Stepping in to this noticeably rectangle-shaped building at Anna Nagar Roundtana, the first thing that hits you is the delicious aroma of fried fish. Painted in an elegant watery grey and white with Italian windows and pots of plants, one could easily see this place for an English café that serves pastries, if not for the name — Fish Bone!
The month-old restaurant is owned by Parthiban Shanmugam, who is a freelance anesthesiologist and a full time food enthusiast. “All the dishes served here are my home recipes. I have trained the staff here to prepare them the way I do. The main intention behind this venture is to bring people different flavours,” says Parthiban who is also an avid traveller.
Walk in to the 36-seater, and a quick glance at the black board will reveal what the catch of the day is. “Although we serve chicken and mutton, seafood is our specialty. Every dish here is unique since we add our special flavours to each of them,” says Parthiban, adding that they keep the recipes to themselves.
We find a seat next to a road-facing window and check out the menu while sipping on a sweet and refreshing Hibiscus juice. Offering mainly South Indian cuisine, including Andhra meals, besides continental dishes, for starters, we are served Prawns Podi Varuval. Fresh prawns stir fried with home-made Burmese masala, followed by peppery black shrimp, the same dish with a lot of pepper. “We adjust the spice level in each dish according to the customer’s taste,” Parthiban tells me.
What comes next in an earthen pot is the Gilli Biryani. The biryani with a thick gravy, rich in mutton flavour is the signature dish here. For sides, a plating of crispy Prawn Bhaji comes with a dollop of tangy tamarind chutney. “We also have a variant of the same dish, the potti biryani where it is served in a basket made of palm leaves,” Parthiban shares.
Between spicy Andhra masala, a Mexican guacamole dip and a chef’s special masala, they ask for my choice of masala to go with the catch of the day, the Indian salmon. We opt for the chef's special, and are served a plate of deep fried salmon topped with a spicy tomato and pepper gravy, alongside steamed vegetables including carrots and broccoli. Yum!
Fish Bone is open at 115, 3rd Avenue, W Block, Anna Nagar.
Meal for two `600.