So Up North has taken a new changeover and newly launched last week serving the same old wine in a different glass. We, just like the 100s of other bloggers and their kins Raintree had invited were part of their pre launch food tasting. They probably invited everyone who could possibly know of the restaurant. Raintree Anna salai is a landmark. This restaurant sits on top of the property open to the sky. I'm amazed to see mosquitoes even there, in a city that's polluted to this level. Like any other rooftop, the ambiance was low lit candle light dining types. Tables not private enough for a romantic meal though. One could certainly enjoy the candle light dinner with a good bunch of 10 in class though.
We were served a set menu, the latest addition to the menu. For whether I liked the food or not, I loved how chef had put together a very homely food on our plates with as little "star restaurant" gimmicks in line. Indian food is hardly even resistant to the gimmicks. Molecular cuisine is probably nice to hear but would so easily and badly backfire with food from home. Obviously the menu did have a couple of highly technical plates served which was otherwise curtailed to just starters. Main course was a take off into mainstream home food. With not even that extra pinch of seasoning or salt or colour that it remains the same way moms would cook. To mention a speciality, their smoked paneer tikka was a total winner. Topped with a good marinade of malai with ajwain and smoked to yummyness, this was one of those dishes that took me aback. I also like the quality of mocktails, for a place that has a pretty good bar attached. Main course comprised of a couple of infamous breads like the bakarkhani roti, which was an amazing first impression for the dish. and the regular breads like roti and naan were served alongside some aromatic very homely dhal, paneer baigan Bartha and kofta curries. They resemble each other by the looks but are completely different and authentic to their taste centres. I appreciate the fact that the f&b have gone the extra step to not over power food with flavour alone instead let the ingredients own their native textures which requires so much skill and patience to master. The meal was let down with the chaat. their jalebi and cheese JAL mudi in a tartlet was perhaps ambitious. The start with those perhaps lowered my expectations which was outdone by the rest of the menu by manifolds.
Service was courteous and pretty slow. Considering hat the table room was almost (60%) full I would like my food on table a little faster.
Pictures speak a 1000 words here's to some of the awesome pictures shot by Arjun Narayanan from our visit here.
Food - 3.5/5
Service - 3.5/5
Ambiance - 3/5
