This restaurant is located in MRC Nagar inside Somerset Hotels next block to CV. The ambiance and decor are to point that doesn't yell Chinese and give you the right amount of cozy feel. They've got a wine display and a lavish table room that's partitioned in the middle to accommodate a private meal for a 15 pax(approx). This place wouldn't be my choice for a romantic place though the ambience and mood is well set. Coming straight off to the food, between serving Chinese food in roadside shops and being home to restaurants like these, Chennai is fast moving towards cosmopolitisation (not sure if that's a word). Having practically ended my taste buds for Chinese and Asian food after most newly opened (and much anticipated) restaurants let down with Asian food it was always a sceptical move to eat from one, fine dine for any matter.
Chao did restored the faith for once. I prefer the food here over any other Asian fine-dine I happened to visit in the near past.
Chao did restored the faith for once. I prefer the food here over any other Asian fine-dine I happened to visit in the near past.
Food
The single most appealing factor was the food. The three course did as much justice it could to both the palate and cuisine.
For soup they serve a range of Thai and clear soups. My personal favourite was the Thai clear soup. A simple start to be honest.
Starters had an abundance of salad and fried stuff. Sushi platter stood out among the lot and so did the green papaya salad which had ample spices and sour to go along.
The vegetarian Sushi platter sided with wasabi. Goes well with soy sauce on the side
Fried corn and spinach. A typical corn kernels fritter with very sparse spice and mild seasoning. The thick soft crust turns into a crunchy core with the corn still in good shape without any traces of over-cooking.
A standout winner of the lot. The crunchy salad went amazingly good with the hot sauce
Wasabi prawns seasoned with mayo that is bloody photogenic. I do not eat meat sadly so no comments on the taste.
Braised broccoli with mushrooms and tofu. The spicy touch of the gravy did absolute justice to the vegetable stock. Tofu was a bit off putting with the texture. A bit more tendery version would be better off.
Thai curry in the green! A must must try if you're going here for the first time. Damn those flavours that complement the spice and the touch of coconut cream was an explosion in the palate.
I detest the flavour of custard yet I loved this one. I do not prefer the texture of custard based dish in my mouth so I would still prefer a smooth cake. To top this off was a coconut ice-cream which did not quite seem like coconut flavour.
Water chestnuts soaking in the cream of coconut milk was a true winner. I was sceptical for the tinge of sourness it carried possibly because of the storage malfunction of the coconut milk.
To summarise, if you have the strong will to eat good Asian food and your wallet has the ability to shed for the same, this place is a must try.