Launched in Chennai last October, Watson’s gastropub at T Nagar is now giving us more than one reason to drop by on a Sunday. The spacious 170-seater has introduced their Special Sunday Brunch, an option that is not yet available in their Bengaluru and Goa outlets, we are told.
Crab meets red wine
“I have been surprised by the Chennai crowd because of the kind of experiments they are willing to do with food and drinks. We started the brunch here first because we were pretty sure that the city was game for it,” says Rahul Korgaokar, the CEO.With live counters for each preparation, we saw a display of assorted grills of meat, seafood, pasta and dosas at the banquet room. While the elaborate seafood section boasted of poached clams, oysters, crabs and smoked salmon, the grilled meat section had rabbit meat apart from chicken and fish. The cold meat section showed off turkey, ham and sausages and we were impressed by the open bar, a part of the buffet which offers unlimited alcohol.“We are offering a mix of food that one would want to try, along with the ones you are familiar with. While we have oysters and clams, we also offer dosas, pav and Chicken Chettinadu,” Rahul shares.
Starting the meal with a rich Mediterranean salad comprising bell peppers, zucchini and carrots with a lemon olive dressing, we headed to the grill section where we experiment pairing grilled rabbit marinated with pepper and mixed spices with some Jacob’s Creek red wine that awakened our taste buds. Succulent fish fillets, soft paneer tikka, juicy chicken, everything from the live grill counter tasted perfect except for the Meat Garlic Skewer which was bit overcooked. And as for more starters, we’re given Stuffed Mushrooms and crispy Spinach and Cheese Croquettes, excellent vegetarian options.
Pie & payasam
Moving on to the mains, we tried the Grilled Spiced Fish with Buttered Rice and Coconut Gravy, deliciously spiced and cooked to perfection, followed by a bowl of Shepherd’s Pie, with soft minced lamb and a rich cheese topping — a very filling dish. Reaching the end of our meal, we reached for the luscious Triple Chocolate Mousse at the dessert counter that also has a thick Coconut and Jaggery Payasam alongside a selection of assorted pastries – a great line-up for the ultimate sugar rush.
`3,000 per head.