The word cornucopia brings to mind a table of plenty — the mythical horn pouring out a feast of good things. However, if you are a longtime Chennaiite your mind will immediately go back to 2004, to the restaurant down Cenotaph Road that was started by Chef Anand S. Though city foodies had tracked him down to Kodaikanal at the popular restaurant, 10 Degrees, since closing that recently due to COVID, the restaurateur and consultant chef is now back in town. Wooing our palates with irresistible nostalgic flavours from his cloud kitchen, Adam’s Cornucopia, a family-run enterprise, the chef impresses us with delicious signature recipes.
Meat of the matter
The pork ribs were juicy and melt-in-the-mouth and the sourdough focaccia was perfect for mopping up the delicious Chinese BBQ sauce. Though Dhanashree, the chef’s wife and partner in business, did admit that her breads were still experimental, we loved the result. Just like how we enjoyed her pita bread that is airy and light, working well with the creamy hummus. Meanwhile, the baked stuffed chicken breast was low in spice and offered a rich sauce — we suggest you team it with a fresh crunchy-salad. “We are not a nouvelle kitchen. From our multi-cuisine menu you can expect old fashioned European dishes, some of my signature fusion recipes and also Kerala cuisine,” informs the chef.
Fusion feel
The traditional Kerala Syrian beef fry was surprisingly juicy and spicy, and not overdone as tends to happen. Clearly the chef’s North Kerala roots have come to the fore for this one. It effortlessly lifted the mild herb rice and right then we got sold on the multi-cuisine philosophy! “I still source my meats from Bengaluru — like I did in 2004 for Cornucopia, same vendor!” says Chef Anand.
The Beef Stroganoff was delicious and is a satisfying meal in itself. Along with it we jabbed at pieces of the sautéed veggies and that’s when there was a delightful pause at an uncommon bite. Juicy and sweetish, the squash-like vegetable took us by surprise and it took a while to figure out that it was the rather common chow chow from local produce. We suggest you order a tub of this herbed salad and treat it as a delicious palate cleanser between bites. The chef tells us to look out for his Chinese dishes next that promise sauces that are light and no deep fries.
Sweet something
Featuring the likes of homemade breads, caramel custard with brandy sauce and panna cotta with pomegranate jelly — the bakery and dessert section is Chef Dhanashree’s brainchild. And when you dig into the wobbly Coconut Mousse that is set in a fresh tender coconut shell — you will understand why this dessert was shared across social media with such gusto. This delicious sweet offering is what repeat orders are made of. The cheesecake is a surprise — a classic New York baked version, it has an unusual salted caramel with stewed apple topping that makes you not want to share it with anyone. We loved the fact that this baking aficionado made the sauce without a hint of cinnamon giving the apple a fresh identity in desserts.
Baked New York cheesecake at INR 200 for a slice and Coconut Mousse at INR 250 per portion.
Meal for two at INR 1,200.