The Big Barbeque’s second outlet in Chennai works for meat lovers and vegetarians alike, and they’re open to customisations as well

This was the latest buzz in town, especially since Chennai seems obsessed with all things barbecue. We decided to check out the newest branch of The Big Barbeque, the second in town, after their first outlet at OMR that opened way back in 2019. While the hotel in which the restaurant is housed is still incomplete, this meat-lovers paradise, that occupies the top-most level in the hotel, is done up nicely, although a tad too well-lit for our taste.

“What makes us different from most other barbecue joints is the number of vegetarian options we also have. While the barbecue options are aplenty, we also feature specials like Mongolian barbecue, as part of 175+ options on the menu, six live counters— including a jalebi counter, chef specials and a whole lot more. We’re also open to any ideas from our customers,” says head chef Nagaraj Gowda, who is originally from Karnataka and has worked at several establishments like Punjab Grill and Kobe Sizzlers, before this stint.

We began our meal with desi appetisers including a chaat sampling featuring small plates of palak chaat, papdi chaat, bhel puri and pani puri. The serving size being perfect, we paired them with a Virgin Pina Colada and Virgin Shirley Temple, to shake things up. Chef Nagaraj decided to then bombard the table with an assortment of grills, pre-cooked in the kitchen and finished to perfection at our table.

We ploughed through skewers of barbecue pineapple, peri peri mushroom, Asian grilled paneer, methi mutton seekh kebab, lemongrass fish, chilli garlic prawns and Asian barbecue chicken; and while most of them were relatively well-done (pun intended), the mushrooms were over-spiced — killing their natural flavour. We were also served small tapas-sized plates and we loved the Cajun Spiced Potatoes the most. We chose to wash this down with a pineapple mocktail and were so stuffed by the end, that we even skipped dessert.

While most of what is served is regular fare that one would expect from a joint like this, the chef’s specials, that change from day to day, could make this meal a more interesting one. That and the fact that they’re open to customising the menu and its options — make this new space, a definite try!

INR 700 onwards. At Saidapet.

romal@newindianexpress.com
@elromal