Small cubes of fried potato, covered in beetroot mayonnaise and topped with thinly sliced spring onion make their way to our table. The dish is an ode to the restaurant’s name — Pink Potato. And boy, does it set the bar high.
Located in Kilpauk and formerly Sambhar before it was relaunched almost a month ago, this space is the brainchild of serial entrepreneur Sam Paul, the man behind Jonah’s Bistro, franchises of Chennai’s three Häagen Dazs outlets and the rapidly growing fleet of Toni & Guy salons. But back to our heavenly potatoes.
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As we get dig in further, we get a peak at the menu and also Sam Paul’s vision for it. “Pink Potato is a conscious attempt to break into the vegetarian fusion market,” says Paul who runs all of these ventures under the ambit of the Paulson’s Group. And we understand what he means as we notice both Continental and South Indian selections are on offer, with dishes curated by Consultant Chef Fabian who has cooked for several A-listers including the Queen of England. But what the restaurant specialises, Fabian shares with us, are parathas and kebabs —the flavours of North India. “There’s even a vegetarian version of Lucknow’s famed mutton kebabs,” he says. Out comes a plate of nadru ki shammi: yellow discs of lotus stem kebabs melt in our mouths. It leaves behind a pleasant burn at the back of our throats. I point this out and the chef says they use yellow chilli powder, sourced from Delhi and Punjab.
Blocks of cottage cheese, all red and charred arrive. Their achari paneer is as soft as a cushion. Giving the paneer a run for its money is their soya chops tikka. “You won’t find this protein in the market,” smiles Fabian. Soya chops, one of the many byproducts of the soybean, is similar to paneer but is orange and has a unique texture. But the most memorable part of the meal was the kulcha. Flaky, buttery and sprinkled with cumin seeds, it was the best kulchas we’ve ever tasted. “The chef who makes the bread is from Punjab, that’s why it tastes authentic,” reveals Fabian who once captured taste buds with his souffles at the erstwhile Patio in Taj Coromandel. Then comes one of Chef Fabian’s signature desserts: the chocolate opera cake sings in your mouth. Encore please?
Cost for two: Rs 500. Details: 26454177