to cater primarily to the business traveller but sitting in the expansive atrium of this hotel where Paprika Cafe is located, the ambiance could lend itself to the informal too albeit with some dissonance. The whole of the lowest floor is an extended brunching area with sofas placed along the periphery serving as lobby seating. I could see an elderly gentleman having a leisurely time with his grandkids who were wolfing down burgers and some couples having a quiet dinner.
In the time we waited for the rest of the invitees to arrive, we were presented with Sushi that came in a double decker tray. Juicy and fresh it was. Another small-eat that found its way to us was prawns placed on a curious crunchy bed of sago wafer (guessing). This was aptly prepared too the wafer acting as a clean way to pop one into the mouth as well.
In a few minutes we were seated around a long table with Chef Sanjeev at the head guiding us through his team's creations. Chef's enthusiasm for discussing the nuances and ingredients of the dishes he presented was palpable and soon everyone was involved in the mostly ingredient related discussions that followed.
Starters
The starters consisted of Kolkata Kathi rolls, Gilafi Lamb Seekh and good ol' Tandoori chicken.
Tandoori Chicken was everything it should be; tender, juicy and with that delectable spice rub.
The Gilafi Lamb Seekh didn't disappoint. Tender and not overcooked to dryness, the meat was punctuated with tiny bits of red, yellow and green bell peppers which the Chef said was purposely placed on the outside rather than inside of the Seekh so it would get that slight char and be cooked through.
Kolkata Kathi roll was accompanied by the pungent mustard sauce famous in the region. A good snacky eat, though it seemed a bit out-of-place in this menu showed the Chef's Bengali influence which he spoke of at length. I was scared to eat much of this and fill my tummy up with the heavy paratha.
Meanwhile I took a walk around the large buffet area to check out what was on offer at the all-day buffet. There were separate stations for different cuisines either self-serve or manned by cooks who prepared certain dishes freshly. Caught sight of some lovely olives at one of the stations which I was tempted to try.
Main Course
The main course was a nice mix of the quintessential dishes across cuisines spanning continents. There was Nasi Goreng from Malaysia, Mushroom Risotto no prizes for guessing where from, Fish Pollichatu from Kerala and Butter chicken and Nalli Roganjosh from the North India. We were also served steamed chicken momos outside of the set-menu. A curious mix of dishes but one representing their wide menu. Not sure how many of these dishes are available at the buffets or if it's only available a la carte.
First off was the Nasi Goreng which had a bulls-eye right on the top of the rice and was served with prawn crackers and a peanuty skewered chicken. The chicken was delicious and I found myself munching on those prawn wafers. Most of us weren't in the mood for eating the rice with the egg yolk so we just tried the rice with the chicken n other accompaniments. A good main course. Perhaps the team can ask guests how they would like the egg to be cooked in this dish.
The Mushroom Risotto was well-made too with the simple yet fulfilling flavor of the arborio rice and cheese coming through. However, my friend who was sitting next to me and has lived in Italy said the cheeses in Italy made a huge difference in this dish.
Fish Pollichatu was quite anticipated by me and arrived wrapped in a lovely banana leaf just like how it is served in Kerala.
The marinade was tasty, slightly tangy from the "masalified" tomato based slathering. However, the piece inside was mainly the fish's head so there wasn't much flesh to pluck out, sadly.
The final main dish on the menu was the Nalli Roganjosh. Keep in mind, unlike the usual Roganjosh made with mutton, this dish uses "Nalli" which is lamb bones. The slow cooked Nalli yields a marrow rich gravy that is lip-smackingly delicious when done right. And Chef's version was pretty darn good it was a loose gravy, flavorful and aromatic.
Awadhi Biriyani: Lovely, delicately spiced there wasn't anything to fault with this. Only problem was I was full by now so only a few spoonfuls of it. Also, the butter chicken dish wasn't served.
For the dessert we were served Mango Kulfi which hit the spot. It was a dense affair and deliciously n purposely so as the Chef explained techniques. However, the cold mango pieces sticking to the small matka pot it was served in slightly marred the eating experience. Dinner was rounded off with another dessert in the form of a delicate chocolate cake which impressed us too.
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