The Big Barbeque, one of Bengaluru’s biggest restaurant chains is now in Chennai and is for those who want to make a party out of their meal. Having launched just last weekend, the restaurant that promises over 150 dishes apart from its barbeque grills on its buffet-concept menu. It has been set up on the first floor of a building located right opposite Holiday Inn Express in Thoraipakkam.
As you climb up to the first floor of the rather humble building, one could easily be taken aback by the grandeur of the place. Beyond a wooden door lies ahead a 12,000 sq ft space, enough to house at least 300 people, if not more. Checkered floor, neon lights, and at least 20, four-seater tables that are set to perfection, are stationed on either side of an elaborate buffet counter. The space upstairs also boasts of its spacious seating, wall art, sophisticated décor and dim lighting. The restaurant manager Lal Mohammed gives us a tour of the place that has live food counters offering everything from grills, chaat stations, wood-fired pizza, pastas and more.
Chettinad to Arabian
“Unlike regular barbeque restaurants, The Big Barbeque has something for everyone. Apart from the signature grills, we offer Chinese, North Indian, Arabian, even Chettinad food. Customers can experience anything they want here. And very soon, we plan to bring in entertainment such as live music, dance and other entertainment activities, making this a fun place to hang out,” says Selin Reubalin, who franchised the Chennai outlet from Mangalore-based restauranter Udaya Mongaveera, who founded the brand.
We are greeted by the friendly staff with a tall glass of refreshing Virgin Pina Colada and the wide range of starters doesn’t keep us waiting. An assortment of veg and non-veg skewers are served on the built-in grill on the table we are seated at. Some of the interesting options were the crispy Fried Corn, a rather juicy and sweet BBQ pineapple, a soft and spicy Malai pudina mushroom alongside usual suspects like the Achari Aloo Gobi and Paneer Tikka.
We would also recommend the slightly chewy but delicious Cajun spicy potato and a very crispy Chilli Baby Corn as well as Sesame Stir-fried Corn as good appetiser options if you are not looking for skewers. From the non-veg platter, we try the succulent BBQ Tandoori wings, soft and spicy and the moderately spiced and flavourful Lahsuni Jhinga, grilled garlic prawns which stole the show. Khas Khas Seekh Kebab, cooked to perfection with its melt-in-the-mouth texture is a must-have for meat lovers.
Chasing crabs
Offering a break from all the spice and meat, a range of chaat items were offered out of which we try a chilled Dahi Puri which worked really well as a palate cleanser. By this point, we have no room left for the main course! However, as per Chef Nagaraj’s suggestion, we get a tasting of the Sarso Crab Curry, one of the best dishes offered here, we are told. The rich, creamy curry with a strong flavour of mustard would pair well with your choice of roti or rice and is something that shouldn’t be missed.
Another curry that has our attention is the bright red Amritsari fish curry — a thick, mildly tangy and spicy gravy that can create an explosion of flavours in your mouth. We also go for a serving of the Murgh Dum Biryani, which had us wishing that we had more room to devour it. And if you are up for dessert, which we, unfortunately weren’t, there is an entire aisle dedicated to dessert counters offering everything from jalebis, kulfis, cold stone ice creams to cakes, barfis and more.
Buffet price per person `650.
—Fathima Ashraf
fathima@newindianexpress.com
@fathiimaashraf