Restobar alert: Spirits by Synck in Chennai serves pure vegetarian and their in-house mock meats are delicious

Don't miss their Mock Mutton Sukka platter which tastes pretty close to the real deal!
Interiors at Spirits by Synck
Interiors at Spirits by Synck

There have always been vegetarian appetisers to go with your whiskey. But Krithika Subrahmanian’s restobar, Spirits by Synck in Besant Nagar, well and truly strays from the tried and expected. At this swanky 40 seater with plush carpeting and modern Indian décor, appetiser plates are fun, creative and most importantly, delicious. From a downright OMG-is-that-really-not-meat Mock Mutton Sukka to Butterbean Sundal with raw mango and coconut, we find ourselves living on the ‘veg’, so to speak, as we adventure through this exclusively plant-based bar menu.

<em>Spirited peanuts</em>
Spirited peanuts
<em>Pumpkin Pale</em>
Pumpkin Pale



After our recent tasting, we feel inclined to salute the ‘mock meat’ section which has been developed with R&D entirely in-house. Expect to find options like a mock Chettinad Meen Varuval, Chicken Vepudu made with a peanut and chilli tempering and Kola Urundai prepped with jackfruit. Our sampling revealed Mutton Sukka flavoured with fennel and peppercorns to be the star of the night, and incredibly darn close to the real thing. Krithika shares that much time has gone into creating particularly healthy options curated by the team of chefs and culinary experts. And doing it independently, without relying on a third-party vendor, has worked out well, despite this being relatively unexplored and niche terrain. “Eliminating cold-chain has resulted in extraordinary flavour,” she points out. We definitely agree. 

<em>Thausi potato</em>
Thausi potato
<em>Vodka golgappas</em>
Vodka golgappas

Between sips of a Mylapore Mojito (rum, ginger and soda water), we dig our heels into the Cash-in (roasted cashew nuts flavoured three ways: peri peri, desi chaat and curry leaves and pepper). That last one, we discover, is quite addictive. While the Asian-style momos that come with a spicy Timur sauce dip are not nearly as exciting, we do enjoy the Thausi Potato. The latter comprises double-fried smashed baby potatoes, tossed with a Korean chilli seasoning for a bit of heat. We wrap up with a cheery-looking yellow cocktail called the Pumpkin Pale. This is a first for us, sampling a gin and pumpkin reduction pairing. Smokey and sweet, we raise a toast to good times.

Meal for two, including beverages at INR 2,000.
 

Related Stories

No stories found.
Indulgexpress
www.indulgexpress.com